Discussion Forum > Little & Often with SMEMA
I can't comment on whether this method is effective or not since I haven't tried it out. But I can't help feeling that it misses the entire point of SMEMA which is to get away from the endless project lists, errands and so on and just concentrate on what is on your mind at the moment.
This is important because what SMEMA produces is a list which
a) represents the most important things on your mind at the moment
b) represents what you can actually do during a day
It also forces you numerous times during the day to think consciously about what needs doing.
It basically adheres to the declutterer's maxim "Only keep what you are actually using. Throw away things which you only could use or might use."
This is important because what SMEMA produces is a list which
a) represents the most important things on your mind at the moment
b) represents what you can actually do during a day
It also forces you numerous times during the day to think consciously about what needs doing.
It basically adheres to the declutterer's maxim "Only keep what you are actually using. Throw away things which you only could use or might use."
August 18, 2014 at 0:43 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
"Next day, same kanban, same sticky notes still sitting there."
The way I solved this kind of resistance was to accept that these things represent commitments, ultimately to myself, and to accept that if I want them done then I have to roll my sleeves up and do them because otherwise they won't move. Then it becomes a very simple question of whether or not I care about them getting done.
If I do care then I knuckle down and do them and push past the feeling of wanting to do something, anything, more gratifying. Take a moment to understand this choice - if you DO care about getting something done then you MUST do this or it WON'T get done. The lightbulb moment is that it's as simple as that. No systems, rules, funny marks, writing and re-writing. At the very most a short list of the things you've just agreed you care about getting done around now. There will be other tools you can use to help manage the things themselves but that's different.
But if I don't care then I stop wasting time babysitting them because they're a ball and chain and later on there will be a million things that I do care about. Life is an endless collection of such things and trying to manage them all, bag and tag the lot, is a shortcut to an insidious form of background stress. I think it stems from the kind of personality that wants to exert control over things. I recognised that in myself a long time ago. So I let them go with no regrets and forget about them and move on with life with my sleeves rolled up for the things I do care about.
And you know what? Life goes on just fine without my someday/maybe list and a list of things I deep down really only just wanted to feel in control of at some point.
The way I solved this kind of resistance was to accept that these things represent commitments, ultimately to myself, and to accept that if I want them done then I have to roll my sleeves up and do them because otherwise they won't move. Then it becomes a very simple question of whether or not I care about them getting done.
If I do care then I knuckle down and do them and push past the feeling of wanting to do something, anything, more gratifying. Take a moment to understand this choice - if you DO care about getting something done then you MUST do this or it WON'T get done. The lightbulb moment is that it's as simple as that. No systems, rules, funny marks, writing and re-writing. At the very most a short list of the things you've just agreed you care about getting done around now. There will be other tools you can use to help manage the things themselves but that's different.
But if I don't care then I stop wasting time babysitting them because they're a ball and chain and later on there will be a million things that I do care about. Life is an endless collection of such things and trying to manage them all, bag and tag the lot, is a shortcut to an insidious form of background stress. I think it stems from the kind of personality that wants to exert control over things. I recognised that in myself a long time ago. So I let them go with no regrets and forget about them and move on with life with my sleeves rolled up for the things I do care about.
And you know what? Life goes on just fine without my someday/maybe list and a list of things I deep down really only just wanted to feel in control of at some point.
August 18, 2014 at 1:58 |
Chris
Chris
<<If I do care then I knuckle down and do them and push past the feeling of wanting to do something, anything, more gratifying. Take a moment to understand this choice - if you DO care about getting something done then you MUST do this or it WON'T get done. The lightbulb moment is that it's as simple as that. No systems, rules, funny marks, writing and re-writing. At the very most a short list of the things you've just agreed you care about getting done around now. There will be other tools you can use to help manage the things themselves but that's different.>>
I feel this shows a lack of empathy toward people who struggle in a very real way with the problem of resistance. Telling someone just to "knuckle down" is like telling someone suffering from clinical depression to "cheer up."
