Discussion Forum > Prerequisites for intuition
One question: are these things you choose or don’t while you have the migraine not considered intuitive choices any more? I'd think they would be. I think your complaint is that you don't like with the choices made. I concur with that, but I'm not decided whether working anyway is sensible when that work would not have had any appreciable value given your mental condition at the time.
Yet there is some kinds of work you could (with accompanying misery) accomplish effectively enough at that time and there would be value in so doing. Are such lapses your complaint here? I don't have an answer for you.
Yet there is some kinds of work you could (with accompanying misery) accomplish effectively enough at that time and there would be value in so doing. Are such lapses your complaint here? I don't have an answer for you.
March 16, 2019 at 13:20 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
I think what you are describing is one of the disadvantages of a Short List system. The Short List means you have to exercise intuition at two levels. The first when you write the list, and the second when you decide what and in what order you do the tasks on the list. The second level is easier than the first level.
With a long list on the other hand you don't have to use intuition at the first level at all. The list is just built up haphazardly whenever you think of something that you could, should or might do. So you only use intuition to decide which task to do now. If you are ill in bed, it's not too much of a strain to choose just the tasks within your current energy levels.
Having been extremely ill myself in the not-too-distant past, I remember that I relied on my Long List and did tasks from it whenever I felt up to doing any tasks at all. I cannot imagine that I would ever have been able to find the mental energy to use a No-List system in that situation.
With a long list on the other hand you don't have to use intuition at the first level at all. The list is just built up haphazardly whenever you think of something that you could, should or might do. So you only use intuition to decide which task to do now. If you are ill in bed, it's not too much of a strain to choose just the tasks within your current energy levels.
Having been extremely ill myself in the not-too-distant past, I remember that I relied on my Long List and did tasks from it whenever I felt up to doing any tasks at all. I cannot imagine that I would ever have been able to find the mental energy to use a No-List system in that situation.
March 16, 2019 at 18:30 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Alan Baljeu -
<< One question: are these things you choose or don’t while you have the migraine not considered intuitive choices any more? I'd think they would be. >>
Things just don't stand out so clearly when I am feeling sick. It's harder to maintain a clear awareness of the totality of my situation. The pain and fatigue just get in the way.
<< I think your complaint is that you don't like with the choices made. >>
It's not that so much. It's more that I just don't have a good feeling for things. When I am dealing with a series of migraines, the "standing out" process becomes a lot mushier. It all starts to turn into an undifferentiated gray mass of apathy. LOL
<< Yet there is some kinds of work you could (with accompanying misery) accomplish effectively enough at that time and there would be value in so doing. Are such lapses your complaint here? I don't have an answer for you. >>
It wasn't so much a complaint as an observation that normally No-List is great at helping maintain a strong intuition for the totality of one's situation, but it fails to do this when I am feeling sick. I was pondering what other things might be required to maintain strong intuition for one's situation. So far, I've come up with these two situations or methods:
(1) Good health, Simple Scanning, and a list that's short enough to allow frequent cycling
(2) Good health and No-List
Then as Mark suggests, the system should also be able to help you get through life when your intuition isn't really working well. More on that next.
<< One question: are these things you choose or don’t while you have the migraine not considered intuitive choices any more? I'd think they would be. >>
Things just don't stand out so clearly when I am feeling sick. It's harder to maintain a clear awareness of the totality of my situation. The pain and fatigue just get in the way.
<< I think your complaint is that you don't like with the choices made. >>
It's not that so much. It's more that I just don't have a good feeling for things. When I am dealing with a series of migraines, the "standing out" process becomes a lot mushier. It all starts to turn into an undifferentiated gray mass of apathy. LOL
<< Yet there is some kinds of work you could (with accompanying misery) accomplish effectively enough at that time and there would be value in so doing. Are such lapses your complaint here? I don't have an answer for you. >>
It wasn't so much a complaint as an observation that normally No-List is great at helping maintain a strong intuition for the totality of one's situation, but it fails to do this when I am feeling sick. I was pondering what other things might be required to maintain strong intuition for one's situation. So far, I've come up with these two situations or methods:
(1) Good health, Simple Scanning, and a list that's short enough to allow frequent cycling
(2) Good health and No-List
Then as Mark suggests, the system should also be able to help you get through life when your intuition isn't really working well. More on that next.
