Discussion Forum > DIT goals and accountability thread
I wonder if one of the reasons more people don't use DIT is because of the perceived need to buy a task diary and wait for it to arrive in order to do DIT on paper. Let me assure you that this is not necessary. I have used DIT effectively several times with just a simple notepad or notebook and pen. All you need is a checklist with the days of the week on top and the list of tasks you want to do every day on the side (make a new one every week), a page with your backlog listed, and then one page per active will-do list (ideally just today's and tomorrow's). What if you need to put a task on a future date? In practice this is rarely necessary, but you can always schedule on your calendar a reminder the day before to add it to your next day's will-do list.
March 1, 2014 at 22:31 |
Austin
Austin
I've duplicated key aspects of DIT using Evernote templates: separate templates for each day of the week, each note broken into Tasks, Meetings, Waiting On, and Log sections. The first three sections use checkboxes as bullets for each item so I can run a saved search on all undone tasks and see the days when they were entered. New tasks that come in today go on the next day's note. It all works surprisingly smoothly.
Stuff that isn't urgent or that has fallen into a backlog status goes onto my notepad to be handled by the randomizer. When I'm caught up on the urgent tasks, I default to randomizer and simply log my activities in that day's note. Makes my weekly progress reports VERY easy to compile.
Stuff that isn't urgent or that has fallen into a backlog status goes onto my notepad to be handled by the randomizer. When I'm caught up on the urgent tasks, I default to randomizer and simply log my activities in that day's note. Makes my weekly progress reports VERY easy to compile.
March 3, 2014 at 15:00 |
Mike Brown
Mike Brown
Hi Mike,
Your evernote implementation sounds quite elegant. Have you ever looked at taskclone? It purportedly takes all checkboxes in evernote and "clones" them to either one evernote note or to a to do platform (toodledo) eg. I have not tried it, but it looks neat.
Your evernote implementation sounds quite elegant. Have you ever looked at taskclone? It purportedly takes all checkboxes in evernote and "clones" them to either one evernote note or to a to do platform (toodledo) eg. I have not tried it, but it looks neat.
March 3, 2014 at 15:19 |
Vegheadjones
Vegheadjones
Sounds good, Mike. I'm a diehard pen and paper man myself, but I'm glad your method works for you.
Today has been a relaxing, productive day. Got halfway through my current initiative of activating my backlog (i.e., doing enough work on each project that I can justify putting the next step on tomorrow's will-do list and cross it off the backlog) at the beginning of the day . I also have every reason to expect I will complete my will-do list early today, finish all of my daily checklist items, and maybe do some more work on the backlog when I'm done. I hope this trend continues.
Today has been a relaxing, productive day. Got halfway through my current initiative of activating my backlog (i.e., doing enough work on each project that I can justify putting the next step on tomorrow's will-do list and cross it off the backlog) at the beginning of the day . I also have every reason to expect I will complete my will-do list early today, finish all of my daily checklist items, and maybe do some more work on the backlog when I'm done. I hope this trend continues.
March 3, 2014 at 18:31 |
Austin
Austin
Vegheadjones:
Thanks for the headsup on taskclone. Never heard of it. I'm frankly a little scared of it too :) One of the standing tasks I have in my template notes is "Will-do list", which links to a checklist note reminding me to check my various inboxes, including unchecked tasks in Evernote. So I'm not afraid of dropping any tasks.
That said, my system isn't terribly automatic. I copy the group of templated notes once a week, have to change the dates by hand, etc. But the advantage is it's a way of sifting my materials and keeps me in touch with my commitments, so I like the manual-ness of it.
And of course this is for the office only -- NONE of it translates to my messier home life :)
Austin:
I'm very intrigued by your new system and have put it in Evernote for reference. Paper and pen are how I do the randomizer for my non-urgent or backlogged asks at the office, and it's pretty exclusively how I handle tasks at home.
Thanks for the headsup on taskclone. Never heard of it. I'm frankly a little scared of it too :) One of the standing tasks I have in my template notes is "Will-do list", which links to a checklist note reminding me to check my various inboxes, including unchecked tasks in Evernote. So I'm not afraid of dropping any tasks.
That said, my system isn't terribly automatic. I copy the group of templated notes once a week, have to change the dates by hand, etc. But the advantage is it's a way of sifting my materials and keeps me in touch with my commitments, so I like the manual-ness of it.
