Discussion Forum > Randomizer: mixing work and personal
Hi Seraphim,
I recently split my home and work lists, because I found it too distracting to have home stuff on my work list. My main gripe is that when get in the habit of ignoring tasks because they're out-of-context makes me also tend to ignore in-context tasks that I'm just resisting but still could do.
But now that I've split them I remember again why I like them combined: some home stuff is easier and more quickly done during the day, and vice versa. Or sometimes I just need a break from work.
Another disadvantage of a separate home list when using the randomizer is that my home list moves much more slowly than my work list, so there's a real risk of semi-urgent stuff to be forgotten because the randomizer doesn't hit them.
Your suggestion to apply the slide rule for out-of-contexts tasks sounds like it could work well. I've already found that the randomizer works well for tasks that I'm resisting, so it might also work well to avoid the tendency to ignore tasks for the wrong reasons.
I recently split my home and work lists, because I found it too distracting to have home stuff on my work list. My main gripe is that when get in the habit of ignoring tasks because they're out-of-context makes me also tend to ignore in-context tasks that I'm just resisting but still could do.
But now that I've split them I remember again why I like them combined: some home stuff is easier and more quickly done during the day, and vice versa. Or sometimes I just need a break from work.
Another disadvantage of a separate home list when using the randomizer is that my home list moves much more slowly than my work list, so there's a real risk of semi-urgent stuff to be forgotten because the randomizer doesn't hit them.
Your suggestion to apply the slide rule for out-of-contexts tasks sounds like it could work well. I've already found that the randomizer works well for tasks that I'm resisting, so it might also work well to avoid the tendency to ignore tasks for the wrong reasons.
February 17, 2014 at 17:11 |
Nicole
Nicole
I don't have a work v. home environment, but I did try the slide method for tasks that I couldn't do because of some factor such as time of day, bad weather, etc.
I found it worked quite well, but I didn't like it as much as crossing the task out and re-entering it at the end of the list.
I found it worked quite well, but I didn't like it as much as crossing the task out and re-entering it at the end of the list.
February 17, 2014 at 23:01 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
I've tried rewriting, and I can see why you like it better than sliding, but I got a bit tired of all the rewriting without actually doing anything. So I'll try the slide for a few days, see how that works out.
February 17, 2014 at 23:37 |
Nicole
Nicole
Nicole:
I suspect you'll find the slide method works better than rewriting if you have a lot of tasks you can't do at any time. Rewriting works better for me because I have relatively few tasks that need to be rewritten.
I suspect you'll find the slide method works better than rewriting if you have a lot of tasks you can't do at any time. Rewriting works better for me because I have relatively few tasks that need to be rewritten.
February 19, 2014 at 0:55 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Yes , I think Mark is right.
I tried crossing out and rewriting too. But I found a benefit in leaving it there. The system really pounds on the tasks if you leave them where they are until they are DONE. It's not as annoyingly relentless as SF3 was. But it's still pretty relentless.
Moving tasks forward when out of context takes away this effect.
Example: let's say there's one Work task remaining on the page, and it's taking me some time to complete it. The task gets selected at least once almost every time I cycle through the notebook. This is great! The system is driving that task to completion.
Then let's say I go home. I work through the system, land on this same task, but because it's out of context , I cross it out and move it forward.
Next day at work, the pounding has stopped... That task is now mixed in with several other tasks, and it will take several cycles through the notebook to build up the momentum on that task again.
I tried crossing out and rewriting too. But I found a benefit in leaving it there. The system really pounds on the tasks if you leave them where they are until they are DONE. It's not as annoyingly relentless as SF3 was. But it's still pretty relentless.
Moving tasks forward when out of context takes away this effect.
Example: let's say there's one Work task remaining on the page, and it's taking me some time to complete it. The task gets selected at least once almost every time I cycle through the notebook. This is great! The system is driving that task to completion.
Then let's say I go home. I work through the system, land on this same task, but because it's out of context , I cross it out and move it forward.
Next day at work, the pounding has stopped... That task is now mixed in with several other tasks, and it will take several cycles through the notebook to build up the momentum on that task again.