March 18, 2019 at 0:21 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Mark Forster -
<< I think what you are describing is one of the disadvantages of a Short List system. The Short List means you have to exercise intuition at two levels. The first when you write the list, and the second when you decide what and in what order you do the tasks on the list. The second level is easier than the first level. >>
Yes, I agree this is true for all the "structured" No-List systems that follow some kind of rules of when to add new items to the list, how many items to add, etc. The structure forces you to choose carefully, and it requires strong intuition.
But I've never really done No-List like that. My first adventures into No-List were just to write on a whiteboard whatever was on my mind, then choose a few things to focus on, and erase the rest. That worked really well for quite a long time.
Serial No-List has a very similar approach. I start the day writing down whatever is on my mind on a blank page. I freely add to the list whenever and whatever I want. In this way, it's more like a Catch-All, I suppose. Maybe you could actually call the system "Serial Catch-All".
But somehow it still feels more like a No-List. Maybe it's because we always start the day with a blank page? And then focus on that page for a good part of the day before cycling back to the older stuff? This keeps it always fresh and relevant, like No-List, but whatever remains on the list, day-over-day, is like a Catch-All.
<< With a long list on the other hand you don't have to use intuition at the first level at all. The list is just built up haphazardly whenever you think of something that you could, should or might do. >>
Yes, that's exactly what happens with Serial No-List. It seems to retain these benefits of the Catch-All list.
<< So you only use intuition to decide which task to do now. If you are ill in bed, it's not too much of a strain to choose just the tasks within your current energy levels. >>
Yes you are right. I think my problem was more in switching out of my usual "surfing chaos" mode. More on that below.
<< Having been extremely ill myself in the not-too-distant past, I remember that I relied on my Long List and did tasks from it whenever I felt up to doing any tasks at all. I cannot imagine that I would ever have been able to find the mental energy to use a No-List system in that situation. >>
Thank you, Mark, for all these thoughts. It really helped me to see more clearly how this was working for me (together with Alan's remarks).
Perhaps it works something like this.
Normally I am in the mode of exploring the usual chaos of my life with a "probe-sense-respond" model. I am assessing my whole situation, trying a few things to get a clearer idea of what's going on and where to focus. I find a focus area, go work on that for a while (a few hours or a few days), and then re-assess. This normally works great. I figure out what matters -- I make the most of it -- the situation is then changed -- then I repeat.
When I am sick, merely by FORCE OF HABIT, I still find myself trying to follow the same mode of operation. But I can't get a good sense of where to probe, and can't clearly assess the results. I have a hard time really caring much about it. LOL But habit is strong, and I keep trying. Eventually I give up in some frustration, and go take a nap. 🙂
But in my more sensible periods, I have sometimes operated more like this: I realize I am not ready for my usual course of action. So I just look for something to do that's easy and light, maybe even restful. I don't have a lot of new stuff on my mind, so my current page of Serial No-List doesn't have much on it. Nothing there stands out. So I cycle back through the older pages. As always, I find lots of stuff that's already done, so I cross it out. And I find a few easy things to do, so I work on those for a bit. Finally I work my way through the whole notebook and back to today's current page. Maybe by then, I've added some new light or restful things to do -- do some reading or writing, or go for a short walk, or go wash some dishes or something. Or maybe drive over to the chiropractor (if the headache isn't so bad to prevent driving). Or maybe I even feel ready to do something more challenging. Or maybe just realize it's a good time for a nap. 🙂
This has worked pretty well, so I suppose I just need to get better at recognizing when to switch from "chaos surfing mode" to "take-it-easy mode". Either way, I eventually end up taking a nap. 🙂 But the second way seems more peaceful and realistic and allows me to get a few things done along the way with less frustration.
<< I think what you are describing is one of the disadvantages of a Short List system. The Short List means you have to exercise intuition at two levels. The first when you write the list, and the second when you decide what and in what order you do the tasks on the list. The second level is easier than the first level. >>
Yes, I agree this is true for all the "structured" No-List systems that follow some kind of rules of when to add new items to the list, how many items to add, etc. The structure forces you to choose carefully, and it requires strong intuition.
But I've never really done No-List like that. My first adventures into No-List were just to write on a whiteboard whatever was on my mind, then choose a few things to focus on, and erase the rest. That worked really well for quite a long time.
