Discussion Forum > Long list out of control
Eugenia:
This is a pretty common problem and there are a number of possible ways you can solve it (or at least make it better).
First, remember that one of the purposes of a long list is actually to filter the tasks. You should not expect to do every task on the list (unless you are very disciplined about what you put on the list). You should regularly go through the list with the purpose of deleting everything that has been hanging around and isn't still relevant. If some essential stuff is being neglected, then break it down further or re-phrase it so that it is easier for you to get started on it.
Second, raise the barrier for what goes on the list in the first place. Anyone can write a list of thousands of things which they must do, should do, could do, might do. I bet that if you looked round your office right now that you could write a list of at least 100 possible tasks. The real question is what do I intend to be paying attention to over the next few days?
Third, if the above two suggestions don't work for you, then try a day list. You can add to the list as normal, but at the end of the working day the list is torn up and you start the next with a clean sheet. If that's too drastic try a week list.
Fourth, pay attention to how you word the tasks. If you are starting a new project, don't write "Mega-Project X" because you mind will just resist it. Instead write something like "Thoughts about Project X", "Talk to John about Project X", "Decide date for Project X 1st Meeting".
This is a pretty common problem and there are a number of possible ways you can solve it (or at least make it better).
First, remember that one of the purposes of a long list is actually to filter the tasks. You should not expect to do every task on the list (unless you are very disciplined about what you put on the list). You should regularly go through the list with the purpose of deleting everything that has been hanging around and isn't still relevant. If some essential stuff is being neglected, then break it down further or re-phrase it so that it is easier for you to get started on it.
Second, raise the barrier for what goes on the list in the first place. Anyone can write a list of thousands of things which they must do, should do, could do, might do. I bet that if you looked round your office right now that you could write a list of at least 100 possible tasks. The real question is what do I intend to be paying attention to over the next few days?
Third, if the above two suggestions don't work for you, then try a day list. You can add to the list as normal, but at the end of the working day the list is torn up and you start the next with a clean sheet. If that's too drastic try a week list.
Fourth, pay attention to how you word the tasks. If you are starting a new project, don't write "Mega-Project X" because you mind will just resist it. Instead write something like "Thoughts about Project X", "Talk to John about Project X", "Decide date for Project X 1st Meeting".
September 2, 2020 at 11:21 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Mark:
Thank you for your thoughtful reply, full of useful ideas.
What my instinct tells me might work better for me is use a weekly list.Daily feels too short, but the current infinite long list is not working for me either, no matter which algorithm I use to process it.
So I'm going to give the weekly list a try, combined with your two main suggestions, that is to say, filter the list, and be more selective in what I add to it.
Best regards,
Thank you for your thoughtful reply, full of useful ideas.
What my instinct tells me might work better for me is use a weekly list.Daily feels too short, but the current infinite long list is not working for me either, no matter which algorithm I use to process it.
So I'm going to give the weekly list a try, combined with your two main suggestions, that is to say, filter the list, and be more selective in what I add to it.
Best regards,
September 2, 2020 at 15:50 |
Eugenia
Eugenia
Hi Eugena,
I've been playing around this week with creating a daily list tied to my calendar out of my long list each day. For each working 1/2 hour where I am not scheduled for a meeting, I pull tasks out from my long list. and schedule them. I leave some blocks open for rescanning the list in case priorities changed. This has been working well (with the "only one week" caveat).
I've been playing around this week with creating a daily list tied to my calendar out of my long list each day. For each working 1/2 hour where I am not scheduled for a meeting, I pull tasks out from my long list. and schedule them. I leave some blocks open for rescanning the list in case priorities changed. This has been working well (with the "only one week" caveat).
September 3, 2020 at 15:06 |
vegheadjones
vegheadjones
Dear vegheadjones,
<I've been playing around this week with creating a daily list tied to my calendar out of my long list each day.>
That is a great idea. I like that the "no-list" doesn't get totally unlinked from the long list. I'm always afraid with no-lists that I am going to forget something.
Thanks!
Best regards,
<I've been playing around this week with creating a daily list tied to my calendar out of my long list each day.>
That is a great idea. I like that the "no-list" doesn't get totally unlinked from the long list. I'm always afraid with no-lists that I am going to forget something.
Thanks!