February 19, 2014 at 4:22 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Yep, that's definitely what happens, and why sliding works better if there are long stretches of time where I can encounter lots of out-of-contexts tasks. So far, sliding works pretty well for me.
February 20, 2014 at 15:31 |
Nicole
Nicole
Have you found yourself saying, "I'm going to land in the slide and have to do that hated task"? I can see it happening repeatedly if you use a method that has you cycle through a short list. However, I don't know if it would happen in practice enough to need an "out".
February 21, 2014 at 14:38 |
Cricket
Cricket
Yes, that's happened to me, but it usually just means I need to rewrite the task so it has a better definition of "done".
February 21, 2014 at 15:56 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Hi Seraphim
Yes! Usually I like to do my MITs without the randomizer but if I know that I'm dreaded it, I'll make it even easier on myself. Let's say I want to spend > or = to 1 hour on a project that still in the figuring out stage. That's probably why I'm dreaded it so much. I'll make a min list similar to Mark's SMEMA idea but do it so that I have SOME choice/relief. Example
1. Tiniest step of Project A
2. My choice of any MIT
3. Another tiest step of project A
4. WILD CARD
5. quick check of email only for same day stuff
6. Tiniest step of Project A
7. my choice of MIT
8 WILD CARD
9. review to build next mini list (this is a slide until it's time)
Each time I hit a tiny step, I can choose any tiny step of project A but they are placeholder to ensure that it is sue to get chosen often.
The choose any MIT is a sort of relief if they aren't as bad as the Project A
The WILD CARD means ANY WORK AT ALL. It purpose it to guarantee that I'll approach the list over and over. It creates hope that I won't be mired in headbanging crap for hours on end.
The tiny steps of Project A does a couple of things. Firstly, it moves it forward even if it's a very tiny stop. More importantly, it's at the forefront of your mind because you're seeing it on the list several times and working on it frequently. Hopefully, working these tiny steps will turn into a bona fide jump start. It might take a couple of jump starts to finally finish the 1 hour expectation. Better yet, it might suck you in to keep at it for a bit longer. Best of all, it either helps you to complete it or at least do enough to get well ahead so that it's no longer a loud nag. LOL!
That's why I try to focus on starting early rather than waiting for time to force me to start. This way I RARELY have any significant Must Do today's that I created vs something laid on me by somebody else. LOL! Also, it serves the purpose of having a heads up if it turns out to be more challenging/difficult that you initially predicted. I'd rather bitch about stuff that holds me up rather than willfully neglecting it until my options are gone. It feels like you're doing better under pressure. That's rarely the whole truth. It SEEMS better only because you no longer have to suffer by making the hard decision to approach work that you dread. LOL! Plus it feels relieving to have plenty of time to review it, modify it and clean it up vs handing it in a the last minute with your fingers crossed because you didn't leave yourself enough time to submit your best work vs your rushed work. Don't ask me how I know this.....LOL!
Yes! Usually I like to do my MITs without the randomizer but if I know that I'm dreaded it, I'll make it even easier on myself. Let's say I want to spend > or = to 1 hour on a project that still in the figuring out stage. That's probably why I'm dreaded it so much. I'll make a min list similar to Mark's SMEMA idea but do it so that I have SOME choice/relief. Example
1. Tiniest step of Project A
2. My choice of any MIT
3. Another tiest step of project A
4. WILD CARD
5. quick check of email only for same day stuff
6. Tiniest step of Project A
7. my choice of MIT
8 WILD CARD
9. review to build next mini list (this is a slide until it's time)
Each time I hit a tiny step, I can choose any tiny step of project A but they are placeholder to ensure that it is sue to get chosen often.
The choose any MIT is a sort of relief if they aren't as bad as the Project A
The WILD CARD means ANY WORK AT ALL. It purpose it to guarantee that I'll approach the list over and over. It creates hope that I won't be mired in headbanging crap for hours on end.
