Discussion Forum > Article on turning tasks into questions
I have read the article.
There are examples in the article of brainstorming in order to plan a project, why to ask for raise, or scheduling the laundry.
We ask questions all the time in order to do tasks. Much of the time we are not conscious of it.
It might be useful at times to consciously ask questions about a task list.
So on our task list is to eat lunch out. In order to perform this task, we might need to ask where to eat, how to get there, where to sit, what to order, how much to eat, how much to pay, how much to tip.
But we could also ask other questions, which are not necessary to perform the task, but could lead to some life change, such as "Why do I eat?" "What diet should I have?" "What are my feelings while I am eating?" "What am I doing while I am eating?"
However, as a principle of time management, to turn a task into a question seems too broad and vague.
A task is a task. A question is a question.
A task is something to do.
A question is something to think.
For people who think in order to avoid doing it might not be helpful.
For people use abstract thinking to procrastinate, or people who are perfectionists who will forever research to find the best way of doing something, it might not be helpful. Often it is better to do something imperfectly than not at all.
If there are 50 tasks on the task list, to ask a question of each one adds more thinking power and time than might be necessary to do the tasks.
Socrates did say that the unexamined life is not worth living.
Some rabbi, I forget who, said that the unlived life is not worth examining.
Sometimes the best thing to do with a task is just do it.
There are examples in the article of brainstorming in order to plan a project, why to ask for raise, or scheduling the laundry.
We ask questions all the time in order to do tasks. Much of the time we are not conscious of it.
It might be useful at times to consciously ask questions about a task list.
So on our task list is to eat lunch out. In order to perform this task, we might need to ask where to eat, how to get there, where to sit, what to order, how much to eat, how much to pay, how much to tip.
But we could also ask other questions, which are not necessary to perform the task, but could lead to some life change, such as "Why do I eat?" "What diet should I have?" "What are my feelings while I am eating?" "What am I doing while I am eating?"
However, as a principle of time management, to turn a task into a question seems too broad and vague.
A task is a task. A question is a question.
A task is something to do.
A question is something to think.
For people who think in order to avoid doing it might not be helpful.
For people use abstract thinking to procrastinate, or people who are perfectionists who will forever research to find the best way of doing something, it might not be helpful. Often it is better to do something imperfectly than not at all.
If there are 50 tasks on the task list, to ask a question of each one adds more thinking power and time than might be necessary to do the tasks.
Socrates did say that the unexamined life is not worth living.
Some rabbi, I forget who, said that the unlived life is not worth examining.
Sometimes the best thing to do with a task is just do it.
December 7, 2023 at 12:21 |
Mark H.
Mark H.
IanS:
<< I also fear I may become obsessed with the process...>>
Great post. And it got me thinking. Two nights ago, I facilitated a workshop for family therapists. I spent a good 6 weeks preparing for this event - very little else was on my mind. The magic sauce in doing what I had to do... a deadline, and the related fear of embarrassing myself in front of colleagues.
But for all non-deadline related things - which are often the most important things - how do we tackle that? I still think relationships are more important than productivity tricks and process questions. In all of my rock bands, it was the internal drive and gumption of one member who booked a gig, which increased the seriousness of our jamming sessions. No task lists, no visualization exercises, no weekly review or plans.
But as a solepreneur - other than clinical sessions - making good use of discretionary time can get tricky. I'm still trying to figure out how to best manage this time. Maybe I should start another band?
<< I also fear I may become obsessed with the process...>>
Great post. And it got me thinking. Two nights ago, I facilitated a workshop for family therapists. I spent a good 6 weeks preparing for this event - very little else was on my mind. The magic sauce in doing what I had to do... a deadline, and the related fear of embarrassing myself in front of colleagues.
But for all non-deadline related things - which are often the most important things - how do we tackle that? I still think relationships are more important than productivity tricks and process questions. In all of my rock bands, it was the internal drive and gumption of one member who booked a gig, which increased the seriousness of our jamming sessions. No task lists, no visualization exercises, no weekly review or plans.
But as a solepreneur - other than clinical sessions - making good use of discretionary time can get tricky. I'm still trying to figure out how to best manage this time. Maybe I should start another band?
December 7, 2023 at 14:04 |
avrum
avrum
Avrum = One-Man Band!
December 7, 2023 at 15:17 |
Mike Brown
Mike Brown
Perhaps a good way of implementing this without going overboard -
Write down a question that comes up from your mind naturally without forcing, and put it on your todo list, long list, whatever one is using. Your brain hopefully will tell you whether it is worth writing down. If one is journaling or doing mind dumps, this would be a good source for questions. And then try to answer the question, and see where it leads.
I did try the Questioning method described in the Secrets, and I repeated it for several days as recommended, but I did not find it helpful, for the same reasons as I mentioned before, however, I do find it helpful to write questions down at the time when a question comes to me and put it on the todo list, so I will review it. Sometimes it is a decision choice that in the form of question - "Should I do this?" or it might be a question to research.
For major projects, there are phases such as 1. Generating the idea. 2. Research. 3. Deciding, Committing, and then Doing the Project, and Finishing it. For some projects the first three phases will go quickly, or isn't necessary, but other projects will take more time. But for some people, the thinking is more fun than the doing, and they got their satisfaction from 1,2, or maybe 3, but never start doing.
Write down a question that comes up from your mind naturally without forcing, and put it on your todo list, long list, whatever one is using. Your brain hopefully will tell you whether it is worth writing down. If one is journaling or doing mind dumps, this would be a good source for questions. And then try to answer the question, and see where it leads.
I did try the Questioning method described in the Secrets, and I repeated it for several days as recommended, but I did not find it helpful, for the same reasons as I mentioned before, however, I do find it helpful to write questions down at the time when a question comes to me and put it on the todo list, so I will review it. Sometimes it is a decision choice that in the form of question - "Should I do this?" or it might be a question to research.
For major projects, there are phases such as 1. Generating the idea. 2. Research. 3. Deciding, Committing, and then Doing the Project, and Finishing it. For some projects the first three phases will go quickly, or isn't necessary, but other projects will take more time. But for some people, the thinking is more fun than the doing, and they got their satisfaction from 1,2, or maybe 3, but never start doing.
December 7, 2023 at 17:58 |
Mark H.
Mark H.
(When I previewed this it only became a clickable link from the 2nd http. You need to copy and paste all the text).
Short article about turning tasks into questions, which echoes Mark's philosophy around the importance of asking questions esp. chapters 5,6 & 10 of the Secrets book.
I've long thought about turning projects, goals and even a vision into a series of questions but something is stopping me (apart from Mark writing that goals are best grouped into a narrative). I think it might be uncertainty over the balance to strike between spending time trying to answer the questions consciously and using maturation to allow the answers to come while I am doing something else.
I also fear I may become obsessed with the process and turn even the most basic tasks into questions - "How can I tie my laces more efficiently?" and my life will become one long list of time-consuming and fatiguing questions. Or perhaps the very process of deciding which tasks should be turned into questions might prove time-consuming, fatiguing and demotovationg.
And as always there's still the question of what TM system to incorporate them into. Maybe that should be my first question. On second thoughts I've been asking that question repeatedly for decades.
Anyone else turning tasks/projects/goals into questions routinely?