Get Everything Done

Seraphim,

I've been thinking about your query...

I know that (for me) my highest resistance task ever was working on my undergraduate dissertation, around 15 years ago by the way. I still have dreams (nightmares?) that it's still unfinished and I'm yet to hand it in!

I recall a lecturer saying that a dissertion is likely to be a 100 hour project, simple as that. Of course I did most of it in the last few days leading up to the deadline.

I wonder what it would be like to choose one high resistance project to work on and allocate a total of 100 hours to it? Maybe then it would be possible to at least break it right down and say 'I had a good go at it'.

I think it would be important to work in timeboxes and essential to record the amount of time spent on it. It feels good to see how much work has been put in already.

How about a big post it note or large piece of paper with a project (willing to commit 100 hours to). This is then underlined and it is not taken off the list until it's done. Underneath the line could be an operation similar to smema but maybe having 2 items listed max rather than 3. 1 item needs crossing off before a new one is added. These are items that are worthy of working on for 30 minute increments but are not in the same league as the 100 hour project. Work in half hour timeboxes (log an 'X' when 30 minutes has been achieved - similar to 'the now habit', btw i've no problem myself pausing a timebox been i get an interuption otherwise timeboxing can be impractical and inconvenient) for all items and record this in some way (a record book) at the end of the day.

So this is essentially a time boxed method, but a calander is used for appointments and just simply dealing with stuff as it comes up for the rest of the time.

Hi Seraphim
I totally agree with you. Mark's explaining the principles he uses to create his systems, his rule sets for each system, his various tips, etc is the BEST ADVICE I have ever received about approaching resistance. I have always been a very hard case since I was a child. It always feels like boredom is my Kryponite. Unfortunately, I was always taught to work on each job from start to finish. If it was horribly boring, it always was exhausting because of the effort I had to apply against my instincts to run away like my hair was on fire. I was able to do the boring stuff, but I dreaded it even just thinking about it.

I still dread doing boring work but Mark's principles have made it much less horrible.

1) Make a WILL DO list. I need something to give me determination to complete it. This is both a promise to myself and a test of my character.

2) Choose a doable unit of work to approach gauged by the resistance I feel when I think about it.

3) Try to stop working on it a bit before I ready to put my head through the wall! LOL!

4) Choose an alternate task that is also important yet creates much less resistance. Maybe choose a few tasks until my resolve to approach the dreaded task returns. (The WILL Do aspect helps very much here. Otherwise, I'm likely to conveniently forget about it. LOL!

5. Make sure your relief tasks are worthy work: either another MIT or some recurring tasks that have deadlines or are important to stay current.
a) Avoid busyness stuff if possible. I hate wasting my work time on busyness. I'd rather complete my work sooner and have the option to spend my time on outright leisure activities, not quasi-worthwhile busyness nonsense.
b) I'd rather have more time to work on a project rather than process my inbox to zero, putter around with re-color coding files, check out yet another productivity app, etc.
c) Outright leisure always feels better when you're on an actual break or done for the day.
d) It's easier for me to think when my mind isn't being nagged about work that should have been done. Yeah, I screw up with this sometimes and I always regret creating the nagging!

6. If the resistance seems to be extremely strong and I feel weak to it, gamify, bribe, cagole, anything to complete my WILL DO list. I feel like crap when I let myself down. When I feel the temptation to escape, I use that as a cue to change my current strategy to complete the list.
Using timeboxing gives me a sense of accomplishment and prevents the work from seeming overwhelming. I can't imagine finishing about 10 hours of completing it but I can certainly imagine completing an hour or 2 of it today.

7. The most important thing I have to keep in mind. The initial resistance I feel isn't accurate about how I'll feel doing the entire job. As Michael so brilliantly pointed out, I might be dreading step 10, not the first 9 steps nor the 11th through 30th step. I'll worry about step ten after I'm done with step nine. THANK YOU MICHAEL. That was a revelation to me.

Without Mark teaching me these principles and tips, I'd be unnecessarily laboring through each job from beginning to end. Mark's way involves much less dread and much less effort. In fact, I'm guessing that I'm completing my WILL DO list much more quickly because I don't have as much mental drag. Also, I can do more work afterwards because my mind is at ease once I've managed to complete the WILL DO list.

I'd highly recommend reading DIT if you suffer from resistance, lists growing too long, poor at estimating your capabilities to create a doable list, or any of the other fixes the audit addresses. It's easy to adjust DIT to your workload demands and your personal strengths and challenges. He explains the principles so that you can intelligently modify the system to meet your needs.

I mention DIT because it saved my bacon. He has many systems to choose from or to cobble together to suit your needs, an excellent archive, an excellent forum and intelligent, kind, great posters. Their input is exemplary!