Serial No-List has a very similar approach. I start the day writing down whatever is on my mind on a blank page. I freely add to the list whenever and whatever I want. In this way, it's more like a Catch-All, I suppose. Maybe you could actually call the system "Serial Catch-All".
But somehow it still feels more like a No-List. Maybe it's because we always start the day with a blank page? And then focus on that page for a good part of the day before cycling back to the older stuff? This keeps it always fresh and relevant, like No-List, but whatever remains on the list, day-over-day, is like a Catch-All.
<< With a long list on the other hand you don't have to use intuition at the first level at all. The list is just built up haphazardly whenever you think of something that you could, should or might do. >>
Yes, that's exactly what happens with Serial No-List. It seems to retain these benefits of the Catch-All list.
<< So you only use intuition to decide which task to do now. If you are ill in bed, it's not too much of a strain to choose just the tasks within your current energy levels. >>
Yes you are right. I think my problem was more in switching out of my usual "surfing chaos" mode. More on that below.
<< Having been extremely ill myself in the not-too-distant past, I remember that I relied on my Long List and did tasks from it whenever I felt up to doing any tasks at all. I cannot imagine that I would ever have been able to find the mental energy to use a No-List system in that situation. >>
Thank you, Mark, for all these thoughts. It really helped me to see more clearly how this was working for me (together with Alan's remarks).
Perhaps it works something like this.
Normally I am in the mode of exploring the usual chaos of my life with a "probe-sense-respond" model. I am assessing my whole situation, trying a few things to get a clearer idea of what's going on and where to focus. I find a focus area, go work on that for a while (a few hours or a few days), and then re-assess. This normally works great. I figure out what matters -- I make the most of it -- the situation is then changed -- then I repeat.
When I am sick, merely by FORCE OF HABIT, I still find myself trying to follow the same mode of operation. But I can't get a good sense of where to probe, and can't clearly assess the results. I have a hard time really caring much about it. LOL But habit is strong, and I keep trying. Eventually I give up in some frustration, and go take a nap. 🙂
But in my more sensible periods, I have sometimes operated more like this: I realize I am not ready for my usual course of action. So I just look for something to do that's easy and light, maybe even restful. I don't have a lot of new stuff on my mind, so my current page of Serial No-List doesn't have much on it. Nothing there stands out. So I cycle back through the older pages. As always, I find lots of stuff that's already done, so I cross it out. And I find a few easy things to do, so I work on those for a bit. Finally I work my way through the whole notebook and back to today's current page. Maybe by then, I've added some new light or restful things to do -- do some reading or writing, or go for a short walk, or go wash some dishes or something. Or maybe drive over to the chiropractor (if the headache isn't so bad to prevent driving). Or maybe I even feel ready to do something more challenging. Or maybe just realize it's a good time for a nap. 🙂
This has worked pretty well, so I suppose I just need to get better at recognizing when to switch from "chaos surfing mode" to "take-it-easy mode". Either way, I eventually end up taking a nap. 🙂 But the second way seems more peaceful and realistic and allows me to get a few things done along the way with less frustration.
March 18, 2019 at 0:43 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Seraphim:
The following silly analogy came to mind: your "probe-sense-respond" way of working generates "intellectual exhaust" that smothers your intuition. Taking a nap (or a physical, low-intellectual break) helps flush the exhaust out of the system so your intuition can breathe again.
When I find myself scanning through my lists looking for "something to do," that's my compulsion taking hold and a sign that I need to stand up, breathe deep, walk around, etc.
Or, it could also be my intuition telling me that everything is really OK and there's really nothing useful to be done right now. However, that message has not reached my body and it's mechanically going through the motions of scanning, turning pages, etc.
The following silly analogy came to mind: your "probe-sense-respond" way of working generates "intellectual exhaust" that smothers your intuition. Taking a nap (or a physical, low-intellectual break) helps flush the exhaust out of the system so your intuition can breathe again.
When I find myself scanning through my lists looking for "something to do," that's my compulsion taking hold and a sign that I need to stand up, breathe deep, walk around, etc.
Or, it could also be my intuition telling me that everything is really OK and there's really nothing useful to be done right now. However, that message has not reached my body and it's mechanically going through the motions of scanning, turning pages, etc.
