Discussion Forum > A Multi-Level View
Once again, Alan, you and I seem to be having a "synchronicity moment". :-) At least in terms of where we are focusing our efforts: making sure the stuff that matters gets done.
I've been obsessing over this lately. A week or two ago, I realized that a big drain for me is switching between tasks that are relatively fast to complete (can be completely finished in under an hour), and other things that require sustained effort and attention (many hours, maybe days).
If both types of tasks are all mixed together on a list, I tend to (1) focus only on the fast and easy, or (2) completely ignore the fast and easy, and spend all my discretionary time on one major project. Neither works.
So, I've been trying to implement Mark's "current initiative" idea: one project that requires ongoing sustained effort, at least for a period to get it up and running. Focus on one of these at a time. Have a list of other tasks that may require similar effort - but they stay on the backburner for now. Try to start every day working on the Current Initiative for an hour or two; or at least block out significant chunks of time every week to work on it.
And the real key: keep this kind of work distinctly separated from the lists of tasks - whether it's an AF list or TUTMS list or GTD context lists or whatever. Use the lists to handle everything else, but not the Current Initiative (and the pending initiatives that are waiting to become the Current Initiative).
That seemed to start me in a good direction, but there's something else that has really energized it. I'll post that next.
I've been obsessing over this lately. A week or two ago, I realized that a big drain for me is switching between tasks that are relatively fast to complete (can be completely finished in under an hour), and other things that require sustained effort and attention (many hours, maybe days).
If both types of tasks are all mixed together on a list, I tend to (1) focus only on the fast and easy, or (2) completely ignore the fast and easy, and spend all my discretionary time on one major project. Neither works.
So, I've been trying to implement Mark's "current initiative" idea: one project that requires ongoing sustained effort, at least for a period to get it up and running. Focus on one of these at a time. Have a list of other tasks that may require similar effort - but they stay on the backburner for now. Try to start every day working on the Current Initiative for an hour or two; or at least block out significant chunks of time every week to work on it.
And the real key: keep this kind of work distinctly separated from the lists of tasks - whether it's an AF list or TUTMS list or GTD context lists or whatever. Use the lists to handle everything else, but not the Current Initiative (and the pending initiatives that are waiting to become the Current Initiative).
That seemed to start me in a good direction, but there's something else that has really energized it. I'll post that next.
July 16, 2013 at 19:45 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Peter Drucker's book, The Effective Executive, has some great ideas that I'm trying to put into practice.
(1) Really be serious about choosing only one major project at a time as your current initiative. "Do first things first, and second things not at all." His reasoning is that when you are done with the most important thing, it changes the priority of everything else.
(2) Block out time where you won't be distracted so you can work on your top priority - even in the early morning if you need to. You need to have blocks of time of a significant size -- 90 minutes is generally the minimum -- so you can put in a sustained effort and go deep enough to really make progress. If you can't find blocks of time like that in your schedule, then you can't expect to make real progress.
(3) Typical weeks for many of us are dealing with the problems and issues that arise, plus meetings, plus odds and ends, plus some blocks and snippets of discretionary time. This is where to squeeze in the inbox processing and the task lists - the stuff that can be done relatively quickly.
(4) Forcing yourself to choose ONE thing means saying NO to everything else. The hardest part about this isn't the intelligent analysis. Rather, it's having the courage to stick to it once you've said NO. "It is much easier to draw up a nice list of top priorities and then to hedge by trying to do 'just a little bit' of everything. This makes everybody happy. The only drawback is, of course, that nothing whatever gets done."
(4) Probably the biggest "ah ha" for me: Deciding on the top priority, and then following through on it, is a strategic decision. You need to make it based on your own internal assessment of what is needed -- what's really critical for your work, your life, your organization, or whatever it is you are responsible for. This can't be "inbox driven".
That last part, not being "inbox driven", really struck home. With the list-driven systems -- whether AF or DIT or FV or GTD -- it's easy to fall into a routine of just "capturing" things, and then "processing" them, and ticking them off, little and often or in big swaths. It's easy to fall into a routine where one's main object is to clear things off that list.
The big strategic things don't show up in my inbox. They only show up from doing deep reflection and hard thinking, and then choosing what needs to be done first.
From this perspective, the list -- ANY list -- seems more like a necessary evil to deal with all the other stuff that comes up in life, that one must attend to. It's good if those lists and systems are effective and efficient, but they serve a secondary purpose.
