Discussion Forum > Need Your Take on Time Surfing—What’s New and What Works Best, Eh?
As an avid Time Surfing fan and user (it's one of the most sticky systems I've used), i can weigh in a little here.
There is an English language video course that he's made which is an enjoyable watch, but it doesn't *really* do anything that you can't figure out from the book. However, two things are given in the course that I think are de-emphasized or easy to miss in the book if you aren't careful.
First, Paul encourages people to think or write out a "top 3 wishes" of the day, a sort of anchoring vision that lets you get a little bit of focus on the day as a whole. This won't be new to most Mark Forster fans, but the idea of seeing them as "wishes" rather than "to dos" is important, since they are specifically just things to anchor your purpose, *not* things that represent hard commitments. You're still expected to be more intuitive than that during the day.
Second, the book covers the idea of keeping an overview of what you're doing in mind. The book doesn't have a specific big section dedicated to this, but I think it's the Time Surfing equivalent of the "Weekly Review" or "Weeding the List" concepts. Paul specifically points out that when you start to feel awash, as if you don't really have a good internal confidence in direction, then it's a good time to sketch out (mind map, doodle, whatever) the pig picture of what's on your mind, what you're committed to, what you're working on, and the various obligations you have in some way that lets you put it all together. In Time Surfing, once you've done that, and your calendar is up to date, you just let that sketch go and continue using your intuition, but Paul says that he does this as often as necessary to allow his mind the peace it needs to work, which is probably somewhere between once a week to a little longer.
As for actually new things in the method, I'm only aware of one that I've heard from him, and it relates to social media. He generally has a very hands off approach to overt methods of controlling time. However, I believe on an interview podcast somewhere, he remarked that modern social media platforms and phone habits have become so addictive that it can be useful for people to set time limits on themselves, or find other ways to avoid the temptation of losing all of their day to scrolling on social media. Something as simple as putting the phone away and only using it during certain hours, or putting limits on their social media use might be more than enough. Paul isn't really too strict on exactly the methods, but he acknowledges social media as a uniquely challenging and disruptive technology that needs to be seen as addictive since this can disrupt your intuition.
Most of the other things are techniques that have been there quite early (or for as long as I can tell), but they see various different emphasis depending on the context or place.
For myself, I might add that I've found his adage that the more you use the system the less you begin to rely on lists to be true. I still maintain a reminders list, but I find that I almost never need it or even find something I've forgotten when I do look at the list. However, a think that at least a part of this is due to the nature of my work as well as the intentional crafting of my life in such a way that I don't need to be bogged down with lists. This is something that comes out of a combination of time management systems and philosophies, but it is something that Time Surfing will definitely help to highlight.
Specifically, if you're really focused on the idea of working from a place of calm and rest, then you'll not allow for your work to encroach upon that peace by overcommitting yourself. You'll begin to realize that you cannot embrace such a peace if you always destroy it yourself by over promising or allowing yourself to be "always on" with a thousand different projects. Instead, I'll communicate clearly to people that many projects won't get attention for a while, and they understand that. This allows those things to come up when they need to come up, and I can focus on doing better work on what I'm doing right now.
If you're unwilling to do that, then you'll find that your mind is more easily overwhelmed, and then you'll need to potentially lean on a list of reminders more, but maybe not, depending on how you organize yourself. This is similar to the situation with no-list.
Likewise, something else I've found immensely helpful is a refinement on Paul's concept of the "clean office." I agree with him that the desk that is free of clutter enables you to focus on the specific things you want out at a given time. Thus, I like to keep my environment filled with exactly the things that I want to think about right now. However, if you start filing things away, chances are you'll just let them go forever, because they are now "handled" and your mind might naturally want to discard them. That's not good for handling all those little things.
