Discussion Forum > Sooner or Later - Everything Will Get Done
I just realized, the Later List also needs to be a Will Do list. It’s beyond my ability to imagine a whole week and predict what I can and will do over a whole week. So the way it happens is by the process of construction. If you just dump a ton of things in the system, you have no idea if you’ll be able and ready to accomplish all them during the coming week. But the rules don’t tell you to dump things into Later. You must add things to Sooner, and it must be things you think you will do. Then, having done it, you know it’s within your capacity to keep doing it and it can be added as part of your daily or weekly routine as something you WILL DO.
May 15, 2022 at 21:25 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Been doing this for a couple days and like it so far. Somehow I get more done while still having free time, put what I want on it without getting overloaded, start the day knowing I have a plan rather than wondering how I should get more organized. I know it's too early (I always get excited by new systems at first) but so far I really like it.
Some practical points: I go through the previous list to make my new list, using a highlighter to keep track of what I've dealt with. Dealing with it meaning reviewing it and if it's done but not recurring, I'll just highlight it. If I want it to recur in this list, I'll copy it and then highlight it. Once everything is highlighted, then I'm done with the list. I have to use a highlighter because things are already crossed out from doing them and I need a way to keep track of what I've reviewed.
I have organized / divided my Sooner list in about 3+ parts. When I do the daily review, a section for the rest of tonight. A section for tomorrow morning and work. A section for tomorrow night.
If I have something I want to add to the list for today while doing it, I'll add it to today's list, so that I'll see it during review.
How do you work with two lists? For now, I have my "later list" still on the right side of the first page where my first sooner list was. I was thinking it might be good to have one list or the other on loose paper but I haven't decided which list. Probably the daily/sooner list on loose paper because you can throw them away when you're done.
Some practical points: I go through the previous list to make my new list, using a highlighter to keep track of what I've dealt with. Dealing with it meaning reviewing it and if it's done but not recurring, I'll just highlight it. If I want it to recur in this list, I'll copy it and then highlight it. Once everything is highlighted, then I'm done with the list. I have to use a highlighter because things are already crossed out from doing them and I need a way to keep track of what I've reviewed.
I have organized / divided my Sooner list in about 3+ parts. When I do the daily review, a section for the rest of tonight. A section for tomorrow morning and work. A section for tomorrow night.
If I have something I want to add to the list for today while doing it, I'll add it to today's list, so that I'll see it during review.
How do you work with two lists? For now, I have my "later list" still on the right side of the first page where my first sooner list was. I was thinking it might be good to have one list or the other on loose paper but I haven't decided which list. Probably the daily/sooner list on loose paper because you can throw them away when you're done.
May 19, 2022 at 18:03 |
Don R
Don R
On the other hand, I think I'm not following the instructions as written. For instance, you said:
- If I want to do more soon, I put it at the end of Sooner.
I guess what I'm creating each day is just a plan in roughly the order that makes sense, and in different phases of the day. I try to put things in each phase that will fit in that time - either things that are recurring, new things I thought of, things selected from the "Later" list, or things that I thought even during that phase (writing it in the right column if space is needed). I think I'm basically following what you explained though. For example, adding things you think while creating the list, even if it's not on Later.
- If I want to do more soon, I put it at the end of Sooner.
I guess what I'm creating each day is just a plan in roughly the order that makes sense, and in different phases of the day. I try to put things in each phase that will fit in that time - either things that are recurring, new things I thought of, things selected from the "Later" list, or things that I thought even during that phase (writing it in the right column if space is needed). I think I'm basically following what you explained though. For example, adding things you think while creating the list, even if it's not on Later.
May 19, 2022 at 18:14 |
Don R
Don R
Don, I’m glad to hear it’s working for you! I work in a digital medium so I can’t really offer suggestions for organizing paper. Yes you can throw away the sooner list every day. If you’re doing this, it’s more the case of having one page per day, but in the evening as you plan the second day, there’s still a few things to finish on the current day.
The way I wrote the instructions, I just found it more convenient to have an endlessly revolving list, although in concept it’s not that because I always make a point to vet the contents every day and it’s always a decision to carry tasks forward or postpone them.
About rough-ordering the day, I do this too. It’s helpful for memory and for judging how it will all fit.
The way I wrote the instructions, I just found it more convenient to have an endlessly revolving list, although in concept it’s not that because I always make a point to vet the contents every day and it’s always a decision to carry tasks forward or postpone them.