Here's a summary / book review of The Effective Executive:
http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~prewett/writings/BookReviews/TheEffectiveExecutive.html
Here's a link to Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Executive-Definitive-Harperbusiness-Essentials/dp/0060833459
(1) Really be serious about choosing only one major project at a time as your current initiative. "Do first things first, and second things not at all." His reasoning is that when you are done with the most important thing, it changes the priority of everything else.
(2) Block out time where you won't be distracted so you can work on your top priority - even in the early morning if you need to. You need to have blocks of time of a significant size -- 90 minutes is generally the minimum -- so you can put in a sustained effort and go deep enough to really make progress. If you can't find blocks of time like that in your schedule, then you can't expect to make real progress.
(3) Typical weeks for many of us are dealing with the problems and issues that arise, plus meetings, plus odds and ends, plus some blocks and snippets of discretionary time. This is where to squeeze in the inbox processing and the task lists - the stuff that can be done relatively quickly.
(4) Forcing yourself to choose ONE thing means saying NO to everything else. The hardest part about this isn't the intelligent analysis. Rather, it's having the courage to stick to it once you've said NO. "It is much easier to draw up a nice list of top priorities and then to hedge by trying to do 'just a little bit' of everything. This makes everybody happy. The only drawback is, of course, that nothing whatever gets done."
(4) Probably the biggest "ah ha" for me: Deciding on the top priority, and then following through on it, is a strategic decision. You need to make it based on your own internal assessment of what is needed -- what's really critical for your work, your life, your organization, or whatever it is you are responsible for. This can't be "inbox driven".
That last part, not being "inbox driven", really struck home. With the list-driven systems -- whether AF or DIT or FV or GTD -- it's easy to fall into a routine of just "capturing" things, and then "processing" them, and ticking them off, little and often or in big swaths. It's easy to fall into a routine where one's main object is to clear things off that list.
The big strategic things don't show up in my inbox. They only show up from doing deep reflection and hard thinking, and then choosing what needs to be done first.
From this perspective, the list -- ANY list -- seems more like a necessary evil to deal with all the other stuff that comes up in life, that one must attend to. It's good if those lists and systems are effective and efficient, but they serve a secondary purpose.
Here's a summary / book review of The Effective Executive:
http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~prewett/writings/BookReviews/TheEffectiveExecutive.html
Here's a link to Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Executive-Definitive-Harperbusiness-Essentials/dp/0060833459
July 16, 2013 at 20:42 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Putting things into this perspective, "the list" and whether I am completing it or not, whether I am falling behind or not, becomes less important. What really matters is the progress I'm making on the most important things. And since there's only one of those at a time, there's really only one main thing to think about, to track, to evaluate.
For me, this is really energizing. I get energized thinking about the strategic things in my life -- whether it's work/career, or political activism, or family life. And this approach really keeps the focus there.
I'm still working through how to handle the day-to-day mechanics of all this. Drucker has some pointers on how to handle the day-to-day mechanics, and they overlap quite a lot with Mark's material in DIT. But these have been really powerful "ah ha"s for me.
For me, this is really energizing. I get energized thinking about the strategic things in my life -- whether it's work/career, or political activism, or family life. And this approach really keeps the focus there.
I'm still working through how to handle the day-to-day mechanics of all this. Drucker has some pointers on how to handle the day-to-day mechanics, and they overlap quite a lot with Mark's material in DIT. But these have been really powerful "ah ha"s for me.
July 16, 2013 at 20:53 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Hi Seraphim
Dit did for what you're talking about. Mark talked about the Current Initiative, Projects Queue, and the crux of it all: Commitment vs Interest. Because of my natural and damaged mental functioning, I turned it into a weekly format. I even gave the "daily checklist" weekly deadlines in each category of bundling so that I could flexibly stay current. Also, some of my types of projects require fallow time to process what I've learned and figured out. Having another one or two projects going allows me to rotate them so that I can move them forward yet also give myself space to experiment, digest the fruits of the learning curve and gently invite creative thinking. This way I'm staying responsible, guiding my trajectory and enjoying the challenges the projects offer me.
Even though I modified it to suit my needs and desires, the principles stay firm. I don't even try to clear the checklist each day. I use my fake deadlines to make sure the most important stuff is current. As long as I keep pace with my responsibilities, I'd rather give myself the flexibility to move my projects forward or simply stop for the day when my MITs are completed. Sometimes life gifts me with an opportunity that it much more gratifying overall than the MIT's I chose. Also, sometimes life throws a spammer in the works, and my plans are derailed for awhile. DIT keeps the balls in the air plus gives me the flexibility to both nudge my life's trajectory (I'm retired but I still have aspirations) and allow me to embrace what life offers me. When I'm faced with dealing with negative challenges, I have time to take care of it (or me).