My solution is to use the "hidden inbox" approach. I keep one or two inboxes full of things that I need to care about, but which I'm not going to care about right now. These might be admin things, or other stuff. My digital email inbox is one such place, and my physical inbox is another such place. I always have these out of sight during most of the time so that I don't see or worry about them while I'm working. However, if I pulled a GTD and organized all of these materials through processing and then filing into an A-Z system, they would get lost and never done, or I would need to keep lists to track their completion, which is exactly what I'm trying not to do with the Time Surfing method.
instead, I can "build a relationship" with these things in accordance with the Time Surfing rules, and then put them in the box and let them go. These little inboxes form my reminders lists that will ensure that I can't really consider them done yet, but they don't have to get in my way day to day. I can periodically (daily, weekly, etc.) scan through these things and continue to build that relationship with them, until the point at which they are ready to be done.
I find this sort of holding place concept (similar to MF's backlogs) to be quite valuable for myself, since it reduces the need to manage a list while also preventing me from forgetting things. However, it doesn't work if you don't build the relationship with things in those boxes. Mark's long list methods are one way to get at those, but Time Surfing has a specific method for doing so that is essential to the method, IMO.
And that brings us to your actual questions. :-)
1. "What’s really made a difference for you with Time Surfing, eh?"
Honestly, just doing it. I think it's tempting to see one element of it and then just do that, without actually doing it all. While that can help with some things, I don't think it really lets you do "Time Surfing," and you won't find it easy to replace lists that way. Everyone will have some of the rules that are harder to implement than others. Actually using those rules, even if they are harder for you, seems to make a big difference.
2. "Which tips or practices do you find yourself using the most?"
I treat the whole system as a whole, so I don't think of it as a collection of tips and tricks that I pick and choose from. It's more a philosophy of time management than anything else.
3. "Any specific habits or steps that led to quick, noticeable changes in how you manage your time?"
I think Paul is right in that you'll want to start with the rules in order and work on each one in turn, adding the next one as the others become more stable in your life.
I was already quite good at doing one thing at a time (and finishing what you started), so rule #1 was easy. Rule #2 was also somewhat easy because of all the practice with list based systems that helped me to know what I'm doing at any given moment. That acceptance element can be a little tricky, but I actually think that wasn't too hard for me.
Rule #3, "Create breathers between activities" was something that I knew I should do instinctively, even if I avoided doing it, but I'm convinced that this has an outsized power over everything else, and that outsized effect is something that Paul mentions in the books as well. If you don't follow rule #3, pretty much everything else will fall apart. For a while, though, I didn't appreciate why it worked so well. A number of other sources have hammered this home as well, but some psychological research has demonstrated a potential mechanism at play with this rule. The short version is that taking a breather between activities seems to short-circuit the "immediate gratification" circuitry that drives many decisions. That empty space of non-action seems to undermine the tendency that I have to jump into a bad habit or make a hasty decision about what to do next that leads to a lack of focus or loss of intention. Instead, simply taking that simple breather results in me suddenly less likely to just jump on a distraction and much more likely to actually *want* to take on something more valuable.
There are some rules that I have a tendency to forget in the moment, and those are important to remember, but I think those fit better in your other questions.
4. "Any rookie mistakes I should watch out for as I get back into it?"
I've already mentioned neglecting rule #3 above as something that you shouldn't do. However, for me, I think the main rookie mistake, at least from my perspective, would be the tendency to stop really applying rules after #3. Rules 4, 5, and 6 are just as essential to being able to finally do Rule #7 "Use your intuition when deciding what to do" as the others, but because they are focused on internal mental habits and work, they are easier to ignore. If you ignore the latter rules, IMO, the whole system falls down long term. Not following rules 4 - 6 is the equivalent of overloading your list in a long list system.
Rule #4 about giving your full attention to drop ins and making a relationship with things you want to do is essential to actually managing the things you want to do, and it's waaay too easy for people to want to avoid doing this. Remember, if you are doing time surfing, you can't just discard your lists without having some way to deal with the fact that you still have things to do. The list is the easy way to keep track of things. Time Surfing asks you to think about those things in such a way that your mind engages with them at the moment it comes up. An easy mistake is that people think this only means when an external force puts it to you, but if the thing comes up in your mind, it's *also* a drop-in, and you need to deal with just like someone who has dropped into your office unexpectedly.