The tiny steps of Project A does a couple of things. Firstly, it moves it forward even if it's a very tiny stop. More importantly, it's at the forefront of your mind because you're seeing it on the list several times and working on it frequently. Hopefully, working these tiny steps will turn into a bona fide jump start. It might take a couple of jump starts to finally finish the 1 hour expectation. Better yet, it might suck you in to keep at it for a bit longer. Best of all, it either helps you to complete it or at least do enough to get well ahead so that it's no longer a loud nag. LOL!
That's why I try to focus on starting early rather than waiting for time to force me to start. This way I RARELY have any significant Must Do today's that I created vs something laid on me by somebody else. LOL! Also, it serves the purpose of having a heads up if it turns out to be more challenging/difficult that you initially predicted. I'd rather bitch about stuff that holds me up rather than willfully neglecting it until my options are gone. It feels like you're doing better under pressure. That's rarely the whole truth. It SEEMS better only because you no longer have to suffer by making the hard decision to approach work that you dread. LOL! Plus it feels relieving to have plenty of time to review it, modify it and clean it up vs handing it in a the last minute with your fingers crossed because you didn't leave yourself enough time to submit your best work vs your rushed work. Don't ask me how I know this.....LOL!
February 21, 2014 at 16:28 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
p.s.
I forgot to mention. If it's really laden with resistance items, I'll do it in shorter time blocks such as 15" to 30" per session. Between sessions take a small break. I can stop rolling the dice on these little work burst once I'm over the hump. Some days I've done 7-8 of these mini 15-30 minute lists because my resistance was over the top! Of course my work doesn't get done as quickly as just blasting through the list but it does get progressed. Thanks to Mark, I'm far less prone to excuse making vs just starting the stuff early enough. Creating a doable, approachable mini list plus the fun of rolling the one die and experiencing the slides helps immensely to keep things rolling even though it's a bit slower. Many a time I have caught myself subconsciously sitting on a job or project willfully because I didn't want to have the hard choice of willingly choosing to start it. When I wait for the calendar or clock to force me to start, I sometimes wonder if the rushed job is a good reflection of my capabilities. Even if I get over, it never really feels good. Veghead Jones added to it's effectiveness by directly addressing my shortcomings. Too often, once I've finished a job and lay it aside for one last check with fresh eyes, I'll neglect to tie up the loose ends. Or sometimes I'll get in hyper-focus and work on a project for hours on end to the exclusion of most everything else. Veghead Jone's idea of alternating today's MITs with yesterday's list using the randomizer helps me immensely. Other than running a couple of necessary MIT errands (antibiotics for yesterday's surgery), I'm home free. I can do whatever I please! Thanks, Veghead Jones!
I forgot to mention. If it's really laden with resistance items, I'll do it in shorter time blocks such as 15" to 30" per session. Between sessions take a small break. I can stop rolling the dice on these little work burst once I'm over the hump. Some days I've done 7-8 of these mini 15-30 minute lists because my resistance was over the top! Of course my work doesn't get done as quickly as just blasting through the list but it does get progressed. Thanks to Mark, I'm far less prone to excuse making vs just starting the stuff early enough. Creating a doable, approachable mini list plus the fun of rolling the one die and experiencing the slides helps immensely to keep things rolling even though it's a bit slower. Many a time I have caught myself subconsciously sitting on a job or project willfully because I didn't want to have the hard choice of willingly choosing to start it. When I wait for the calendar or clock to force me to start, I sometimes wonder if the rushed job is a good reflection of my capabilities. Even if I get over, it never really feels good. Veghead Jones added to it's effectiveness by directly addressing my shortcomings. Too often, once I've finished a job and lay it aside for one last check with fresh eyes, I'll neglect to tie up the loose ends. Or sometimes I'll get in hyper-focus and work on a project for hours on end to the exclusion of most everything else. Veghead Jone's idea of alternating today's MITs with yesterday's list using the randomizer helps me immensely. Other than running a couple of necessary MIT errands (antibiotics for yesterday's surgery), I'm home free. I can do whatever I please! Thanks, Veghead Jones!
February 21, 2014 at 16:55 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
Learning: That's one of my weaknesses, the optional extra step. It feels done at that point. This weekend, it was optional group approval. If they approve, great. If they're too busy, no problem, so I didn't put "chase" on my list.
At that point, it _feels_ done. All that's left are quick loose threads, right?
