Discussion Forum > Back to FVP
Chris Cooper:
<< Perhaps it was inevitable: after singing the praises of 5t in previous posts, I started pining for FVP. >>
Don't forget that one of the major points made in "Secrets of Productive People" is how important it is to get your time management system established because it is the foundation of everything else - the equivalent to the operating system on a computer. Constant chopping and changing is a recipe for disaster.
<< the effort of finding the five right things >>
Actually, apart from the initial drawing up of the list, it's three right things you have to find - not quite so much effort!
<< Perhaps it was inevitable: after singing the praises of 5t in previous posts, I started pining for FVP. >>
Don't forget that one of the major points made in "Secrets of Productive People" is how important it is to get your time management system established because it is the foundation of everything else - the equivalent to the operating system on a computer. Constant chopping and changing is a recipe for disaster.
<< the effort of finding the five right things >>
Actually, apart from the initial drawing up of the list, it's three right things you have to find - not quite so much effort!
October 24, 2015 at 13:42 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Chris, I am having the very same 'pining' (but for AF1). I'm resisting it at the moment as despite the pining I'm finding 5T very liberating and looking back at the past couple of weeks I have mostly definitely got the right things done each day on average.
I'm not using any master list at all. Simply drawing from my head each morning. I am using reminders in my calendar for stuff to follow up and a few other things I feel I need to remember. But I'm trying to limit that so that my calendar does become another master list via the backdoor, so to speak.
I'm going to keep using 5T as I've found not having endless huge lists of 'things to do' (or 'things to worry about') makes me feel very free and much more positive about my work.
Max
I'm not using any master list at all. Simply drawing from my head each morning. I am using reminders in my calendar for stuff to follow up and a few other things I feel I need to remember. But I'm trying to limit that so that my calendar does become another master list via the backdoor, so to speak.
I'm going to keep using 5T as I've found not having endless huge lists of 'things to do' (or 'things to worry about') makes me feel very free and much more positive about my work.
Max
October 25, 2015 at 14:11 |
Max
Max
Mark is trying out a new variation on the 5T. Also, if you want a more comprehensive system that still uses 5T you can add journaling to it, as I mentioned and as Mark is hinting:
http://markforster.squarespace.com/fv-forum/post/2550548
http://markforster.squarespace.com/fv-forum/post/2550548
October 25, 2015 at 16:24 |
nuntym
nuntym
@ Mark Forster
> Constant chopping and changing is a recipe for disaster
Stop inventing new systems then!
(Seriously: don't stop.)
> Constant chopping and changing is a recipe for disaster
Stop inventing new systems then!
(Seriously: don't stop.)
October 25, 2015 at 22:42 |
Chris Cooper
Chris Cooper
On the one hand, "Constant chopping and changing is a disaster"
On the other, we should evaluate and work from data rather than opinion or impression.
In the spirit of building onwards, I'm trying 5T lists embedded in my FVP list, with occasional reviews of the big list to strike out what I've done and make sure I'm not missing anything. Of course, this does mean that it's no longer FVP. If I'm not covering things, I might look at putting in the sorting algorithm.
On the other, we should evaluate and work from data rather than opinion or impression.
In the spirit of building onwards, I'm trying 5T lists embedded in my FVP list, with occasional reviews of the big list to strike out what I've done and make sure I'm not missing anything. Of course, this does mean that it's no longer FVP. If I'm not covering things, I might look at putting in the sorting algorithm.
October 26, 2015 at 10:10 |
Will
Will
In the spirit of "Don't do as I say, do as I do" here's another little method I'm experimenting with:
1. Write down as many tasks as you want - but they must be done in the order they are written.
2. You can add and re-enter tasks at any time.
3. You can reschedule by crossing tasks out.
4. Experiencing resistance to the list should always be taken as a sign that rescheduling is needed.
The idea of this is to have a short list which takes you up to the next time horizon. What that is is up to you to decide. I am trying to keep my list quite short (currently 9 tasks including writing this). But there is no set length - and it will vary quite a bit.
1. Write down as many tasks as you want - but they must be done in the order they are written.
2. You can add and re-enter tasks at any time.
3. You can reschedule by crossing tasks out.
4. Experiencing resistance to the list should always be taken as a sign that rescheduling is needed.
The idea of this is to have a short list which takes you up to the next time horizon. What that is is up to you to decide. I am trying to keep my list quite short (currently 9 tasks including writing this). But there is no set length - and it will vary quite a bit.
October 26, 2015 at 13:08 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Or alternatively, leave out "they must be done in the order they are written".