Rule #5 is just as easy to "avoid" doing as anything else, and if you don't apply Rule #5, well, eventually, the whole thing breaks down. The reason that lists can be helpful is that they serve as a constant reminder of what could be done, and so you get some immediate signals about what you may be ignoring and what you still have to do. Of course, if those things aren't a good fit, the list can create an emotional push against you that introduces a type of conflict and stress that makes it all too much work. But if you drop the list, you still need a way to deal with procrastination. Without the list, it's easy for people to try to push things away from their mind and ignore them because they don't want to deal with things. Rules 4 - 6, but especially rule #5 are essential for dealing with this tendency.
The rookie mistake with #5 is to instead fall back into the habit of just shoving things out of your mind or away from thinking about them instead of actually "turning them into white sheep." But pushing them out of your mind is as good as saying that you're never going to do them in Time Surfing. Instead, you need to sit with those things and face up to them, especially if they keep hanging over your head or you need to do them for some reason. Rule #5 is extremely powerful, but not if you avoid using it.
I think Rules #4 and #5 are the ones that people ignore or dismiss too easily, but #6 is probably the hardest to really fully appreciate. So many people let themselves be under a kind of chronic pressure that making clear decisions is severely hampered. Rule #6 is all about processing that pressure and the kind of stress that permeates the background. If you don't do that, it can be hard to let yourself make any intentional, calm, clear decision. I find some people can't follow rule #6 simply because they don't even acknowledge the world rule #6 is trying to get you to. There are some people who have been under such heavy emotional stress or mental weight for so long that they can't even conceive of a space where that isn't the case. For them, sometimes, such a world is actually scary and they'll avoid it, thinking that they need the pressure to live. I'll hear something like, "Well, that sounds nice, but it's just not possible." Other people are so unaware of their own pressures and background programs that they don't know how to apply #6; it can take some time to work through that, which is why it makes sense to have #6 as the last rule until you get to the #7 final "destination."
5. "If you had to pick just a few key elements to focus on, what would they be?"
First, I'd say take the path outlined in the book, of picking up each rule in turn and giving yourself time to apply it. Don't rush things. I think it isn't unreasonable to expect it to take up to 3 months to really begin working through all the rules and applying them, depending on how naturally each rule comes to you.
Each rule builds on the previous ones, so taking them in order is really the best way to make progress.
For those who are used to MF's long lists, I think the main extra advice on top of this would be to remember that breathers are essential, and they're sort of that space between activities that gives your mind time to do the sort of "internal long list scan" that it needs before selecting the next thing to do. If you're used to a long list, you might be used to picking something off a list quite quickly and then moving on to it, even if that thing is "rest". Time Surfing works differently to that style, and you need to be careful to embrace a different rhythm.
There is an English language video course that he's made which is an enjoyable watch, but it doesn't *really* do anything that you can't figure out from the book. However, two things are given in the course that I think are de-emphasized or easy to miss in the book if you aren't careful.
First, Paul encourages people to think or write out a "top 3 wishes" of the day, a sort of anchoring vision that lets you get a little bit of focus on the day as a whole. This won't be new to most Mark Forster fans, but the idea of seeing them as "wishes" rather than "to dos" is important, since they are specifically just things to anchor your purpose, *not* things that represent hard commitments. You're still expected to be more intuitive than that during the day.
Second, the book covers the idea of keeping an overview of what you're doing in mind. The book doesn't have a specific big section dedicated to this, but I think it's the Time Surfing equivalent of the "Weekly Review" or "Weeding the List" concepts. Paul specifically points out that when you start to feel awash, as if you don't really have a good internal confidence in direction, then it's a good time to sketch out (mind map, doodle, whatever) the pig picture of what's on your mind, what you're committed to, what you're working on, and the various obligations you have in some way that lets you put it all together. In Time Surfing, once you've done that, and your calendar is up to date, you just let that sketch go and continue using your intuition, but Paul says that he does this as often as necessary to allow his mind the peace it needs to work, which is probably somewhere between once a week to a little longer.