Please consider that it may not just be as simple as not "understanding the choice." Finding techniques/systems to successfully overcome resistance in order to do the things we really want to do and have decided to do can be powerful and liberating. If you haven't personally experienced the frustration of consistent self sabotage in your own life, be careful with harsh judgements of those who have and do.
I feel this shows a lack of empathy toward people who struggle in a very real way with the problem of resistance. Telling someone just to "knuckle down" is like telling someone suffering from clinical depression to "cheer up."
Please consider that it may not just be as simple as not "understanding the choice." Finding techniques/systems to successfully overcome resistance in order to do the things we really want to do and have decided to do can be powerful and liberating. If you haven't personally experienced the frustration of consistent self sabotage in your own life, be careful with harsh judgements of those who have and do.
August 18, 2014 at 2:58 |
JeffN
JeffN
<<Finding techniques/systems to successfully overcome resistance in order to do the things we really want to do and have decided to do can be powerful and liberating.>>
And for this reason I really appreciate Bernie sharing what has been working well for him!
And for this reason I really appreciate Bernie sharing what has been working well for him!
August 18, 2014 at 3:04 |
JeffN
JeffN
JeffN
<< Finding techniques/systems to successfully overcome resistance in order to do the things we really want to do and have decided to do can be powerful and liberating. >>
Exactly. That's what SMEMA was designed to do. And it did it by two means:
1) The way the three tasks were dealt with was designed to minimize resistance.
2) It liberated one from the huge build up of resistance caused by all the lists of undone projects and tasks which other systems inflict on one.
Now if Bernie's adaption works for him that's fine, as I've already said, but it's no longer "The SIMPLEST and Most Effective Method of All".
Personally for months now I've been using systems which work on the 2nd SMEMA principle above, and I've found that one is much better off without the lists. I could write quite a long article about why I think this is, but basically it's because the SMEMA-type list keeps you grounded in what you can actually do during a day.
<< Finding techniques/systems to successfully overcome resistance in order to do the things we really want to do and have decided to do can be powerful and liberating. >>
Exactly. That's what SMEMA was designed to do. And it did it by two means:
1) The way the three tasks were dealt with was designed to minimize resistance.
2) It liberated one from the huge build up of resistance caused by all the lists of undone projects and tasks which other systems inflict on one.
Now if Bernie's adaption works for him that's fine, as I've already said, but it's no longer "The SIMPLEST and Most Effective Method of All".
Personally for months now I've been using systems which work on the 2nd SMEMA principle above, and I've found that one is much better off without the lists. I could write quite a long article about why I think this is, but basically it's because the SMEMA-type list keeps you grounded in what you can actually do during a day.
August 18, 2014 at 10:14 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
"I feel this shows a lack of empathy toward people who struggle in a very real way with the problem of resistance. Telling someone just to "knuckle down" is like telling someone suffering from clinical depression to "cheer up.""
Hi Jeff, don't be so defensive, I wasn't telling you or anyone else to knuckle down. I was describing what eventually worked for me when I had the same problem. Self-sabotage is indeed real and I describe the realisation that it is my commitments which matter. To use your depression analogy, I was describing how I overcame it.
Hopefully it will resonate with someone and help them too.
Hi Jeff, don't be so defensive, I wasn't telling you or anyone else to knuckle down. I was describing what eventually worked for me when I had the same problem. Self-sabotage is indeed real and I describe the realisation that it is my commitments which matter. To use your depression analogy, I was describing how I overcame it.
Hopefully it will resonate with someone and help them too.
August 18, 2014 at 10:43 |
Chris
Chris
Chris:
<< Self-sabotage is indeed real and I describe the realisation that it is my commitments which matter. >>
I agree with this. It is one's commitments which matter.
If one's working SMEMA as it should be worked then what one ends up with at the end of each day is a list of what one has actually done. If that list is full of nothing but trivia without any of your real commitments in it, then it's very difficult to escape the conclusion that you've been wasting your time.
