Get Everything Done

Hi, Navigare
When I'm up against high resistance either physical or mental, I start with my Current Initiative by asking the small unit of action to bring it forward such as Mark suggests. Example: "I'll set up the supplies." Sometimes, this is enough to finish what I intended to accomplish for the day.

If I still feel high resistance, I simply alternate to the list. After I do a task from the regular list, I alternate another ridiculously easy next task.

Rinse and repeat. What usually happens is that you'll soon get annoyed with sandwiching in the dreaded task, and get it done so you don't have to think about anymore for awhile.

If it's very important yet it has unusually high resistance, take a break from doing that after a period of dedicated work depending on the anxiety level/resistance it gives you. Example: I'm in horribly pain yet I don't want to take my medication but the work doesn't require exacting thought. I'll do the rotation for 30 minutes to an hour and then either take a true break or do something that doesn't increase the pain. The same goes for concentrated thinking tasks.

If I accomplished my day's goal for the important job, then I'll just graze my list sort of like Mark's AF or FV but I'll usually choose another important task without so much resistance as my next goal. You can just graze your list if you don't have anymore important projects to work on.

I keep a weekly aims list so it's easy for me to decide what I want to focus on but that's optional. It simply works for me.

Alternating what's important and has high resistance gives you a temporary pressure relief yet you're still moving forward. When you need a legit break, it's OK because you're still moving forward to complete your daily aims. I like to keep break activities off my list. Many people here do keep break activities on their list. For me, if I'm working on a highly important yet high resistance/high anxiety task, I don't want any cues for escape. Maybe your mind is more determined than mine.

If I don't feel high resistance, I'll simply do the current initiative and my daily aims (MIT's) straight through. I no longer feel like a failure if I have to rotate my tasks to get my MIT's done. If you're current or slightly ahead, it's fun to just graze the list.

(This has not been previewed.) In fact, I'm taking a break from high resistance task now. I did my high resistance task completely for the day. ( one hour accounts) yet I started with get the materials out. The idea of looking at it all day turned me off. BUT, when I started I THOUGHT that I'd be forced to rotate is all day! Resistance isn't a reliable predictor for the entire task. It's only reliable to know to only ask for a ridiculously easy start task.

Hi Navigare

I apologize for not answering your question properly. My monkey mind is at the helm because of pain. I keep a rolling list of both one offs and my daily MITS. I'll simply add one offs as they occur but each day I add today's date where ever I am on the rolling list. Then I'll write my day's MIT's from my weekly aims list. Usually the normal responsibilities are easily categorized. I'll simply write the category on the list. If needed I'll refer to an outside list rather than fire hosing my list. This serves 2 purposes. First, I see the date and my MIT's are listed. This way it's easier to graze the list for one offs to either use as resistance relief or to graze once my day's work is done. If I re-write each step of what I've been doing for years, it lengthens the list unnecessarily. If it's an important project, I want the view of my progress separate rather than intermingled into the general list.

Everybody has different ways of working their list. I like to write categories so my brain knows what to focus on next from a separate list rather than scanning the general list each time. Also, it's easier to track your progress on a separate list....if you have a brain like mine. Many people on this forum like to intermingle their tasks because they like the surprise each page offers them. I like to get OFF my list asap each day because it's only a work list, not a daily choice list of work and leisure. Also, I happen to work better getting my aims done first (MITS) because I like feeling on top of my important work. Then I can either graze the list for more work or LEAVE the list either for the day or for optionally come back to it if I still feel like working.

Do you like to track your progress on your important categories or projects? Intermingle categories into your list or keep categories and one offs separate.

If you work better with surprise tasks on each page, intermingle your categories and project tasks right onto the page.

I hope I answered this better on this round. Back to next project category.
My list today: current initiative, day's category of responsibility, project,....then graze the list for extra work or quit for awhile or for the day!

Monkey mind signing off...

Hi, Mark
I've been here all along....just lurking. Upon viewing my 2 posts today, I'd do better to stay in lurker status. :-/ I always love using your site as a recommended break because it keeps my mind on what I want to do. Plus, I love the community of posters that your site attracts. Best of all, there are no dangerous rabbit holes (time sinks) to be cautious about when I'm dogged on high resistance work. Today, it's all resistance work because the pain makes me want to escape it all.......tomorrow could be better or far worse. I'd better do what I can. I finished the MITs. Now I can escape for a legit break! (life's little pleasures)

How are you getting on with your new experiment - AF2R? I have to stick with my old ways because my brain isn't so flexible but I love reading about your different systems. I marvel at how many systems you're able to invent yet I have to struggle just to complete my work. You're really helping a lot of people. I still remember the relief you provided me when you helped me out of my backlog of 2006! The memory still horrifies me!

Hi Seraphim!
I wanted to say Hi so I used that as impetus to finish the last of a job I HATE!
5pm - freedom!
I loved your couple of DIT posts. Your method is more disciplined than mine. I only do my MITs and have the option to graze the list afterwards....or not! LOL!

In fact, I modified my method because I was so impressed by your post. THANK YOU! It's so much easier to have one offs and MITS on one rolling list.