March 18, 2019 at 16:11 |
Mike Brown
Mike Brown
Mike Brown -
<< The following silly analogy came to mind: your "probe-sense-respond" way of working generates "intellectual exhaust" that smothers your intuition. Taking a nap (or a physical, low-intellectual break) helps flush the exhaust out of the system so your intuition can breathe again. >>
Most of the time, surfing the chaos using "probe-sense-respond" is really my "sweet spot" -- I get lots of great stuff done. (At least, it seems great to me; my wife and manager might disagree? LOL). And it's extremely engaging with my intuition. It's great flow and great fun; I love the challenge of it, it's very creative work, and can lead to a lot of breakthroughs.
It doesn't work so well, though, when I am dealing with the pain and fatigue of migraines. It's the pain and fatigue that smothers the intuition, and then I can't get a good idea of where to probe, and can't make any sense of the results.
The rest of what you wrote rings true for me. I think I need to observe myself better so I can realize when I'm acting compulsively or mechanically, and just accept that it's time for a stroll along the beach instead of surfing the chaos.
<< The following silly analogy came to mind: your "probe-sense-respond" way of working generates "intellectual exhaust" that smothers your intuition. Taking a nap (or a physical, low-intellectual break) helps flush the exhaust out of the system so your intuition can breathe again. >>
Most of the time, surfing the chaos using "probe-sense-respond" is really my "sweet spot" -- I get lots of great stuff done. (At least, it seems great to me; my wife and manager might disagree? LOL). And it's extremely engaging with my intuition. It's great flow and great fun; I love the challenge of it, it's very creative work, and can lead to a lot of breakthroughs.
It doesn't work so well, though, when I am dealing with the pain and fatigue of migraines. It's the pain and fatigue that smothers the intuition, and then I can't get a good idea of where to probe, and can't make any sense of the results.
The rest of what you wrote rings true for me. I think I need to observe myself better so I can realize when I'm acting compulsively or mechanically, and just accept that it's time for a stroll along the beach instead of surfing the chaos.
March 18, 2019 at 16:50 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Seraphim:
Your descriptions of your experiences with Serial No-List are so enticing that I've decided to give it a try, starting tomorrow.
I think you and I tend by nature to work in very different ways, so it will be interesting to see whether I have the same experience of it that you have had, and are having.
Your descriptions of your experiences with Serial No-List are so enticing that I've decided to give it a try, starting tomorrow.
I think you and I tend by nature to work in very different ways, so it will be interesting to see whether I have the same experience of it that you have had, and are having.
March 18, 2019 at 17:47 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Mark, before you leave the Bounce can you report on how it has been working for you. I am still liking it a lot and am amazed how it adapts to different days, priorities and foci I have.
March 18, 2019 at 19:53 |
vegheadjones
vegheadjones
Mark -
Great! I'm looking forward to learn how it works for you.
Yes, I think we work in different ways. I am guessing you might prefer a system with more focus on bringing older items to closure. But whether it turns out to work well for you or not, your feedback and insights will be invaluable!
Also, there are two or three different descriptions of the system out there. The clearest description of the rules is probably this one:
http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2730943#post2732758 (posted by me on January 27, 2019 at 0:06)
Great! I'm looking forward to learn how it works for you.
Yes, I think we work in different ways. I am guessing you might prefer a system with more focus on bringing older items to closure. But whether it turns out to work well for you or not, your feedback and insights will be invaluable!
Also, there are two or three different descriptions of the system out there. The clearest description of the rules is probably this one:
http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2730943#post2732758 (posted by me on January 27, 2019 at 0:06)
March 18, 2019 at 19:59 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
vegheadjones:
<< Mark, before you leave the Bounce can you report on how it has been working for you. I am still liking it a lot and am amazed how it adapts to different days, priorities and foci I have. >>
The Bounce is perhaps my favourite Long List method, though these days I use a modified version which I call The Bounceless Bounce. That's rather a silly name, but what it means is that I don't bounce off the ends of the list but instead carry on right round. That seems to give a slightly different spread, though there really isn't much in it.
<< Mark, before you leave the Bounce can you report on how it has been working for you. I am still liking it a lot and am amazed how it adapts to different days, priorities and foci I have. >>
The Bounce is perhaps my favourite Long List method, though these days I use a modified version which I call The Bounceless Bounce. That's rather a silly name, but what it means is that I don't bounce off the ends of the list but instead carry on right round. That seems to give a slightly different spread, though there really isn't much in it.