Best regards,
September 5, 2020 at 10:57 |
Eugenia
Eugenia
This is definitely an issue for me too Eugenia. My previous GTD someday-maybe list was similar. It just got bigger and bigger and I never got to anything really. I'm glad I scrapped that list and went to a catch-all. However, my catch-all still grows too big for my liking.
I'm beginning to realize that I need to develop the skill of learning how to delete more liberally.
Mark, would you say that your list is more a compilation of "current active tasks" with only a few "someday-maybes" that linger for a while? Do your someday-maybe items only last for a little while so that you can decide whether it is worth starting on, and if not, you delete it pretty quickly? I know you've mentioned that you wait for things to "stand-out" as being ready to be deleted also. I need to learn how to give my subconscious better instructions on how to delete to keep my lists under control.
I'm beginning to realize that I need to develop the skill of learning how to delete more liberally.
Mark, would you say that your list is more a compilation of "current active tasks" with only a few "someday-maybes" that linger for a while? Do your someday-maybe items only last for a little while so that you can decide whether it is worth starting on, and if not, you delete it pretty quickly? I know you've mentioned that you wait for things to "stand-out" as being ready to be deleted also. I need to learn how to give my subconscious better instructions on how to delete to keep my lists under control.
September 5, 2020 at 22:10 |
Cameron
Cameron
Cameron:
<< Mark, would you say that your list is more a compilation of "current active tasks" with only a few "someday-maybes" that linger for a while? >>
I would say that I intend to do - or at the least start on - every task or project that I put on the list within the following week or so. It doesn't always work out that way of course.
I will sometimes put a project on the list with a ? after it, e.g. "Learn Homeric Greek?" That would be an invitation to myself to examine the feasibility and desirability of the project. If the answer to the question is "Yes" (unlikely in that particular case), then the next stage would be something on the lines of "Investigate Ancient Greek Resources."
I don't keep a Someday/Maybe List. Anything that I might want to review for action in the future I would diarise, though the current number of such entries is zero.
<< Mark, would you say that your list is more a compilation of "current active tasks" with only a few "someday-maybes" that linger for a while? >>
I would say that I intend to do - or at the least start on - every task or project that I put on the list within the following week or so. It doesn't always work out that way of course.
I will sometimes put a project on the list with a ? after it, e.g. "Learn Homeric Greek?" That would be an invitation to myself to examine the feasibility and desirability of the project. If the answer to the question is "Yes" (unlikely in that particular case), then the next stage would be something on the lines of "Investigate Ancient Greek Resources."
I don't keep a Someday/Maybe List. Anything that I might want to review for action in the future I would diarise, though the current number of such entries is zero.
September 9, 2020 at 17:36 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Mark, that's an interesting thought of replacing a someday-maybe list reminders by putting them into your calendar to look at them again in the future. Do you kind of put them on a big list to be reviewed the first of each month, or do you put them on the list a month out from today, whenever that is, so that they're all spread out...or some variation of those themes?
I still am having a little bit of a hard time deleting things. I have such few precious hours of free time due to working 11-12 hour days plus 2 toddlers, that I absolutely need to keep my list pared down. How to pare it down to the essentials is the challenging part when there are also other things on there that I am definitely going to do someday, just probably won't get to for a few months perhaps. Maybe one practice I need to put on my list is "weed my list", where I go through it and look for items that "stand out" as ready to be deleted. How do you determine which are deleted entirely (and trust that they'll come back around when you're ready) and which ones go into your schedule/diary?
I still am having a little bit of a hard time deleting things. I have such few precious hours of free time due to working 11-12 hour days plus 2 toddlers, that I absolutely need to keep my list pared down. How to pare it down to the essentials is the challenging part when there are also other things on there that I am definitely going to do someday, just probably won't get to for a few months perhaps. Maybe one practice I need to put on my list is "weed my list", where I go through it and look for items that "stand out" as ready to be deleted. How do you determine which are deleted entirely (and trust that they'll come back around when you're ready) and which ones go into your schedule/diary?
September 13, 2020 at 22:03 |
Cameron
Cameron
I have this recurring problem with lists, they grow and grow until they become unmanageable. I start again afresh, and try to be disciplined with the doing, but the build-up is relentless and inexorable, and I end up with an out of control list in a few days/weeks.
Just the thought of scanning through the list makes me so weary.
Any thoughts? Maybe long lists are not for me?
Best regards,