I don't hold myself to FINISHING the jobs everyday like you do. If it's a big job or one with high resistance, I'll break it down into units. I still have my round up days. That's easier than doing an entire list perfectly each day. My hats off to you! It sounds like you've finally pared down your 1,000+ tasks list! I'm always crossing off hare-brain ideas that sounded genius at the time. :-0

I also was impressed that you finally let go of adhering so strictly to whatever rules the system had. Sometimes we don't know if a new idea is good or not. We need extra flexibility to brain storm or ideas but we also need safety caps to limit them! Thanks for writing such helpful posts.

Hi, Mark
I hope you find the magic bullet to reduce resistance. I EXPECT to have to overcome resistance almost every day! ...and it's not only created by pain. Sometimes it's generic laziness because I don't like the task. I'm glad or the rare day that I don't have resistance!

If your new tweak helps at all, I'll be happy to try it out. Maybe it's my brain (even before the accident) that causes so much resistance. If the work is too boring or it gives me no challenge, then I can count on having to bust through resistance. The resistance caused by my monkey mind or donkey brain is harder to overcome than real pain bouts.

Although I hate approaching high resistance tasks, I've gotten good at it. I have a lifetime of experience coping with responsibilities that aren't interesting. The good side is the wonderful relief I feel when it's over with. It gives me an adrenaline shot and gratitude to be working on something that actually challenges me or interests me.

Here's hoping you're successful. My barnyard brain would be grateful.

Hi Seraphim
MIT's = Most Important Things. Things I WILL do. Doing more is up to me.

I beg to differ. I think you are quite disciplined to manage so many interests. You probably don't notice it because they are things that engage you. I have pared down my requirements on myself...I only wish that I could keep so many responsibilities and interests that you manage.

And you take the time to share your findings to help others. You certain helped me immensely. I hardly even think about "the system" anymore. Thanks to you!

Navigare, could your question in your first post be summarized as ” How to combine the (best) parts of Mark’s systems, the top-down approach and the bottom-up approach into a workable system?” and to keep it as light-weight as possible? Here’s the descripton of my system as it is today. Hope there are some useful ideas.

I use 3 different lists; the passive (FV) item list, the active (FV) item list and the project (FV) list. In addition I use ’project sheets’, papers for projects which are about the twice the size of my notebook page (A4 &A3), bigger ’project boxes’ drawn to them. I ’cover’ a page with a project sheet so that I see ’project sheets’ as pages when I leaf through my notebook. I can also spread the project sheets side by side on the table.

The first list is a write-everything-down, a reminder list more than a ToDo list. The mind dump ideas go here. This is the ’passive’ list. Some items on that list are very unclear and tentative ideas, some are straightforward actions and others somewhere inbetween. This list needs decluttering now and then. Item IDs in this passive list are of a type ’small alphabet + 3 numbers’ where numbers are actually row numbers. Item IDs are used to make links to projects.

The second list is a list of active commitments, the active list, in my case a FV list. Although I call it a FV list there are multiple ways how I choose the items from the list. This list should stay shortish compared to the passive list. Item IDs in this active list are of a a type ’capital letter (except P,R and O)+ 3 numbers’.

Although I call the items lists the passive and the active list I work with both of them, at different times of a day.

Now there are interrelated items in the passive and/or active list which I want to see together. So I write those items in a ’project box’ in a ’project sheet’ with their Item ID in the end. One item can be linked to several projects if necessary. It is easier to see if some (essential) tasks are missing when items are collected together. Then I add a header which is also a project name. Project IDs are of a type ’P, R or O + 3 numbers’

Then I write the project name and ID in CAPITAL LETTERs either to the active or passive list. I may or may not add the project ID(s) to the end of its items. If it is obvious I skip it, if not then I probably write it.

The third list is a collection of projects, the project list. Projects may arise bottom-up from the ’project sheets’ described above or come from top-down from other sources with reference to project plans or from the spouse or….. If they are from other sources, I give them a project ID and write either on the active or passive item list. Now or later. There are good instructions what to do to with a project list elsewhere.

The project list may also be treated as a FV/AF/etc. list to decide which projects will be moved from the passive list to the active (FV) list or vice versa. It has helped me to focus and given some peace of mind.


With this system it has been easier to see the difference between what should get done/changed in the bigger picture and what my item lists have actually guided me to do. Not so well aligned in the beginning but it’s getting better.

This system is very different from what I have seen earlier on these posts. The combination of linking items to projects to items with IDs works for me. Hopefully this gives you some useful ideas also.

Hi, Navigare
I'm not sure if you're referring to my monkey chatter, but I'm glad you found inspiration. Sometimes I'll tweak my procedures a bit just to add the temporary distraction of novelty and when I "test" the tweak, it distracts my brain away from the resistance. I throw the worst work at it to see how it will do! LOL! My focus is on testing the system rather than pushing through the resistance. Neat Trick! Then I go back to my normal ways! :-0

Please tell us how you do with it. I've found that sometimes I come away with some aspect of the tweak that is actually helpful (for certain types of work) even if the thing failed as a whole. At the least, the distraction got me over the hump!

learning as I go

p.s. When I make an early post, it's usually a sign that I'm up early to get some work I hate out of the way. My goal is to get the very worst of it mostly done before the sun rises, If possible,I like doing more inspiring things when the sun is up...work or leisure.