Discussion Forum > Milestone Chart -- Updated to Include Long Term Planning
Hi Cricket
Good luck! I hope it surpasses your expectations.
Good luck! I hope it surpasses your expectations.
September 6, 2013 at 19:27 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
Hi Cricket,
I always liked your milestone charts and other ideas but somehow I was too slow in applying them to my work.
This time is different. I created a milestone chart v. 2 and I'm loving it. The most important part is that tasks are sorted by context/project and date and have a set place holder. It's a perfect dashboard for me. All the task are where i left them.
Somehow I can't work from any list, paper or electronic, except maybe daily focus.list which needs to be discarded daily, otherwise I stop using any lists or plans at all. I actually envy people crating list and systems with rules that they can follow. I guess my biggest problem is that I hate reading the lists that are constantly changing. If I don't remember what is written where it stops working. And the worst possible for me are the index cards but they work for other people.
I guess everybody needs to create something that works with their personality, that's why I'm coming back to this site looking for inspiration, particularly your comments. Maybe I like your thinking since I'm also an engineer, and at work I need to use bound record books similar to your father's.
I always liked your milestone charts and other ideas but somehow I was too slow in applying them to my work.
This time is different. I created a milestone chart v. 2 and I'm loving it. The most important part is that tasks are sorted by context/project and date and have a set place holder. It's a perfect dashboard for me. All the task are where i left them.
Somehow I can't work from any list, paper or electronic, except maybe daily focus.list which needs to be discarded daily, otherwise I stop using any lists or plans at all. I actually envy people crating list and systems with rules that they can follow. I guess my biggest problem is that I hate reading the lists that are constantly changing. If I don't remember what is written where it stops working. And the worst possible for me are the index cards but they work for other people.
I guess everybody needs to create something that works with their personality, that's why I'm coming back to this site looking for inspiration, particularly your comments. Maybe I like your thinking since I'm also an engineer, and at work I need to use bound record books similar to your father's.
September 8, 2013 at 15:26 |
Ilse
Ilse
Hi Ilse,
I'm glad you find the chart useful. Let me know how you tweak it and what works / doesn't work for you. I keep experimenting with variations. In particular, I haven't found a good way to handle tasks that should repeat weekly but can slide (like most housework).
"All the tasks are where I left them." I know exactly what you mean! They like to fly off with loose paper or hide in folders. Many times, I would pull ahead on a project and put it aside for a while, and then almost miss the next deadline. (E.g., I don't copy the course materials until the day before teaching. If I do, I'll find an important typo.)
I make my daily and weekly focus lists (well, not always the daily) in a bound notebook. I make each one from scratch, informed by a reading of all the old ones. Items on old lists only get crossed off when they're done, not when I've planned (yet again) to do them this week. Sometimes, I spend an hour working off the old lists rather than the current one. Very satisfying to throw out those old pages!
Mark's Ultimate series has some of that, rather than recopying tasks to the end after a bit of work.
This season, I might experiment with separating my focus lists from my notes. Not strictly -- recording in a safe place I see often is more important than using the right book. I'm tired of keeping focus pages around because of a note. On the other hand, many of the notes that feel like action items are actually reference notes in disguise, and vice-versa.
I'm glad you find my comments useful. I enjoy thinking about systems. It drives my family crazy.
I'm glad you find the chart useful. Let me know how you tweak it and what works / doesn't work for you. I keep experimenting with variations. In particular, I haven't found a good way to handle tasks that should repeat weekly but can slide (like most housework).
"All the tasks are where I left them." I know exactly what you mean! They like to fly off with loose paper or hide in folders. Many times, I would pull ahead on a project and put it aside for a while, and then almost miss the next deadline. (E.g., I don't copy the course materials until the day before teaching. If I do, I'll find an important typo.)
I make my daily and weekly focus lists (well, not always the daily) in a bound notebook. I make each one from scratch, informed by a reading of all the old ones. Items on old lists only get crossed off when they're done, not when I've planned (yet again) to do them this week. Sometimes, I spend an hour working off the old lists rather than the current one. Very satisfying to throw out those old pages!
Mark's Ultimate series has some of that, rather than recopying tasks to the end after a bit of work.
This season, I might experiment with separating my focus lists from my notes. Not strictly -- recording in a safe place I see often is more important than using the right book. I'm tired of keeping focus pages around because of a note. On the other hand, many of the notes that feel like action items are actually reference notes in disguise, and vice-versa.
I'm glad you find my comments useful. I enjoy thinking about systems. It drives my family crazy.
September 9, 2013 at 0:43 |
Cricket
Cricket
Hi Cricket,
Like the milestone chart idea... alot!
You mention a 'weekly dashboard'... do you have any information of how you do this?
Thanks!
Like the milestone chart idea... alot!
You mention a 'weekly dashboard'... do you have any information of how you do this?
Thanks!
