Discussion Forum > 5-2 time management method: list of reminders turns into a to-do list !
Just have a list "My current boring projects I am afraid to forget to work on" and populate that list with project A, project B, and so on.
Then, when you work the 5/2 list, one of the tasks you can enter at any time is "review document 'My current boring projects I am afraid to forget to work on'" and that way you would update your memory.
You could also have another name for that list, for example "Heaps I am shuffling away in order to pay the bills" or just "Work Projects" or - conceptually a bit different - "Projects to be finished in August" and so on.
The way you presented your case in the OP also suggests a title, namely "Work Projects I want to work on every day until I've finished them."
You can have all sorts of additional documents serving as "maps" of your world. Just be clear on that reviewing, assessing and updating these documents is already a distinct task.
Maybe on Tuesday you realise after working on project A, that project B is not going to happen today? But maybe that's okay?
There is a difference between reviewing a task reminder on some list or schedule and having made a commitment to do that task at that point.
After all, what you want is working little and often and finishing on time.
That's all what you want - I suppose - and not set up a task master regime of strangulations of a plethora of "shoulds."
That just would lead to a pale tan.
Then, when you work the 5/2 list, one of the tasks you can enter at any time is "review document 'My current boring projects I am afraid to forget to work on'" and that way you would update your memory.
You could also have another name for that list, for example "Heaps I am shuffling away in order to pay the bills" or just "Work Projects" or - conceptually a bit different - "Projects to be finished in August" and so on.
The way you presented your case in the OP also suggests a title, namely "Work Projects I want to work on every day until I've finished them."
You can have all sorts of additional documents serving as "maps" of your world. Just be clear on that reviewing, assessing and updating these documents is already a distinct task.
Maybe on Tuesday you realise after working on project A, that project B is not going to happen today? But maybe that's okay?
There is a difference between reviewing a task reminder on some list or schedule and having made a commitment to do that task at that point.
After all, what you want is working little and often and finishing on time.
That's all what you want - I suppose - and not set up a task master regime of strangulations of a plethora of "shoulds."
That just would lead to a pale tan.
August 7, 2022 at 16:38 |
Christopher
Christopher
sokolgeo:
<< If I don't write all these reminders I'm afraid I'd forget some boring but still mandatory project, which does not contribute to my vision but still needs to be kept under control. >>
When I was talking about "reminders" what I was thinking of was things like:
"Deadline for applications: draw up list of applicants"
"Gather papers for following day's meeting"
"Check weather forecast for weekend's outdoor event"
"Ring brother on return from holiday in Mauritius"
That is to say, specific actions which need to be taken on a specific day.
I was not talking about "Work on Project A" (unless for some reason that was the one-and-only day on which that project could be worked on).
<< If I don't write all these reminders I'm afraid I'd forget some boring but still mandatory project, which does not contribute to my vision but still needs to be kept under control. >>
When I was talking about "reminders" what I was thinking of was things like:
"Deadline for applications: draw up list of applicants"
"Gather papers for following day's meeting"
"Check weather forecast for weekend's outdoor event"
"Ring brother on return from holiday in Mauritius"
That is to say, specific actions which need to be taken on a specific day.
I was not talking about "Work on Project A" (unless for some reason that was the one-and-only day on which that project could be worked on).
August 7, 2022 at 18:58 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
sokolgeo:
In SoPP, there is one list that is encouraged: the commitments list. I think what you are describing more properly belongs there. That is, if you have a commitment towards something, you review and collate that all in your list of commitments. You can review that list as you need to in order to assess your obligations, but you don't put actionable tasks on that list, just your committed outcomes/goals/promises.
When you work, you work off of what is on your mind or that you have been reminded of because of day/time specific reminders in your calendar. If you get that sense that you've forgotten something, maybe you put "review commitments for missed work" into your 5/2 list, and maybe reviewing those obligations reminds you that you need to do something more than what you are doing now, and so that gets added at some point in the day, but you probably don't need to constantly review that commitments list throughout the day or "work" from it.
Additionally, 5/2 and other no list systems encourage you to finish your projects and stay on top of your work as Mark likes to say. You're also allowed to take notes and keep project files that contain information you might need to reference, but you're not using those as your action list from which to work.
In SoPP, there is one list that is encouraged: the commitments list. I think what you are describing more properly belongs there. That is, if you have a commitment towards something, you review and collate that all in your list of commitments. You can review that list as you need to in order to assess your obligations, but you don't put actionable tasks on that list, just your committed outcomes/goals/promises.
When you work, you work off of what is on your mind or that you have been reminded of because of day/time specific reminders in your calendar. If you get that sense that you've forgotten something, maybe you put "review commitments for missed work" into your 5/2 list, and maybe reviewing those obligations reminds you that you need to do something more than what you are doing now, and so that gets added at some point in the day, but you probably don't need to constantly review that commitments list throughout the day or "work" from it.
Additionally, 5/2 and other no list systems encourage you to finish your projects and stay on top of your work as Mark likes to say. You're also allowed to take notes and keep project files that contain information you might need to reference, but you're not using those as your action list from which to work.
August 7, 2022 at 20:01 |
Aaron Hsu
Aaron Hsu
Thank you for your clarifications!
The commitments list is apparently what I am after to avoid abusing the calendar.
Kind regards,
George
The commitments list is apparently what I am after to avoid abusing the calendar.
Kind regards,
George
August 8, 2022 at 15:59 |
sokolgeo
sokolgeo
"Don’t feed your list from another larger list. The contents of the list should come fresh from your head. This is essential if the method is to work properly. You can use reminders for specific items you don’t want to forget, but that is all."
My is that my list of reminders very quickly turns into a to-do list !
Today I write a reminder into my diary for Monday to work on project A. On Monday I do work on project A and also start working on project B. Therefore on Monday I write into my diary two reminders for Tuesday: to work on projects A and B. And this list of reminders keeps growing every day and effectively becomes my to-do, defeating the whole idea of the 5-2 method for me!
If I don't write all these reminders I'm afraid I'd forget some boring but still mandatory project, which does not contribute to my vision but still needs to be kept under control.
What is my error here in following the 5-2 method? May be I'm just too afraid to follow the 5-2 method properly?
Kind regards,
George