As for actually new things in the method, I'm only aware of one that I've heard from him, and it relates to social media. He generally has a very hands off approach to overt methods of controlling time. However, I believe on an interview podcast somewhere, he remarked that modern social media platforms and phone habits have become so addictive that it can be useful for people to set time limits on themselves, or find other ways to avoid the temptation of losing all of their day to scrolling on social media. Something as simple as putting the phone away and only using it during certain hours, or putting limits on their social media use might be more than enough. Paul isn't really too strict on exactly the methods, but he acknowledges social media as a uniquely challenging and disruptive technology that needs to be seen as addictive since this can disrupt your intuition.
Most of the other things are techniques that have been there quite early (or for as long as I can tell), but they see various different emphasis depending on the context or place.
For myself, I might add that I've found his adage that the more you use the system the less you begin to rely on lists to be true. I still maintain a reminders list, but I find that I almost never need it or even find something I've forgotten when I do look at the list. However, a think that at least a part of this is due to the nature of my work as well as the intentional crafting of my life in such a way that I don't need to be bogged down with lists. This is something that comes out of a combination of time management systems and philosophies, but it is something that Time Surfing will definitely help to highlight.
Specifically, if you're really focused on the idea of working from a place of calm and rest, then you'll not allow for your work to encroach upon that peace by overcommitting yourself. You'll begin to realize that you cannot embrace such a peace if you always destroy it yourself by over promising or allowing yourself to be "always on" with a thousand different projects. Instead, I'll communicate clearly to people that many projects won't get attention for a while, and they understand that. This allows those things to come up when they need to come up, and I can focus on doing better work on what I'm doing right now.
If you're unwilling to do that, then you'll find that your mind is more easily overwhelmed, and then you'll need to potentially lean on a list of reminders more, but maybe not, depending on how you organize yourself. This is similar to the situation with no-list.
Likewise, something else I've found immensely helpful is a refinement on Paul's concept of the "clean office." I agree with him that the desk that is free of clutter enables you to focus on the specific things you want out at a given time. Thus, I like to keep my environment filled with exactly the things that I want to think about right now. However, if you start filing things away, chances are you'll just let them go forever, because they are now "handled" and your mind might naturally want to discard them. That's not good for handling all those little things.
My solution is to use the "hidden inbox" approach. I keep one or two inboxes full of things that I need to care about, but which I'm not going to care about right now. These might be admin things, or other stuff. My digital email inbox is one such place, and my physical inbox is another such place. I always have these out of sight during most of the time so that I don't see or worry about them while I'm working. However, if I pulled a GTD and organized all of these materials through processing and then filing into an A-Z system, they would get lost and never done, or I would need to keep lists to track their completion, which is exactly what I'm trying not to do with the Time Surfing method.
instead, I can "build a relationship" with these things in accordance with the Time Surfing rules, and then put them in the box and let them go. These little inboxes form my reminders lists that will ensure that I can't really consider them done yet, but they don't have to get in my way day to day. I can periodically (daily, weekly, etc.) scan through these things and continue to build that relationship with them, until the point at which they are ready to be done.
I find this sort of holding place concept (similar to MF's backlogs) to be quite valuable for myself, since it reduces the need to manage a list while also preventing me from forgetting things. However, it doesn't work if you don't build the relationship with things in those boxes. Mark's long list methods are one way to get at those, but Time Surfing has a specific method for doing so that is essential to the method, IMO.
And that brings us to your actual questions. :-)
1. "What’s really made a difference for you with Time Surfing, eh?"