About rough-ordering the day, I do this too. It’s helpful for memory and for judging how it will all fit.
May 20, 2022 at 1:30 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Are you still using Dynalist for your digital lists?
June 21, 2022 at 20:20 |
Erin
Erin
I am still following this process and I am using DynaList for this.
June 22, 2022 at 3:48 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
I simplified the above process, keeping all its characteristics, to this algorithm:
0. Keep one perpetual list of what you will do in the next 24hrs, starting now.
1. Do the first thing on the list.
2. Move that where it belongs. (which is always obvious; usually the end of the list).
3. Repeat
How is this possible?
Each feature of my original process has become a task in the list.
These tasks each now simply scan an outline embedded in the list.
These outlines include all my tasks, simply organized.
All together, this reduces the process to a few minutes per day.
0. Keep one perpetual list of what you will do in the next 24hrs, starting now.
1. Do the first thing on the list.
2. Move that where it belongs. (which is always obvious; usually the end of the list).
3. Repeat
How is this possible?
Each feature of my original process has become a task in the list.
These tasks each now simply scan an outline embedded in the list.
These outlines include all my tasks, simply organized.
All together, this reduces the process to a few minutes per day.
August 10, 2022 at 20:05 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Alan,
Thanks for your descriptions of this system. Can you explain what you mean by “outlines” embedded within the list? Did you drop the “Later” list and put it inside the one list? Is your 6pm review now a list item? Finally (sorry for all the questions) when you think of a new task for today (“sooner”) does it go at the end of the list, or do you permit yourself to reorder things as the day’s priorities change?
Thanks for your descriptions of this system. Can you explain what you mean by “outlines” embedded within the list? Did you drop the “Later” list and put it inside the one list? Is your 6pm review now a list item? Finally (sorry for all the questions) when you think of a new task for today (“sooner”) does it go at the end of the list, or do you permit yourself to reorder things as the day’s priorities change?
August 23, 2022 at 16:06 |
Christopher E.
Christopher E.
It’s all an outline to me. If you hide away everything except the top level, then it’s just a list. One item of this list is the Later list. Yes, I come to it at about 6pm as before, but since it is a list item it’s no longer about remembering to do a thing. I simply do it when I get to that spot in the list.
When a new task comes up, I might just insert it after the current task. Once that’s done, I could do the new task, but more likely this isn’t the time to do it, so I will then move it to where it belongs: a particular spot in the day’s agenda, Later in the week, or to some project plan.
Absolutely I permit myself to reorder things or change the plan if things change. In fact, order doesn’t matter at all, as long as things get done. The purpose of order is so I don’t have to think about what’s next, but can just do the next item in the list each time.
When a new task comes up, I might just insert it after the current task. Once that’s done, I could do the new task, but more likely this isn’t the time to do it, so I will then move it to where it belongs: a particular spot in the day’s agenda, Later in the week, or to some project plan.
Absolutely I permit myself to reorder things or change the plan if things change. In fact, order doesn’t matter at all, as long as things get done. The purpose of order is so I don’t have to think about what’s next, but can just do the next item in the list each time.
August 24, 2022 at 1:32 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
It functions a bit like DWM without the M, without dismissal, and with more flexibility. Tasks get put into a list that will feed back to me in about a week. Because Day and Week aren’t exactly right, I renamed the two lists Sooner and Later. Sooner items I will do in the next day or so, as described previously. Later items I will do in the next week or so as described below. Thus, sooner or later I will do it all.
Process:
Whenever I review the tasks done today(-ish), I make a decision:
- If there’s nothing more to do, the task is deleted.
- If I want to do more soon, I put it at the end of Sooner.
- If I want to do more later this week or next, I put it at the end of Later.
- (If later than that, I move it to a calendar or a project plan.)
Tasks which I prefer to do on a particular weekday I tag them with that day.
Next, I scan the Later List.
- Anything tagged for tomorrow, will be moved to the Sooner list.
- Anything at the top of the list that’s not tagged with a date also gets moved.
- Anything else I want to do also.
BUT: the Sooner list is to be a WILL DO prediction.
- I consider carefully all the things listed in Sooner and if I doubt I will get to some of them, they come off the list.
Finally, I finish the day by carrying out some of the things I planned to do.