March 18, 2019 at 20:29 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Seraphim:
<< Also, there are two or three different descriptions of the system out there. The clearest description of the rules is probably this one:
<< http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2730943#post2732758 (posted by me on January 27, 2019 at 0:06) >>
That's actually rather more systematic than I thought. And I think I've tried that, or something very like it, in the past without much success.
I'd sort of imagined that Serial No-List consisted of "a day-list with an archive", and that the archive was there to be looked at occasionally to get ideas rather than acting as a backlog to be worked through. The only tasks I'd cross out on it would be ones that had since been done.
That's actually what attracted me to it, and I think that's how I'll try it out at least initially.
<< Also, there are two or three different descriptions of the system out there. The clearest description of the rules is probably this one:
<< http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2730943#post2732758 (posted by me on January 27, 2019 at 0:06) >>
That's actually rather more systematic than I thought. And I think I've tried that, or something very like it, in the past without much success.
I'd sort of imagined that Serial No-List consisted of "a day-list with an archive", and that the archive was there to be looked at occasionally to get ideas rather than acting as a backlog to be worked through. The only tasks I'd cross out on it would be ones that had since been done.
That's actually what attracted me to it, and I think that's how I'll try it out at least initially.
March 18, 2019 at 20:42 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
mark:
You said, "I use a modified version which I call The Bounceless Bounce....I don't bounce off the ends of the list but instead carry on right round."
I've tried that too, I call it the "Wraparound Bounce." I didn't notice any real difference in workflow so I stuck with Pure Bounce.
You said, "I use a modified version which I call The Bounceless Bounce....I don't bounce off the ends of the list but instead carry on right round."
I've tried that too, I call it the "Wraparound Bounce." I didn't notice any real difference in workflow so I stuck with Pure Bounce.
March 18, 2019 at 21:28 |
vegheadjones
vegheadjones
Mark -
<< I'd sort of imagined that Serial No-List consisted of "a day-list with an archive", and that the archive was there to be looked at occasionally to get ideas rather than acting as a backlog to be worked through. The only tasks I'd cross out on it would be ones that had since been done. >>
In practice, that's pretty much how Serial No-List works for me. I spend almost all my time on the "day list", with occasional excursions to the older pages.
Visiting the older pages also helps me remember anything I may have forgotten. Those usually get caught quickly, within a day or two.
Beyond that, it works pretty much just like you describe.
On most days, I might take 1-2 breaks to scan the older pages for important things I may have forgotten about, but generally stay focused on today's page.
During some "down time", such as a sick day, or perhaps after several days of intense focused activity, I might spend a whole day going back and reviewing the older pages, getting a sense of the things that I have left behind, getting ideas, crossing out stuff that's either done or no longer relevant etc.
But generally, it works like free-form no-list, with 95% of the attention on today's page.
Also, the older pages tend to "fade away" rather than get cleaned out systematically. After I fill up a notebook and start a new one, I generally take 1-2 scans through the old notebook, then put it away somewhere. Sometimes I just carry it in my briefcase, sometimes I'll file it in my Tickler file to review it in a month or so. Maybe I should just toss it, but so far I haven't wanted to do that.
I'm writing this last paragraph just to emphasize the fact that the older pages really do tend to act more like an "archive" as you are describing it, rather than a backlog of old task debt.
It will be interesting to see how it works out for you!
<< I'd sort of imagined that Serial No-List consisted of "a day-list with an archive", and that the archive was there to be looked at occasionally to get ideas rather than acting as a backlog to be worked through. The only tasks I'd cross out on it would be ones that had since been done. >>
In practice, that's pretty much how Serial No-List works for me. I spend almost all my time on the "day list", with occasional excursions to the older pages.
Visiting the older pages also helps me remember anything I may have forgotten. Those usually get caught quickly, within a day or two.
Beyond that, it works pretty much just like you describe.
On most days, I might take 1-2 breaks to scan the older pages for important things I may have forgotten about, but generally stay focused on today's page.
During some "down time", such as a sick day, or perhaps after several days of intense focused activity, I might spend a whole day going back and reviewing the older pages, getting a sense of the things that I have left behind, getting ideas, crossing out stuff that's either done or no longer relevant etc.
But generally, it works like free-form no-list, with 95% of the attention on today's page.