My experience is that my mind will adjust to this realization without my having to force things. The list gets more and more focused each day that goes past. Once my mind realizes that all its usual ways of putting something off have been taken away from it and the choice is either to do it or not do it, it starts to make everything on the list count.
Using a to do list, one might have several hundred items on the list.
With SMEMA one only has two or three items on the list.
This can give the illusion that one gets more done by using the to do list. But this is only an illusion. At the end of each day, assuming you have been working at the same pace and for the same time, you will have done exactly the same amount of work using SMEMA as when using a to do list.
The question is therefore not what quantity of work you get done with each method, but the quality of the work. My contention is that SMEMA delivers better quality work precisely because it keeps forcing you to think of what needs doing in the context of your whole work as it currently is.
<< Self-sabotage is indeed real and I describe the realisation that it is my commitments which matter. >>
I agree with this. It is one's commitments which matter.
If one's working SMEMA as it should be worked then what one ends up with at the end of each day is a list of what one has actually done. If that list is full of nothing but trivia without any of your real commitments in it, then it's very difficult to escape the conclusion that you've been wasting your time.
My experience is that my mind will adjust to this realization without my having to force things. The list gets more and more focused each day that goes past. Once my mind realizes that all its usual ways of putting something off have been taken away from it and the choice is either to do it or not do it, it starts to make everything on the list count.
Using a to do list, one might have several hundred items on the list.
With SMEMA one only has two or three items on the list.
This can give the illusion that one gets more done by using the to do list. But this is only an illusion. At the end of each day, assuming you have been working at the same pace and for the same time, you will have done exactly the same amount of work using SMEMA as when using a to do list.
The question is therefore not what quantity of work you get done with each method, but the quality of the work. My contention is that SMEMA delivers better quality work precisely because it keeps forcing you to think of what needs doing in the context of your whole work as it currently is.
August 18, 2014 at 11:32 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
For me, SMEMA is great for mosquito-fighting, but not so good for high-resistance tasks. (Does anyone else look forward to working on a big, satisfying project, only to resist it in the moment?)
Mark's idea of keeping it in one long list and looking back at how you spent your time sounds useful. "Enough mosquito-swatting. a) They're under control or b) They're keeping me from more-important things. It's time to c) knuckle down on the highly-resisted project or d) reward myself with a good long stretch on that project I was looking forward to."
Bernie's method of using a SMEMA-like system (is it closer to triple-task than SMEMA?) sounds promising. Too much of a change from the current system, which is warming up again nicely after vacation, but on my list for when I need a change.
Mark's idea of keeping it in one long list and looking back at how you spent your time sounds useful. "Enough mosquito-swatting. a) They're under control or b) They're keeping me from more-important things. It's time to c) knuckle down on the highly-resisted project or d) reward myself with a good long stretch on that project I was looking forward to."
Bernie's method of using a SMEMA-like system (is it closer to triple-task than SMEMA?) sounds promising. Too much of a change from the current system, which is warming up again nicely after vacation, but on my list for when I need a change.
August 18, 2014 at 17:38 |
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket:
<< For me, SMEMA is great for mosquito-fighting, but not so good for high-resistance tasks. >>
That's not been my experience. I've been using SMEMA very effectively with high-resistance tasks. Currently my potentially highest-resistance task is writing a 75,000 word book and that is fairly zipping along under SMEMA. My second highest resistance task is increasing my hill-climbing speed (on foot) and that too is well under control. And I am currently learning Chinese (see Note) - extremely difficult and requiring a lot of concentrated work - again daily satisfactory progress. As for the "mosquitoes", I have zero-inbox for email and paperwork, and currently have no backlogs of any sort. Even the washing-up is done!
One thing that becomes very obvious under a system like SMEMA is that you cannot just add stuff ad infinitum to a list and expect it all to get done. The SMEMA list of tasks you have done during the day shows you exactly what the maximum is that you can do during a day - and also makes clear the negative effect of trying to do more than you have time for. For instance, if I tried to add another big commitment to my life, then something that I am making daily progress on at the moment would have to give. The list also shows the importance of having adequate discretionary time and the negative effect of over scheduling.