Honestly, just doing it. I think it's tempting to see one element of it and then just do that, without actually doing it all. While that can help with some things, I don't think it really lets you do "Time Surfing," and you won't find it easy to replace lists that way. Everyone will have some of the rules that are harder to implement than others. Actually using those rules, even if they are harder for you, seems to make a big difference.
2. "Which tips or practices do you find yourself using the most?"
I treat the whole system as a whole, so I don't think of it as a collection of tips and tricks that I pick and choose from. It's more a philosophy of time management than anything else.
3. "Any specific habits or steps that led to quick, noticeable changes in how you manage your time?"
I think Paul is right in that you'll want to start with the rules in order and work on each one in turn, adding the next one as the others become more stable in your life.
I was already quite good at doing one thing at a time (and finishing what you started), so rule #1 was easy. Rule #2 was also somewhat easy because of all the practice with list based systems that helped me to know what I'm doing at any given moment. That acceptance element can be a little tricky, but I actually think that wasn't too hard for me.
Rule #3, "Create breathers between activities" was something that I knew I should do instinctively, even if I avoided doing it, but I'm convinced that this has an outsized power over everything else, and that outsized effect is something that Paul mentions in the books as well. If you don't follow rule #3, pretty much everything else will fall apart. For a while, though, I didn't appreciate why it worked so well. A number of other sources have hammered this home as well, but some psychological research has demonstrated a potential mechanism at play with this rule. The short version is that taking a breather between activities seems to short-circuit the "immediate gratification" circuitry that drives many decisions. That empty space of non-action seems to undermine the tendency that I have to jump into a bad habit or make a hasty decision about what to do next that leads to a lack of focus or loss of intention. Instead, simply taking that simple breather results in me suddenly less likely to just jump on a distraction and much more likely to actually *want* to take on something more valuable.
There are some rules that I have a tendency to forget in the moment, and those are important to remember, but I think those fit better in your other questions.
4. "Any rookie mistakes I should watch out for as I get back into it?"
I've already mentioned neglecting rule #3 above as something that you shouldn't do. However, for me, I think the main rookie mistake, at least from my perspective, would be the tendency to stop really applying rules after #3. Rules 4, 5, and 6 are just as essential to being able to finally do Rule #7 "Use your intuition when deciding what to do" as the others, but because they are focused on internal mental habits and work, they are easier to ignore. If you ignore the latter rules, IMO, the whole system falls down long term. Not following rules 4 - 6 is the equivalent of overloading your list in a long list system.
Rule #4 about giving your full attention to drop ins and making a relationship with things you want to do is essential to actually managing the things you want to do, and it's waaay too easy for people to want to avoid doing this. Remember, if you are doing time surfing, you can't just discard your lists without having some way to deal with the fact that you still have things to do. The list is the easy way to keep track of things. Time Surfing asks you to think about those things in such a way that your mind engages with them at the moment it comes up. An easy mistake is that people think this only means when an external force puts it to you, but if the thing comes up in your mind, it's *also* a drop-in, and you need to deal with just like someone who has dropped into your office unexpectedly.
Rule #5 is just as easy to "avoid" doing as anything else, and if you don't apply Rule #5, well, eventually, the whole thing breaks down. The reason that lists can be helpful is that they serve as a constant reminder of what could be done, and so you get some immediate signals about what you may be ignoring and what you still have to do. Of course, if those things aren't a good fit, the list can create an emotional push against you that introduces a type of conflict and stress that makes it all too much work. But if you drop the list, you still need a way to deal with procrastination. Without the list, it's easy for people to try to push things away from their mind and ignore them because they don't want to deal with things. Rules 4 - 6, but especially rule #5 are essential for dealing with this tendency.
The rookie mistake with #5 is to instead fall back into the habit of just shoving things out of your mind or away from thinking about them instead of actually "turning them into white sheep." But pushing them out of your mind is as good as saying that you're never going to do them in Time Surfing. Instead, you need to sit with those things and face up to them, especially if they keep hanging over your head or you need to do them for some reason. Rule #5 is extremely powerful, but not if you avoid using it.