If I neglect the list for a few days, I still remember external deadlines. Those, though, feel done.
At that point, it _feels_ done. All that's left are quick loose threads, right?
If I neglect the list for a few days, I still remember external deadlines. Those, though, feel done.
February 21, 2014 at 17:57 |
Cricket
Cricket
Hi Cricket
Yes! I'm especially weak when I've spent many hours and/or days on a project and when I'm done enough to put the thing aside for a later final review, the immense relief signals "Done at last! Thank God Almighty I'm done at last!" LOL! If that's the only lousy job, then I can take a quick break by doing easier jobs and then start putting things away, filing them, etc. BUT the hardest for me is if I have more than one involved project in progress. I feel that I don't want to waste my energy organizing and filing the stuff when I need to put out more challenging stuff. It's silly but it feels like my effort is a rare commodity that I must parse out carefully! (and it's partially true) While I'm on the high of completing something very important and difficult, I want to transfer that attitude to the next challenging important thing. LOL!
If I'm banging out work I don't want to stop the streak. Eventually, I'll tire out. THEN I'll lace wrapping up loose ends with regular work or save it for the weekend. LOL! To be frank, the true problem is that it doesn't bother me enough to worry about it until it starts to get in my way. LOL! If it's tools and old plumbing parts all over my kitchen, it will get done quickly because that interferes with making my meals. If it's a few open projects in my office, it could stay for days if it doesn't interrupt my ongoing work. LOL I try to remember that weekends are "Catch up or Celebrate" and I'll try to make myself stop working and take time to set up for Monday. I know that if I make it wait to long then I'll be stuck tying up loose ends for long enough to it to become another dreaded job. LOL! Having to spend 45 minutes to an hour doing that on a Saturday usually teaches me the errors of my habits. LOL!
I learned a long time ago to have more than one work station to do projects when I'm crunched. I usually have more than one and putting away my paints or the research and notes of written work seems such a waste. LOL! Again, my fallacious thinking about wasted effort. I'd rather use the effort on production, not put away. LOL! Veghead Jones' idea of alternating today's MIT list with yesterday's list has been a real help in that regard. I don't know why I didn't thing of that myself. For that matter, I've learned several tips here that I would have never thought of myself. I never thought of working little and often or doing my day's list in any order. These principles and tips have truly helped me. I take away little bits that relate to me. DSAF helped me refine my general list and how to keep it leaner. Also a guy stated that he cleans up his past week's pages down to one or two pages. Geez! That really helps immensely for review and choosing work. All these bits help me work around my shortcomings. I sometimes wonder how it would have impacted my career if I learned this stuff BEFORE I became disabled! WOW!
Yes! I'm especially weak when I've spent many hours and/or days on a project and when I'm done enough to put the thing aside for a later final review, the immense relief signals "Done at last! Thank God Almighty I'm done at last!" LOL! If that's the only lousy job, then I can take a quick break by doing easier jobs and then start putting things away, filing them, etc. BUT the hardest for me is if I have more than one involved project in progress. I feel that I don't want to waste my energy organizing and filing the stuff when I need to put out more challenging stuff. It's silly but it feels like my effort is a rare commodity that I must parse out carefully! (and it's partially true) While I'm on the high of completing something very important and difficult, I want to transfer that attitude to the next challenging important thing. LOL!
If I'm banging out work I don't want to stop the streak. Eventually, I'll tire out. THEN I'll lace wrapping up loose ends with regular work or save it for the weekend. LOL! To be frank, the true problem is that it doesn't bother me enough to worry about it until it starts to get in my way. LOL! If it's tools and old plumbing parts all over my kitchen, it will get done quickly because that interferes with making my meals. If it's a few open projects in my office, it could stay for days if it doesn't interrupt my ongoing work. LOL I try to remember that weekends are "Catch up or Celebrate" and I'll try to make myself stop working and take time to set up for Monday. I know that if I make it wait to long then I'll be stuck tying up loose ends for long enough to it to become another dreaded job. LOL! Having to spend 45 minutes to an hour doing that on a Saturday usually teaches me the errors of my habits. LOL!