Allowing for the effect of that the rules would read:
1. Write down as many tasks as you want - but only enough to take you up to your next time horizon.
2. Work on them in any order.
3. You can add, delete and re-enter tasks at any time.
4. If you experience resistance to the list delete any tasks which you think might be causing the resistance.
Allowing for the effect of that the rules would read:
1. Write down as many tasks as you want - but only enough to take you up to your next time horizon.
2. Work on them in any order.
3. You can add, delete and re-enter tasks at any time.
4. If you experience resistance to the list delete any tasks which you think might be causing the resistance.
October 26, 2015 at 15:58 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Mark,
I gather all this new experimenting is going on inside your journal, i.e. interspersed with notes, questions to self, etc. Looking forward to the Blog entry with photos or video of example pages. :-)
I like the idea of specific task planning only up to the next "time horizon" since we often know when our contexts will change. SMEMA tended to work this way naturally; 5T less so.
Do you incorporate any type of (perhaps informal) daily goal-setting? With the looseness in the rules of the two ideas above, there doesn't appear to be a focus on finishing tasks.
I gather all this new experimenting is going on inside your journal, i.e. interspersed with notes, questions to self, etc. Looking forward to the Blog entry with photos or video of example pages. :-)
I like the idea of specific task planning only up to the next "time horizon" since we often know when our contexts will change. SMEMA tended to work this way naturally; 5T less so.
Do you incorporate any type of (perhaps informal) daily goal-setting? With the looseness in the rules of the two ideas above, there doesn't appear to be a focus on finishing tasks.
October 26, 2015 at 18:02 |
ubi
ubi
ubi:
Yes, you're right. The journal is an ideal place for experiments- including these ones.
As for finishing tasks, the list is intended to be short enough for any unfinished task to be tackled again in fairly quick time. Though as you say there are no rules about it.
Yes, you're right. The journal is an ideal place for experiments- including these ones.
As for finishing tasks, the list is intended to be short enough for any unfinished task to be tackled again in fairly quick time. Though as you say there are no rules about it.
October 26, 2015 at 21:04 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Thanks Mark for this new method - I'm going to give it a try a some point.
I've been using 5T pretty much exactly as described in your book and so far (3 weeks in) it's working very well for me.
I work in a very fast moving creative agency (clients on the phone all the time with new work, new demands, queries etc). I have numerous projects on the go and there is definitely the real possibility of getting completely overwhelmed.
That happened to me earlier in the year with the obvious consequences of work not getting done. While this was happening I was endlessly changing time management systems trying to find something that would cope with my workload. The reality of course was nothing could cope with that amount of work. So I had a frank chat with my boss (that was not as painful as I imagined) and we agreed to cut my workload.
The sense of relief was incredible and now I have a workload that although certainly full is very much manageable. The key thing was cutting back on the number of commitments I had. This had a profound effect on my work and personal life.
The 5T method is working best for me as I use the questioning techniques outlined in the book. This is the crucial part of the process I think. 5T forces me to think carefully each morning about what is really important. This means my list of tasks feels current, genuinely important and with that I find there is less resistance overall - even to big ugly jobs that I might otherwise avoid.
There is an inbuilt resistance to those of us invested in using/investigating time management systems towards abandoning our endless lists of tasks. But so far I haven't found that I've forgotten anything important yet. Fingers crossed.
Anyhow, thank you once again for all your amazing work.
I've been using 5T pretty much exactly as described in your book and so far (3 weeks in) it's working very well for me.
I work in a very fast moving creative agency (clients on the phone all the time with new work, new demands, queries etc). I have numerous projects on the go and there is definitely the real possibility of getting completely overwhelmed.
That happened to me earlier in the year with the obvious consequences of work not getting done. While this was happening I was endlessly changing time management systems trying to find something that would cope with my workload. The reality of course was nothing could cope with that amount of work. So I had a frank chat with my boss (that was not as painful as I imagined) and we agreed to cut my workload.
The sense of relief was incredible and now I have a workload that although certainly full is very much manageable. The key thing was cutting back on the number of commitments I had. This had a profound effect on my work and personal life.
The 5T method is working best for me as I use the questioning techniques outlined in the book. This is the crucial part of the process I think. 5T forces me to think carefully each morning about what is really important. This means my list of tasks feels current, genuinely important and with that I find there is less resistance overall - even to big ugly jobs that I might otherwise avoid.
There is an inbuilt resistance to those of us invested in using/investigating time management systems towards abandoning our endless lists of tasks. But so far I haven't found that I've forgotten anything important yet. Fingers crossed.
Anyhow, thank you once again for all your amazing work.
October 27, 2015 at 10:30 |
Max
Max
I'm now finding it a relief to get everything out of my brain and into the FVP list. It's started to inflate rapidly. As Mark says in Secrets, people can be very attached to their workloads.