Discussion Forum > Littler, oftener (use any system)
I've been using a "little and often" approach for the past month to ready for a family gathering using an app called Balance, it is an iOS app. It is light weight and fast. I set it to remind me to declutter and clean twice a day, then three times a day. I mixed in going for a walk, playing music etc. Not much resistance because there are usually three to five things due soon. After the event I turned down the frequency of the tasks.
As per the "spinning plates" concept, the more items I put in the system the harder it was to keep up and be inspired.
I've been planning to post this for awhile and your post seemed a good lead in. Thank you for bringing up this topic.
As per the "spinning plates" concept, the more items I put in the system the harder it was to keep up and be inspired.
I've been planning to post this for awhile and your post seemed a good lead in. Thank you for bringing up this topic.
December 12, 2014 at 0:55 |
Erin
Erin
Erin - >>> As per the "spinning plates" concept, the more items I put in the system the harder it was to keep up and be inspired. <<<
Yeah, this is somewhat of an Autofocus paradox for me. OTOH the Autofocus systems are thos best capable of handling lists with even hundreds of entries. OTOH this ability leads to growing lists which then tend to kill the momentum which you gained by using Autofocus and it's "catch all" features in the first place.
On one side there is a system where just jotting it down is sufficient to gain a calm mind but then there is the pressure of clearing the lists to gain a better overview.
Yeah, this is somewhat of an Autofocus paradox for me. OTOH the Autofocus systems are thos best capable of handling lists with even hundreds of entries. OTOH this ability leads to growing lists which then tend to kill the momentum which you gained by using Autofocus and it's "catch all" features in the first place.
On one side there is a system where just jotting it down is sufficient to gain a calm mind but then there is the pressure of clearing the lists to gain a better overview.
December 12, 2014 at 15:16 |
Christopher
Christopher
Yes. I believe the secret of Autofocus is keeping the list trim.
December 12, 2014 at 17:59 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
..... and being prepared to dismiss lots of items.
December 12, 2014 at 18:48 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
That is what I had to do, trim the list and do less on each round.
December 14, 2014 at 15:05 |
Erin
Erin
Ardent wrote, "My own experience: when I resist something deeply, any system becomes a proxy for that resistance, i.e I won't open the notebook, start the app or look at the list in the first place. We blame the system, start a new one, pick a new tool, get through a new few days of honeymoon, until the resistance kicks in again."
For the last while I have been all of unsystematic, relatively unproductive, and experiencing deep resistence to important tasks. Now that I'm getting back into a groove, the above reminds me of Mark's autofocus dictum of 'little and often'. It's easy to look at a notebook if you give yourself permission to merely take a tiny step towards a big project. That little beats nothing, and repeated often it really beats nothing.
There isn't a reason to blame the system for resistance, as in fact the system helps. (i refer specifically to Autofocus style systems. Other systems might increase your burden.) But if the system is pushing you too much on things that don't need doing now, those things need to be excised.
On another axis, there are various recording systems. Notebook and pen, tablet and app, PC and program. Here a clunky system can definitely get in your way, though Chris is very right that you can waste too much time going for perfection rather than getting on with doing stuff. Maybe it's a personality flaw that I find it very hard to work with an unaesthetic device, but on the other hand once i've found something it's gold. I used computers since 1984, but it wasn't until OneNote in 2007 that I found a satisfactory way to organize thoughts and work efforts (before this i always felt disorganized), and just having it makes working easier.
The point: The system need not be a source of resistence, neither in the technology nor the process. It can be simply a tool that lets work flow.
I concede this is optional. I don't need an ideal system, and pushing forward to just get work done is more important.