(I don't by the way advocate "keeping it in one long list". I advocate examining each day's list of deleted tasks so you can see what your daily capacity is)
Again I would stress that having lists of hundreds of tasks to be done "sometime" does *not* mean that you get more done.
Note:
For the difficulty of learning Chinese see http://pinyin.info/readings/texts/moser.html
<< For me, SMEMA is great for mosquito-fighting, but not so good for high-resistance tasks. >>
That's not been my experience. I've been using SMEMA very effectively with high-resistance tasks. Currently my potentially highest-resistance task is writing a 75,000 word book and that is fairly zipping along under SMEMA. My second highest resistance task is increasing my hill-climbing speed (on foot) and that too is well under control. And I am currently learning Chinese (see Note) - extremely difficult and requiring a lot of concentrated work - again daily satisfactory progress. As for the "mosquitoes", I have zero-inbox for email and paperwork, and currently have no backlogs of any sort. Even the washing-up is done!
One thing that becomes very obvious under a system like SMEMA is that you cannot just add stuff ad infinitum to a list and expect it all to get done. The SMEMA list of tasks you have done during the day shows you exactly what the maximum is that you can do during a day - and also makes clear the negative effect of trying to do more than you have time for. For instance, if I tried to add another big commitment to my life, then something that I am making daily progress on at the moment would have to give. The list also shows the importance of having adequate discretionary time and the negative effect of over scheduling.
(I don't by the way advocate "keeping it in one long list". I advocate examining each day's list of deleted tasks so you can see what your daily capacity is)
Again I would stress that having lists of hundreds of tasks to be done "sometime" does *not* mean that you get more done.
Note:
For the difficulty of learning Chinese see http://pinyin.info/readings/texts/moser.html
August 18, 2014 at 18:38 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
I've been doing something I call Project SMEMA for the past week and a half and have been pretty successful. Not sure if all would consider it SMEMA or not though. Here is what I do.
1) Write down the first three things that come to mind. For me they are always, AM clean up tasks and two projects to start,
2) Randomly pick one.
3) Do it for 5 minutes, no more. If completed, add a new task or project (see 7. below for more on adding)
4) Randomly select again
5) If you land on a task/project you have already worked on for 5 minutes without completing, do 10 minutes. Then 15 minutes, etc. (I think I read this idea somewhere on this site, I love it, thanks!)
6) I work to keep things somewhat balanced; if I see that I am randomly spending too much time on a project, I remove it from the list for a randomized turn.
7) To add to the list, I often know what I want to add, but I do keep by Linnenberger http://www.michaellinenberger.com/blog/ Opportunity Now list up to date (Maximum 20 items) so I draw from there sometimes as well.
I find this really works well for project work. I can get out the folder for the first pass (5 min) read the folder next pass (10 min) and then get some work done!
1) Write down the first three things that come to mind. For me they are always, AM clean up tasks and two projects to start,
2) Randomly pick one.
3) Do it for 5 minutes, no more. If completed, add a new task or project (see 7. below for more on adding)
4) Randomly select again
5) If you land on a task/project you have already worked on for 5 minutes without completing, do 10 minutes. Then 15 minutes, etc. (I think I read this idea somewhere on this site, I love it, thanks!)
6) I work to keep things somewhat balanced; if I see that I am randomly spending too much time on a project, I remove it from the list for a randomized turn.
7) To add to the list, I often know what I want to add, but I do keep by Linnenberger http://www.michaellinenberger.com/blog/ Opportunity Now list up to date (Maximum 20 items) so I draw from there sometimes as well.
I find this really works well for project work. I can get out the folder for the first pass (5 min) read the folder next pass (10 min) and then get some work done!
August 18, 2014 at 22:57 |
vegheadjones
vegheadjones
vegheadjones:
It's more 3T (three tasks) than SMEMA.