I learned a long time ago to have more than one work station to do projects when I'm crunched. I usually have more than one and putting away my paints or the research and notes of written work seems such a waste. LOL! Again, my fallacious thinking about wasted effort. I'd rather use the effort on production, not put away. LOL! Veghead Jones' idea of alternating today's MIT list with yesterday's list has been a real help in that regard. I don't know why I didn't thing of that myself. For that matter, I've learned several tips here that I would have never thought of myself. I never thought of working little and often or doing my day's list in any order. These principles and tips have truly helped me. I take away little bits that relate to me. DSAF helped me refine my general list and how to keep it leaner. Also a guy stated that he cleans up his past week's pages down to one or two pages. Geez! That really helps immensely for review and choosing work. All these bits help me work around my shortcomings. I sometimes wonder how it would have impacted my career if I learned this stuff BEFORE I became disabled! WOW!
February 22, 2014 at 13:54 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
p.s.
I used to use playing cards to help me get over the high resistance hump. It was much tighter than using a die or two until Veghead Jones modified the rules. My two major weaknesses regarding good working habits are tying up loose ends and going over the recurring and one offs (general list) often enough when I'm inundated in work. I'm still not really good at working the general list often enough. The recurring and one offs usually get pushed aside until they demand my attention when I'm really busy. I'd like to embrace Veghead's work principle of having more regard for work that seems less important. I have fake deadlines to make sure that it doesn't fall behind yet Veghead's idea of casually integrating it into part of the regular week via randomizer seems to make it easier to give it more regard. I haven't tried it except once. *blush* I should make a point of doing it more often. Even if I absolutely hate a job, I'll prefer it to rote, maintenance jobs. I'll need to apply more effort because I've always had a problem with facing boring work. I think I'll never fix that. Veghead's rotating today's MIT list with yesterday's list has already helped me immensely. I'd like to give his other modification more of a chance to work......but......oooh! Shiny! Now, here's a project I really need to sink my teeth into. The filing can wait for awhile longer......and on it goes! LOL!
I used to use playing cards to help me get over the high resistance hump. It was much tighter than using a die or two until Veghead Jones modified the rules. My two major weaknesses regarding good working habits are tying up loose ends and going over the recurring and one offs (general list) often enough when I'm inundated in work. I'm still not really good at working the general list often enough. The recurring and one offs usually get pushed aside until they demand my attention when I'm really busy. I'd like to embrace Veghead's work principle of having more regard for work that seems less important. I have fake deadlines to make sure that it doesn't fall behind yet Veghead's idea of casually integrating it into part of the regular week via randomizer seems to make it easier to give it more regard. I haven't tried it except once. *blush* I should make a point of doing it more often. Even if I absolutely hate a job, I'll prefer it to rote, maintenance jobs. I'll need to apply more effort because I've always had a problem with facing boring work. I think I'll never fix that. Veghead's rotating today's MIT list with yesterday's list has already helped me immensely. I'd like to give his other modification more of a chance to work......but......oooh! Shiny! Now, here's a project I really need to sink my teeth into. The filing can wait for awhile longer......and on it goes! LOL!
February 22, 2014 at 14:25 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
Learning,
Oh yes! The "It doesn't make sense to tidy it all up when I'll just have to get it out again" trap. I know through experience that not putting it away actually makes things harder. Things get buried, and I don't have enough elbow room for the next project. This happens in the kitchen and the office. And the craft corner. It's okay for 2 projects, but once the third starts, eeps! Lizard brain keeps over-riding the experienced part for that.
That's one of the reasons I liked studying in the kitchen in high school. There was a big clear table and cleaning it after each session paid off as soon as supper started.
One thing that helps me is "Just put it in the file tidy enough that the file can go in the cabinet." If a pile is already together then clip it, but otherwise don't worry.
Old plumbing parts. Sounds familiar. Mom always gets on Dad's back about that. I've inherited the habit, but it only lasts until I exchange the Plumber hat for the Cook hat. When they built the cottage, Dad could never find his tools. (Mom could. They were always in one of three corners.) Mom bought bright pink tools for herself, in the right size for her hand. Dad didn't like using them, and Mom could always tell if any of hers were in the pile.