Also, the older pages tend to "fade away" rather than get cleaned out systematically. After I fill up a notebook and start a new one, I generally take 1-2 scans through the old notebook, then put it away somewhere. Sometimes I just carry it in my briefcase, sometimes I'll file it in my Tickler file to review it in a month or so. Maybe I should just toss it, but so far I haven't wanted to do that.
I'm writing this last paragraph just to emphasize the fact that the older pages really do tend to act more like an "archive" as you are describing it, rather than a backlog of old task debt.
It will be interesting to see how it works out for you!
March 18, 2019 at 21:35 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
I think your intuition was working just fine. Remember that your intuition tells you when you are ready to do certain tasks. You being sick then is the signal to your intuition that you were not ready to do things.
March 21, 2019 at 14:44 |
nuntym
nuntym
To add, that sometimes you have a grasp of the totality and thus where to direct your attention , is an amazing thing. It requires a strong mind and a clarity of purpose. These are impossible if you are sufficiently tired or ill. So not grasping this at that moment cannot be a failure of the system. There are only two possibilities in that time: either you postpone the big thinking for another time and address whatever random thing now. Or yuo preplan the big ideas and have a ready for the thing you should do when the down comes (keeping in mind what you know your capacity will be at that time).
March 21, 2019 at 22:52 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Another prerequisite for intuition (for me at least): being able to see the main things in one page - or one view - or one screen. When I have to flip back and forth between pages to review my focus items, I start to lose focus and get distracted.
This observation arose after experimenting with Mark's suggestion on the SNL Rules thread to do something like Simple Scanning, but repeatedly cycle through yesterday and today's tasks before taking a pass through the older tasks, and also comparing to Leon's results.
It didn't work well for me, because I kept having to flip pages to cycle through yesterday's and today's items, and this was a big distraction. But it seemed to work fine for Leon, apparently because he had fewer tasks and did not need to flip pages as much.
http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2745678?currentPage=2#post2751715
So I think this brings my list of things required for strong intuition to three:
-- Strong awareness of my whole context
-- Not being sick
-- Ability to see all my focus items in one view
This observation arose after experimenting with Mark's suggestion on the SNL Rules thread to do something like Simple Scanning, but repeatedly cycle through yesterday and today's tasks before taking a pass through the older tasks, and also comparing to Leon's results.
It didn't work well for me, because I kept having to flip pages to cycle through yesterday's and today's items, and this was a big distraction. But it seemed to work fine for Leon, apparently because he had fewer tasks and did not need to flip pages as much.
http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2745678?currentPage=2#post2751715
So I think this brings my list of things required for strong intuition to three:
-- Strong awareness of my whole context
-- Not being sick
-- Ability to see all my focus items in one view
October 30, 2019 at 16:35 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2725827
During the last month, I found another key element: When I am sick for a long period, I completely lose my intuition for my work.
And so, I found I just couldn't find my focus. I'd write whatever was top-of-mind onto my Serial No-List. But I just couldn't get a strong sense of the relative importance of anything. Things just didn't "flow" like they usually do.
At first I was tempted to blame my system, Serial No-List. What's going on here? The system isn't working! But as I reflected on it, and scanned through my pages as the system rules tell me to do, it just occurred to me that there's nothing wrong with the system at all. I don't have any intuition right now, because I'm sick! I'm tired! I'm irritable! I just want to go sleep! I've had problems with TM systems in the past, and it's caused some frustration and stress, but no system can be the cause for chronic migraine! Why am I blaming the system? LOL
In retrospect, I suppose all this should have been obvious! Serial No-List seems to have this quality of reflecting your real situation back at you very starkly and clearly. It's as much a tool for thinking and reflection, as it is a time management system. I think this is one reason I like it so much. It's helped me make several fundamental realizations about my situation in work and life, and challenge many assumptions that I had never even realized I was even making.
For example, this episode made me realize that it doesn't do much good to try to "power through" when I am feeling sick or tired or irritable. At best, I just get random stuff done. At worst, I just spin my wheels and make myself more sick, tired, and irritable. This realization helped me give myself permission simply to rest and pray and do some reading or something light when I am feeling sick. Or maybe just sleep! And then, amazingly, I feel better! I am not sick for so long! And my intuition starts to return!
Does anyone have any thoughts of other things that might be prerequisites for good intuitive engagement with one's life and work and TM system?