And of course this is for the office only -- NONE of it translates to my messier home life :)
Austin:
I'm very intrigued by your new system and have put it in Evernote for reference. Paper and pen are how I do the randomizer for my non-urgent or backlogged asks at the office, and it's pretty exclusively how I handle tasks at home.
March 4, 2014 at 19:13 |
Mike Brown
Mike Brown
Back when I tried to do a long list of routine things each week, I made a week template in Word and printed it. I played with the proportions every few weeks. You could type in the templated notes so they print automatically.
Biggest part was a chart: days down the left, and columns for events, big deadlines, meal planning, and must-dos. I wasn't using DIT, but you could use a column for will-dos.
One part was a big list of things I wanted to do each week.
Dailies were in a separate chart on the same page, day vs task.
There was also a part with a few headings for unscheduled things that I wanted to batch, such as errands, phone calls, desk work, other.
Something like that might save you rewriting all the time. (Or maybe the rewriting helps you review each week.)
Your plan looks good.
Biggest part was a chart: days down the left, and columns for events, big deadlines, meal planning, and must-dos. I wasn't using DIT, but you could use a column for will-dos.
One part was a big list of things I wanted to do each week.
Dailies were in a separate chart on the same page, day vs task.
There was also a part with a few headings for unscheduled things that I wanted to batch, such as errands, phone calls, desk work, other.
Something like that might save you rewriting all the time. (Or maybe the rewriting helps you review each week.)
Your plan looks good.
March 4, 2014 at 19:54 |
Cricket
Cricket
Thanks, Cricket. I only have to re-write my daily recurring tasks once a week, as I make a checklist that goes from Monday to Saturday, and on each day I just check off when I do a task. This is actually one page that includes my Will Do List and my other daily goals (e.g., daily push-ups). It works quite well for me.
Today I was reading some really old DIT posts by Mark, and I realized I've been missing an important element of DIT, or rather I forgot. I didn't realize that projects which don't have a deadline could be entered into a list somewhere, and then fed into the system one project at a time via either the current initiative or task diary. I've been adding every project that I would like to do sometime soon into the system when it first occurs to me, even if it doesn't have a deadline. Now that I've realized my mistake, I've created a "projects without deadlines" list on my computer (just a simple text document), and I'm feeding them one at a time into the current initiative. This seems much more manageable.
Today I was reading some really old DIT posts by Mark, and I realized I've been missing an important element of DIT, or rather I forgot. I didn't realize that projects which don't have a deadline could be entered into a list somewhere, and then fed into the system one project at a time via either the current initiative or task diary. I've been adding every project that I would like to do sometime soon into the system when it first occurs to me, even if it doesn't have a deadline. Now that I've realized my mistake, I've created a "projects without deadlines" list on my computer (just a simple text document), and I'm feeding them one at a time into the current initiative. This seems much more manageable.
March 4, 2014 at 20:48 |
Austin
Austin
I also realized that somewhere along the line I conflated the Will Do List and the Task Diary. I'd been doing them as just one thing. Now I've separated them, and combined the Will Do List (it being the same every day) with my checklist for daily goals.
March 4, 2014 at 21:07 |
Austin
Austin
My goals:
1. To study more thoroughly for my upcoming exam than I've studied for any exam in a long time, thus avoiding the need to cram the night before, getting plenty of sleep, and entering the exam well prepared.
2. To use DIT completely within the rules - and no other system - for the next two weeks.
3. To eliminate my existing backlog within the first week and avoiding the need for a new one the rest of the experiment.
4. To get back into the habit of running at least twice a week.
5. To grade all assignments from the last lab by this Thursday, getting the grades fully entered in the computer before then so I can return them to the students this week.
6. To complete at least the fifth chapter of Wilhelmus a Brakel's "The Christian's Reasonable Service" (vol. 1) by the end of the test period.
7. To reach a point by the end of the time period that all of my "daily checklist" items are being completed consistently every day (things like daily flossing, daily pushups, daily Bible reading).
8. To achieve a tangible sense of calm and control over my work by the end of the test period.
9. To be so successful in this that I do not have any desire to change systems at the end of the test period, but rather to continue using DIT.
Updates will be posted occasionally.