Oh yes! The "It doesn't make sense to tidy it all up when I'll just have to get it out again" trap. I know through experience that not putting it away actually makes things harder. Things get buried, and I don't have enough elbow room for the next project. This happens in the kitchen and the office. And the craft corner. It's okay for 2 projects, but once the third starts, eeps! Lizard brain keeps over-riding the experienced part for that.
That's one of the reasons I liked studying in the kitchen in high school. There was a big clear table and cleaning it after each session paid off as soon as supper started.
One thing that helps me is "Just put it in the file tidy enough that the file can go in the cabinet." If a pile is already together then clip it, but otherwise don't worry.
Old plumbing parts. Sounds familiar. Mom always gets on Dad's back about that. I've inherited the habit, but it only lasts until I exchange the Plumber hat for the Cook hat. When they built the cottage, Dad could never find his tools. (Mom could. They were always in one of three corners.) Mom bought bright pink tools for herself, in the right size for her hand. Dad didn't like using them, and Mom could always tell if any of hers were in the pile.
February 24, 2014 at 15:55 |
Cricket
Cricket
Hi Cricket
LOL about the tools. I almost left my husband many times over my tools. He was annoyingly brutal with ruining and losing tools or simply laying them any damn place like in the grass or driveway. He'd die before wiping them down, oiling them and putting them where they belong. LOL! Worse, he lent them out freely and you know how that goes. People get P.O.'d when you remind them that you want your tools back after a MONTH! Or they try the old switcheroo. They try to return inferior tools or rusted or nicked blades, or say that they didn't borrow them. I learned to keep a log book and made sure that they watched as I ceremoniously logged the tool, their name and the date. That helped. I definitely feel for your mom. I HATE people even touching my tools unless I lend them. In a marriage, that caused lots of arguments. He'd buy replacements at my insistence, (same brand and same model number!) , but that's not worth a crap when you need that tool NOW. LOL.
LOL about the tools. I almost left my husband many times over my tools. He was annoyingly brutal with ruining and losing tools or simply laying them any damn place like in the grass or driveway. He'd die before wiping them down, oiling them and putting them where they belong. LOL! Worse, he lent them out freely and you know how that goes. People get P.O.'d when you remind them that you want your tools back after a MONTH! Or they try the old switcheroo. They try to return inferior tools or rusted or nicked blades, or say that they didn't borrow them. I learned to keep a log book and made sure that they watched as I ceremoniously logged the tool, their name and the date. That helped. I definitely feel for your mom. I HATE people even touching my tools unless I lend them. In a marriage, that caused lots of arguments. He'd buy replacements at my insistence, (same brand and same model number!) , but that's not worth a crap when you need that tool NOW. LOL.
February 24, 2014 at 20:16 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
p.s.
When I divorced him, he wanted some of the tools and the dog. I told him that I'd give him the entire house (I bought long before our marriage) before he'd get the dog (12 years old) or my tools. He financially raked me over the coals and got way too much from me with the help of a misogynistic judge, and the dog died less than a year past the divorce, but I still have most of those same tools from 1990. LOL!
When I divorced him, he wanted some of the tools and the dog. I told him that I'd give him the entire house (I bought long before our marriage) before he'd get the dog (12 years old) or my tools. He financially raked me over the coals and got way too much from me with the help of a misogynistic judge, and the dog died less than a year past the divorce, but I still have most of those same tools from 1990. LOL!
February 24, 2014 at 20:26 |
learning as I go
learning as I go
I'm using DIT+Randomizer, and found that it's very easy to combine both personal and work tasks in one list, if you add the following rule: if you can't take action on a task because it's not the right time/place/context, then just slide to the next task that *is*.
So, if I'm at work, and I land on a personal task that can't (or shouldn't) be done when I'm working, then I just slide to the next work task. If there aren't any work tasks on my current page, then I just keep sliding to the next page, and the next page, till I land on a work task.
And the opposite when I'm at home or on personal time.
A side benefit: this process causes me to review my list frequently. Before I started doing this, I'd forget what was on my list, which made me feel a little lost.