I think Rules #4 and #5 are the ones that people ignore or dismiss too easily, but #6 is probably the hardest to really fully appreciate. So many people let themselves be under a kind of chronic pressure that making clear decisions is severely hampered. Rule #6 is all about processing that pressure and the kind of stress that permeates the background. If you don't do that, it can be hard to let yourself make any intentional, calm, clear decision. I find some people can't follow rule #6 simply because they don't even acknowledge the world rule #6 is trying to get you to. There are some people who have been under such heavy emotional stress or mental weight for so long that they can't even conceive of a space where that isn't the case. For them, sometimes, such a world is actually scary and they'll avoid it, thinking that they need the pressure to live. I'll hear something like, "Well, that sounds nice, but it's just not possible." Other people are so unaware of their own pressures and background programs that they don't know how to apply #6; it can take some time to work through that, which is why it makes sense to have #6 as the last rule until you get to the #7 final "destination."
5. "If you had to pick just a few key elements to focus on, what would they be?"
First, I'd say take the path outlined in the book, of picking up each rule in turn and giving yourself time to apply it. Don't rush things. I think it isn't unreasonable to expect it to take up to 3 months to really begin working through all the rules and applying them, depending on how naturally each rule comes to you.
Each rule builds on the previous ones, so taking them in order is really the best way to make progress.
For those who are used to MF's long lists, I think the main extra advice on top of this would be to remember that breathers are essential, and they're sort of that space between activities that gives your mind time to do the sort of "internal long list scan" that it needs before selecting the next thing to do. If you're used to a long list, you might be used to picking something off a list quite quickly and then moving on to it, even if that thing is "rest". Time Surfing works differently to that style, and you need to be careful to embrace a different rhythm.
August 26, 2024 at 15:19 |
Aaron Hsu
Aaron Hsu
Aaron - what a post my man! Similar to you, Paul's work has left quite an impression on how I think about my work, and influenced a lot of my current workflow practices.
By the way, I purchased his video course (not cheap!) but haven't received a link (yet). How long did it take for you to receive a link to the course?
By the way, I purchased his video course (not cheap!) but haven't received a link (yet). How long did it take for you to receive a link to the course?
August 26, 2024 at 17:39 |
avrum
avrum
Thank you Mathious and Aaron for your testimonials of Time Surfing in practice .
@Aaron, I think your post is particularly precious for anyone who is going to apply the method of Time Surfing or is already using it. So great to hear how you explaining in detail how it works and also put exactly the right emphasis.
When I describe the methode myself, I explain that Time Surfing consists of the following categories
1. Create peace in your working method
2. Create peace in your mind
3. Create peace in your planning and organization
4. Anticipation means creating peace
This is also the format I use when I provide corporate training.
Lets take a closer look to the four categories
1. Create peace in your working method
This is the most accessible for most people and a good way to start. The first four instructions belong to this theme.
2. Create peace in your mind
3. Create peace in your planning and organization
We work on these both themes 'Create peace in your mind' and 'Create peace in your planning and organization' together. It's about instruction four (drop-ins in your head) and five. These instructions ensure that the subconscious is well informed and that you can therefore rely on your intuition with instruction seven. At the same time, however, they also give you peace of mind, simply because you have paid attention to them and taken them seriously. However, nothing has been done yet!
I then show how important it is to let tasks simmer in the subconscious mind, because the subconscious gets to work on them and provides you with insights, suggestions and good ideas. You also become aware of opportunities.
4. Anticipation means creating peace
This may seem like a new point, but it is rather a refinement of clues 4 and 5. By creating a relationship with tasks, you are anticipating. But anticipation also means 'embedding' at the end of every action: what do I want with this experience or this information in the future?
I also introduce a new concept here that is not yet described in Time Surfing: ‘the Wish List’. I recommend creating a Wish List each morning before you even open the email: 'What do I want to do today?' Please note these are wishes, no obligations. My list also includes tasks that I know I won't have time to do today.