Even when it's not smooth sailing, I'm still on course using DIT. Others also feel that way about the various itterations of the AF series. In fact, on days when I have to swat lots of mosquito tasks, it's fun to choose one of Mark's methods (or a variation) to get things back to normal. Sometimes it's totally my fault. If I find myself in a rapturous state of flow, I'll allow the normal stuff to wait as long as there's no real fallout because I let it sit for a couple to few days. If the project is taking longer, I'll do a couple of days a week of knocking out those tasks.
Mark's DIT allows all of it while still staying current and/or getting ahead. I don't need to go outside the parameters of DITs principles. A few tweaks once in awhile to accommodate changing demands or circumstances keeps things current and moving forward. IOW, DIT is my favorite reference. The principles are so solid that DIT can handle most any modifications you may need to implement to suit your expectations.
Dit did for what you're talking about. Mark talked about the Current Initiative, Projects Queue, and the crux of it all: Commitment vs Interest. Because of my natural and damaged mental functioning, I turned it into a weekly format. I even gave the "daily checklist" weekly deadlines in each category of bundling so that I could flexibly stay current. Also, some of my types of projects require fallow time to process what I've learned and figured out. Having another one or two projects going allows me to rotate them so that I can move them forward yet also give myself space to experiment, digest the fruits of the learning curve and gently invite creative thinking. This way I'm staying responsible, guiding my trajectory and enjoying the challenges the projects offer me.
Even though I modified it to suit my needs and desires, the principles stay firm. I don't even try to clear the checklist each day. I use my fake deadlines to make sure the most important stuff is current. As long as I keep pace with my responsibilities, I'd rather give myself the flexibility to move my projects forward or simply stop for the day when my MITs are completed. Sometimes life gifts me with an opportunity that it much more gratifying overall than the MIT's I chose. Also, sometimes life throws a spammer in the works, and my plans are derailed for awhile. DIT keeps the balls in the air plus gives me the flexibility to both nudge my life's trajectory (I'm retired but I still have aspirations) and allow me to embrace what life offers me. When I'm faced with dealing with negative challenges, I have time to take care of it (or me).
Even when it's not smooth sailing, I'm still on course using DIT. Others also feel that way about the various itterations of the AF series. In fact, on days when I have to swat lots of mosquito tasks, it's fun to choose one of Mark's methods (or a variation) to get things back to normal. Sometimes it's totally my fault. If I find myself in a rapturous state of flow, I'll allow the normal stuff to wait as long as there's no real fallout because I let it sit for a couple to few days. If the project is taking longer, I'll do a couple of days a week of knocking out those tasks.
Mark's DIT allows all of it while still staying current and/or getting ahead. I don't need to go outside the parameters of DITs principles. A few tweaks once in awhile to accommodate changing demands or circumstances keeps things current and moving forward. IOW, DIT is my favorite reference. The principles are so solid that DIT can handle most any modifications you may need to implement to suit your expectations.
July 17, 2013 at 5:40 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
I'm still at it. What makes it work is that I really can't do it wrong. It's on a big board so it wont get lost. I can and have forgotten about it for several days, but all is well because on quick review I see the high levels are still good, and the low levels are some still valid, some obsolete. In 5 minutes, I look at everything and correct my trajectory towards my goals.
Seraphim, I'm attracted to the "one goal" approach you pose. It makes sense to focus, even though in time more than one goal should be pursued, at any given moment one may take precedence.
Seraphim, I'm attracted to the "one goal" approach you pose. It makes sense to focus, even though in time more than one goal should be pursued, at any given moment one may take precedence.
August 5, 2013 at 0:07 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
I took a whiteboard, and made several columns.
In the leftmost column I wrote Today, and made subheadings Morning, Work, After Work, Evening.
In the rightmost column I wrote Ideals, and wrote things I most want in myself.
Second right, I wrote Goals, and some long-term goals I want to focus on.
Left of that, I put key steps to work on.
Left of that, to-do items.
The idea is to keep everything on this whiteboard minimal, the things that matter. Each day I consider the left two columns for what I should work on. Each day I also consider all columns to see that my goals match the ideals, the key steps match the goals, the to-dos serve to achieve the steps, what I'm doing today is feasible, and everything matches where I want to focus my efforts.
Realistically I can only fit 60 things on this board: 12 todo's, etc. So it's not a system for everything I can think of at every level. I keep it focused on the things I care about now. Todo's get noted to be done, but this isn't a system to track and process all those to-do's.
"Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex, intelligent behaviour." - nice quote, Mark. Hope it works for me.