Thanks to all! Maybe if my surgery goes bad, you'll be spared my rambling, incoherent, error-ridden posts. Fingers crossed....

p.s.
Mark's WILL DO list employs brilliant psychology. If something bores me and it's a responsibility, I feel put upon to a degree. (Yeah, it's not mature thinking.... *blush*). When I'm in charge of deciding how I'll take on the responsibility, the WILL DO list infuses my efforts with determination. When I read that I can work my WILL DO list in any order I like, that added another bit of relief. My version is a flexible weekly list from which I choose my daily focus lists. The WILL DO list is already prioritized so I don't even have to think about making any decisions about what to do. All I have to do is find a way to finish it! LOL! Not having to think about choosing preserves a lot of my cognitive energy that goes directly into doing the work. Mark's ideas are genius!

Lately I've been using Alan's method of journaling my project as I work it, which is similar to a method I've used to bust out a notepad and just break it down into easier steps. Most of the time, the problem I face is perceived overwhelm that delays me.

Hi Seraphim
Well stated! That's why I love the WILL DO list. I don't call it courage so much as the determination created by your commitment. I'm the poster child for dealing with resistance. I try to keep the WILL DO list down to about 2-4 hours max to keep completing it doable except in rare, extraordinary conditions. I alternate to an easier, important task to give my brain time to diffuse when I'm cognitively and/or emotionally exhausted from doing the high resistance work. The secret is to make sure that the WILL DO list is well chosen and DOABLE. I have plenty of time afterwards to do more....or not. I already completed the most important work for the day. When I want to enjoy focusing on other work, my mind is clear once the WILL DO list is completed. Sometimes alternating my work gives me head space to work out what's stalemating my progress. If it's one of those things that my brain needs time to process, I can stop because my MITs are done. Ironically, this freedom and space away from the challenge relaxes my mind and makes possible solutions come more quickly. When I'm stalemated, I need a respite. I doesn't do any good to bash my head against being stuck. The distance that time allows usually offers up something else to try. Mark's little and often works great in these cases. It's amazing how much important regular work gets done when I'm alternating my MITs and relief tasks. Mark really has the answers with his DIT principles. I LOVE DIT (my version for me.) Sometimes it's fun to engage in the challenge of completing the WILL DO list when there's much resistance for more than one task. Strategizing how to get the list done gives me the juice to keep at it until I "win" for the day. LOL! It feels similar to keeping the same chess match going for hours! LOL! Each check is a challenge. When I've completed the list...checkmate to my resistance and/or pain! LOL!

p.s.
I love having the Current Initiative leading the pace of my other projects. It feels almost glorious when I've finished my WILL DO list PLUS I've also unexpectedly made more progress on other projects as well. Also, with the WILL DO list you don't have to worry about your projects lagging. You simply build your WILL DO list to reflect that. Also the extra time after WILL DO takes care of focus time and/or keeping the mundane yet important responsibilities current. Mark definitely created a great system with DIT. Even customizing it doesn't spoil the strength of the foundational principles.

The true magic sauce is the determination that the WILL DO list creates AND the freedom to complete it however you'd like!

Learning, are you having surgery? When? You'll be in my prayers.

I've learned that the best way to make myself do something I dread doing is public commitment. My blog posts drive me to do things I would blow off otherwise. Even though few would care if I blew it off, I despise looking like undisciplined MORE than I despise work. Making work social also helps me. If someone goes with me or is working alongside me, I can do just about anything.

Hi Mel
Thank you for your kind thoughts. Fingers crossed....

I, too, find having company goes a long way to reduce the effects of resistance. My sis used to say that she could do almost any kind of work if she could listen to good music. I used to say that I could do almost any work if I could be in good company. LOL! Even when we were swamped and working almost around the clock, a well placed quip here and there amidst the banter made the work go better. You have strong social support. Consider yourself blessed. And I'm sure that your company is their blessing as well. Thanks again.

p.s.
I totally agree with you about pride. Since I'm alone, I have to rely totally on what I think of myself. It's not always easy to get myself to do stuff when nobody gives a damn except me. LOL! It's always more keenly felt when others watching or benefit from your efforts! LOL!

I've pretty much had to govern myself since I was young so it's not that bad but it's always better when I helping somebody else or competing. Nothing inspires me more than bettering myself in the company of like minded people and it's easier to gauge your skills and accomplishments comparing yourself to others in the competition or watching them rehearse. LOL! When I ran marathons, I wasn't a world champion but I always gauged my pace by having sight of at least the laggers in the fastest group! If I lost sight of them, I'd get frantic and step it up! LOL! We're social creatures. The social buzz energizes us when we don't prefer to be alone. I like both.

High-resistance tasks, our friends.

The power of the subconscious mind, how to use it to break resistance? Especially when little and often approach is not enough. This is what I have found useful.

Tip one: How to end a work session (knowing that you will continue later). Have a look at the material and what is going in your mind, and then write questions. These questions act as hooks, collecting information from the subconscious mind while you are doing something else. If it is very difficult to begin a work session, write questions and even more questions if needed.

Tip two: If possible, start the ’work’ of the next session in the end of the previous session for example by reading the first two pages of the next chapter. This acts also as a hook. Start the next session by reviewing what you did in the end of the previous session. Read the questions or start reading the from the first page of the chapter. This creates continuity and builds momentum easily.