In SMEMA tasks are not kept on the list if you haven't completed them (though there's nothing to stop you putting them back on again at the next opportunity if you wish).
In 3T tasks can't be taken off the list until you have completed them. Although that's the only difference between the two systems, they do feel completely different in action.
I wrote a whole book on the 5/10/15/etc minutes idea back in 1999 (published 2000).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Everything-Done-Still-Have-Time/dp/0340746203/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408440318&sr=1-1&keywords=get+everything+done+and+still+have+time+to+play
It's more 3T (three tasks) than SMEMA.
In SMEMA tasks are not kept on the list if you haven't completed them (though there's nothing to stop you putting them back on again at the next opportunity if you wish).
In 3T tasks can't be taken off the list until you have completed them. Although that's the only difference between the two systems, they do feel completely different in action.
I wrote a whole book on the 5/10/15/etc minutes idea back in 1999 (published 2000).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Everything-Done-Still-Have-Time/dp/0340746203/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408440318&sr=1-1&keywords=get+everything+done+and+still+have+time+to+play
August 19, 2014 at 10:25 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Thanks Mark, I should have known the 5/10/15 sequence was yours. I know you have no control over this, but I wish GED was available as an ebook here in the states.
It looks like I am doing 3T with one exception. I start the list from scratch (and at 5 minutes) every day. I ease into the work each day this way.
It looks like I am doing 3T with one exception. I start the list from scratch (and at 5 minutes) every day. I ease into the work each day this way.
August 19, 2014 at 14:35 |
vegheadjones
vegheadjones
vegheadjones:
<< I wish GED was available as an ebook here in the states. >>
It's not available anywhere until late November this year. But I believe amazon.com will be stocking it when it is issued.
<< I wish GED was available as an ebook here in the states. >>
It's not available anywhere until late November this year. But I believe amazon.com will be stocking it when it is issued.
August 19, 2014 at 18:15 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Great news!
August 19, 2014 at 18:33 |
vegheadjones
vegheadjones
I've probably given the wrong impression in some of previous posts on this thread. I haven't been using SMEMA exclusively. What I have been doing is testing out various systems (including SMEMA) which don't use a continuing to do list or someday/maybe list.
They've all proved sufficiently effective for me to doubt the necessity or even the desirability of the said lists.
They've all proved sufficiently effective for me to doubt the necessity or even the desirability of the said lists.
August 20, 2014 at 7:22 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Mark,
That is generally what I have found lately as well, so I'm glad you've had a similar experience. Do you find that you need reminders at all, though?
That is generally what I have found lately as well, so I'm glad you've had a similar experience. Do you find that you need reminders at all, though?
August 20, 2014 at 23:41 |
Austin
Austin
Austin:
<< Do you find that you need reminders at all, though? >>
I would put tasks which need doing on a specific date in my schedule/diary, possibly with an electronic reminder as well.
If I were to come back from a meeting with a whole list of things to do, I certainly wouldn't rely on my memory alone as to what they were.
And if there were something which I really didn't want to forget to do, I'd probably put a note on my keyboard where I couldn't miss it.
What I am trying to avoid are "ever-expanding" lists, like to do lists or someday/maybe lists.
<< Do you find that you need reminders at all, though? >>
I would put tasks which need doing on a specific date in my schedule/diary, possibly with an electronic reminder as well.
If I were to come back from a meeting with a whole list of things to do, I certainly wouldn't rely on my memory alone as to what they were.
And if there were something which I really didn't want to forget to do, I'd probably put a note on my keyboard where I couldn't miss it.
What I am trying to avoid are "ever-expanding" lists, like to do lists or someday/maybe lists.
August 21, 2014 at 9:26 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
@Mark:
>>>
The SMEMA list of tasks you have done during the day shows you exactly what the maximum is that you can do during a day - and also makes clear the negative effect of trying to do more than you have time for. ... I advocate examining each day's list of deleted tasks so you can see what your daily capacity is.