September 10, 2013 at 2:28 |
Marco
Marco
Hi Marco,
There are many variations on the Weekly Dashboard, Week Page, or Weekly Focus list. There are almost as many names. Some seasons I create a form, but I've used free-form for the last year. I use a bound notebook, which is another reason for free-form. I keep the page until everything on it has been dealt with (which can be a long time if there's a high-resistance task).
For me, this is the page that brings together everything that helps me plan and run my week. As long as I do what's on that page, I'll get done what needs to be done this week. In theory, I don't need to look at any other lists during the week. Looking at other lists can be dangerous. In reality, I usually review the other lists mid-week.
It also tells me the character of the week ahead. Do I need to focus and get it all done, or even drop things? Do I need to conserve my energy? Is it front-loaded or back-loaded?
Mine isn't the hour-long brain-dump and review of every project file from GTD. That takes time, and creates an unsorted list. (I prefer small and frequent brain dumps, often with a single project or time-frame in mind.)
Mine starts with a chart, per day, showing events (both routine and unusual), meal plan (since that is affected by the events), and sometimes when I plan to do things, at whatever level of detail feels right for that project at that time, keeping in mind that the goal is ensuring I have time for everything rather than detailed project planning.
It also has a small chart for "don't break the chain" projects.
There's a large section for tasks that get added during the week, and several lines for random notes (because that page is likely to be handy).
I usually start with sections for errands, phone calls, focus projects, and physical work. Errands and phone calls are best grouped. Focus and physical work need to spread out, and I like to know in advance if the week is overloaded with one of them. Again, whatever works at the time, and that changes depending on the nature of the week.
When creating it, I review all my "source documents". That's my calendar, old lists, whatever I'm using to keep track of "approximately regular" tasks, and the milestone chart (for this week and next, and any unfinished weeks).
Once I created a form that had all my weekly tasks, grouped by target day. That worked for most of the year, but I often ran late printing copies, so I would be printing (and, since the file was open, editing), when I should have been planning and then doing the week. My current method takes only few minutes to all the routine things on the page.
Hope this helps!
There are many variations on the Weekly Dashboard, Week Page, or Weekly Focus list. There are almost as many names. Some seasons I create a form, but I've used free-form for the last year. I use a bound notebook, which is another reason for free-form. I keep the page until everything on it has been dealt with (which can be a long time if there's a high-resistance task).
For me, this is the page that brings together everything that helps me plan and run my week. As long as I do what's on that page, I'll get done what needs to be done this week. In theory, I don't need to look at any other lists during the week. Looking at other lists can be dangerous. In reality, I usually review the other lists mid-week.
It also tells me the character of the week ahead. Do I need to focus and get it all done, or even drop things? Do I need to conserve my energy? Is it front-loaded or back-loaded?
Mine isn't the hour-long brain-dump and review of every project file from GTD. That takes time, and creates an unsorted list. (I prefer small and frequent brain dumps, often with a single project or time-frame in mind.)
Mine starts with a chart, per day, showing events (both routine and unusual), meal plan (since that is affected by the events), and sometimes when I plan to do things, at whatever level of detail feels right for that project at that time, keeping in mind that the goal is ensuring I have time for everything rather than detailed project planning.
It also has a small chart for "don't break the chain" projects.
There's a large section for tasks that get added during the week, and several lines for random notes (because that page is likely to be handy).
I usually start with sections for errands, phone calls, focus projects, and physical work. Errands and phone calls are best grouped. Focus and physical work need to spread out, and I like to know in advance if the week is overloaded with one of them. Again, whatever works at the time, and that changes depending on the nature of the week.
When creating it, I review all my "source documents". That's my calendar, old lists, whatever I'm using to keep track of "approximately regular" tasks, and the milestone chart (for this week and next, and any unfinished weeks).
Once I created a form that had all my weekly tasks, grouped by target day. That worked for most of the year, but I often ran late printing copies, so I would be printing (and, since the file was open, editing), when I should have been planning and then doing the week. My current method takes only few minutes to all the routine things on the page.
Hope this helps!
September 10, 2013 at 10:42 |
Cricket
Cricket
http://cricketb.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/new-time-management-tool-milestone-chart-with-long-term-planning
and in this pdf
http://cricketb.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/milestone-chart-version-2.pdf
Fingers crossed that the links work.
A milestone chart has been the core of my planning for over a year now. The old one focused on the one-week through several-month time frame. The new one encourages you to plan even longer projects.
Each row has a time frame, and each project (or group of projects) has a column. Each cell then has a milestone or goal.
No, I'm not doing the exact projects on the list.
Please let me know if something's unclear or you find a typo. Comments and questions welcome.
Now to update the real chart. Unlike the example, I needed the entire first week after vacation to recover and do the urgent tasks. (It was a 4-day week, and I was interviewed yesterday on the local cable station for the needlecraft guild. Plus several trips to Staples for the kids.) Next week is routine, with planning as the major project. Wish me luck!