Tip three: Do something different between the sessions. If the focus work requires analytical thinking, go for a walk or have a cup of coffee with colleagues or do some creative work or routine work. The most important thing is not to use the same brain areas that are needed in subconscious thinking of the focus task.

So if the important tasks are of different types, my gut feeling is that it is possible to do them one after another and still give the subconscious mind a possibility to do its share of work. If they are similar it’s wiser to choose one of them.

Learning as I go speaks a lot about ’relief tasks’, about usually less important tasks between important tasks. These are the tasks that give time to the subconscious mind to develop new solutions to current problems. I have also found it useful to consciously select to do these kind of tasks between 'more important' ones.

Hi Smileypete

For people who's resistance is truly genetic or situational (stuck at a boring job until....), I think the greatest thing that helped me was accepting that starting what causes resistance is inevitable.
Mark taught to make the starting as low resistance as you need, IOW break it down until your resistance is no longer too overwhelming. On the other hand, accept that starting will always involve some amount of EFFORT that requires pushing through negative resistance. The only rx I can think of that doesn't require other people is to MAKE THE START DOABLE in direct proportion to the resistance that you must overcome. This does two things for me. 1. It creates a guaranteed win which creates a unit of confidence for next time. 2. Closely related is the MEMORY the successful start creates. When you next THINK about the task, the resistance will be less because you've diluted your negative assessment by a DOABLE UNIT of success. Every time I over-do it (which I'm stupidly prone to do because I just want to finish it) and create a memory of exhaustion, failure not to complete the bite I chewed off or, worst of all, have a memory of success that was overwhelmingly fatiguing. Next time I think of the task, the resistance is WORSE because I stupidly added a bad, effortful, overwhelming experience to my memory bank that predicts what working on a task will FEEL like or the LIKELIHOOD AND (FALSE) CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS IS.

Mark taught me this. I was taught to effortfully pound my head and will against high resistance work. (read boredom and tedium) and keep at it until it was done. I have decades of grueling memories of success. Since I learned Mark's philosophy of resistance, I can apply it to my hard-wired propensities. My success memories are less fretful and carry less of an aura of resistance. Put simply: Mark's little and often works wonders when I'm willing to let go of thinking the way I was taught is the right way. I might be right for some, but not me. Mark's advice is by far the BEST ADVICE about resistance I have ever experienced. I wish I learned it decades ago. Add Mark's (DOABLE) WILL DO LIST to the practice of LITTLE and OFTEN and I create a memory of little successes. Since it's genetic, I've accepted that there's no cure. Using Mark's advice has made my coping carry more confidence because it's DOABLE. I hope this helps somebody. Until I learned from Mark, I always felt such HORRIBLE GUILT and SHAME because it took so much extra effort to get my boring stuff done. I thought that my brain was irrational and spoiled because I could do interesting and challenging work but boredom had me agonizing to stay with it until done. Mark's methods allow you to do it however you like and his WILL DO list based DIT has an audit system that teaches you to focus on work that's important to you and your responsibilities yet encourages you to make the list DOABLE each time. Tasks and jobs aren't created equal to me. If my body allows it, I can easily spend hours and hours of interesting challenges. Sometimes 30 minutes of tedium can bring me to my knees! LOL! THANK YOU, MARK!

p.s.
sorry about the structure and typos. Again, I didn't hide the laptop while riding out the meds. I hope you can silt through the dross to extract the wonderful lessons Mark taught me.

p.s.s.
I almost forgot.
Mark has created my blog posts to learn the principles and various systems he has created based on those principles. Unlike other unnamed gurus, Mark encourages people to not only try his various systems, but he also encourages you to apply his principles, rules or tips to experiment and create a system that helps you get your work done and live a satisfying life. Other websites offering systems have a fan base that almost feels like the "rules gestapo". Mark's not like that. In fact, many, many times he has introduced systems that are in the experimental testing stage. He welcomes people's feedback. You can also do this for yourself. I'm highly impressed with the system hacks and various tips his readers have offered. I created a weekly version of DIT with a daily focus list because me brain damage doesn't allow me to easily choose from a large task list. My memory deficits create other challenges as well. I've learned much from Mark's knowledge as my foundation and augmented it with some brilliant ideas, viewpoints and tips offered in the forums. It's all there for you to use. Also, if you have ideas to share or questions to ask, the support is here at Mark's wonderful site.

Journaling is a good way to clarify thoughts, definitely. But with some, especially bigger entities it isn’t enough. How do you eat an elephant? By chopping in into pieces and then eating each of them separately.

Asking questions is a way of chipping away pieces from the high-resistance task. It is a way of finding out smaller doable tasks as well as bigger tasks that can be clarified by journaling.

Somehow I have a gut feeling that there is an inbuilt assumption in our discussions that it is easy to define tasks clearly. Sometimes it is and some other times it isn’t. Many of my high-resistance tasks have been those that can’t yet be properly defined but still need to be worked on.

Asking questions helps me to find out where to direct my attention. And where my attention goes there goes my time.