>>>
The idea of retaining and reviewing the items that appear and then get crossed off in the SMEMA process is something I don't recall ever seeing in all the discussions here.
It could change my view of the process. I haven't really been using SMEMA seriously - just resorting to it a few times during the day, when I needed to clarify the way ahead for the next hour or two, and discarding the triplets of tasks when I was done (or even partly done) with them.
And now, to have SMEMA as one's only and full-time TM method (excepting calendars and stores of information and so on) seems scary - which I suppose means I'm beginning to understand it.
>>>
The SMEMA list of tasks you have done during the day shows you exactly what the maximum is that you can do during a day - and also makes clear the negative effect of trying to do more than you have time for. ... I advocate examining each day's list of deleted tasks so you can see what your daily capacity is.
>>>
The idea of retaining and reviewing the items that appear and then get crossed off in the SMEMA process is something I don't recall ever seeing in all the discussions here.
It could change my view of the process. I haven't really been using SMEMA seriously - just resorting to it a few times during the day, when I needed to clarify the way ahead for the next hour or two, and discarding the triplets of tasks when I was done (or even partly done) with them.
And now, to have SMEMA as one's only and full-time TM method (excepting calendars and stores of information and so on) seems scary - which I suppose means I'm beginning to understand it.
August 26, 2014 at 23:28 |
Chris Cooper
Chris Cooper
Think of one project that I am trying to work on, little-and-often style. Call it the Main Project.
Start a SMEMA list by writing:
- a short task I can complete in one session
- a next-action on my Main Project
- another short task to complete in one session
Execute SMEMA by working on the short task, then the Main Project, so that there is only one short task remaining. Then write two more tasks:
- another next-action on my Main Project
- another short task to complete in one session
Note that whenever I finish a session of my Main Project, this procedure always leads me to write another next action immediately, to follow the upcoming short task.
Resistance!! If a short task expands or spawns unexpected resistance, so that I would rather go back to my Main Project than complete it, I draw an open circle in the left margin before crossing it off and moving on to my Main Project (I do not cross off the circle itself). Next time I write a short task, I reenter any prior open-circle task, and I draw a slash through its circle to show me that I moved it forward. As long as I have outstanding open-circle tasks, I do not enter new short tasks unless there is some overriding need or urgency. If you find yourself making many open circles, your short tasks are not short enough.
I handle resistance on my Main Project the same way: AS SOON AS I have trouble pressing on, I cross it out and switch. No harm in this, since I know I'm coming back, and the upcoming single-session task is also worth doing. Structured Procrastination! Inevitably, I reach a point where I am tired of the Main Project not being done, and suddenly I have plenty of energy to finish it off, or at least finish today's portion of it. It has that same "magic" feel of Mark's other systems that worked for me, except it does not present me with various other big projects to distract me from the Main Project.
What's missing? The big picture, of course. My SMEMA upgrade is only a way of staying on ONE project, bringing little-and-often and "structured procrastination" to the SMEMA structure. Deciding which project to focus on at what time, managing deadlines, keeping lists of errands and little tasks, and tracking recurring tasks are outside of the scope of this little technique.
Think of this SMEMA upgrade as solving the problem of resistance, not of planning:
"I have a beautiful plan I drew up of what I need to do today, and now I just feel like procrastinating on the whole thing by running out to the store to buy cat food, which is not on the list but I suddenly thought of it."
I have tried Personal Kanban several times and been torpedoed by resistance:
"There's my beautiful kanban, showing me three important tasks to focus on ... but first I need to change that light bulb out front, and then I might as well schedule the car appointment. Oh yeah, the plant needs watering ... I'll be able to focus so much better after I've knocked these little things out of the way ..." Next day, same kanban, same sticky notes still sitting there.
So this technique is for resistance, not planning. You'll still need a planning approach (DWM, kanban, AF4, three MITs, DIT, Massive Life Plan, Winging It ...), but now you can have more confidence in those plans as you watch the pieces actually get done.
(background) Original SMEMA instructions
http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2106746