But… every task I write down, I also enter into the subconscious mind: I imagine what performing this task implies. Then I close the list and make it invisible.
I make a Wish List every day and don't copy the old one.
A new edition of Time Surfing will be released in January ‘25. I will also include a link in this edition to a video with an explanation of what I describe here.
When you live and act out of calmness, you will get productivity as a gift!
@Aaron, I think your post is particularly precious for anyone who is going to apply the method of Time Surfing or is already using it. So great to hear how you explaining in detail how it works and also put exactly the right emphasis.
When I describe the methode myself, I explain that Time Surfing consists of the following categories
1. Create peace in your working method
2. Create peace in your mind
3. Create peace in your planning and organization
4. Anticipation means creating peace
This is also the format I use when I provide corporate training.
Lets take a closer look to the four categories
1. Create peace in your working method
This is the most accessible for most people and a good way to start. The first four instructions belong to this theme.
2. Create peace in your mind
3. Create peace in your planning and organization
We work on these both themes 'Create peace in your mind' and 'Create peace in your planning and organization' together. It's about instruction four (drop-ins in your head) and five. These instructions ensure that the subconscious is well informed and that you can therefore rely on your intuition with instruction seven. At the same time, however, they also give you peace of mind, simply because you have paid attention to them and taken them seriously. However, nothing has been done yet!
I then show how important it is to let tasks simmer in the subconscious mind, because the subconscious gets to work on them and provides you with insights, suggestions and good ideas. You also become aware of opportunities.
4. Anticipation means creating peace
This may seem like a new point, but it is rather a refinement of clues 4 and 5. By creating a relationship with tasks, you are anticipating. But anticipation also means 'embedding' at the end of every action: what do I want with this experience or this information in the future?
I also introduce a new concept here that is not yet described in Time Surfing: ‘the Wish List’. I recommend creating a Wish List each morning before you even open the email: 'What do I want to do today?' Please note these are wishes, no obligations. My list also includes tasks that I know I won't have time to do today.
But… every task I write down, I also enter into the subconscious mind: I imagine what performing this task implies. Then I close the list and make it invisible.
I make a Wish List every day and don't copy the old one.
A new edition of Time Surfing will be released in January ‘25. I will also include a link in this edition to a video with an explanation of what I describe here.
When you live and act out of calmness, you will get productivity as a gift!
August 27, 2024 at 15:42 |
Paul Loomans
Paul Loomans
Update: I did receive confirmation and a link to the video course. Very excited to dig in. The daily emails supporting the course is a nice touch.
Welcome to the forums, Paul!
Welcome to the forums, Paul!
August 27, 2024 at 17:22 |
avrum
avrum
Welcome to the forum Paul. I hope you enjoy it!
For those who are interested in where there is some overlap between Mark Forster's ideas and Time Surfing, I'd check out these:
* Predictive To Do list
* No list methods
* Intuitive actioning of lists
* Resistance Zero
* Ranking how good you feel
* The Dreams method
avrum, I hope you enjoy the video course. It's relaxed in pacing and delivery, and pleasant to listen to. :-) If you are anything like me and enjoy productivity videos almost as entertainment as well as learning courses, then I think you'll like this one.
For those who are interested in where there is some overlap between Mark Forster's ideas and Time Surfing, I'd check out these:
* Predictive To Do list
* No list methods
* Intuitive actioning of lists
* Resistance Zero
* Ranking how good you feel
* The Dreams method
avrum, I hope you enjoy the video course. It's relaxed in pacing and delivery, and pleasant to listen to. :-) If you are anything like me and enjoy productivity videos almost as entertainment as well as learning courses, then I think you'll like this one.
August 27, 2024 at 19:34 |
Aaron Hsu
Aaron Hsu
@Aaron, I enjoyed your perspective on the steps and it prompted me to re-read the book to try to deepen my understanding how how I relate to my tasks.
@Paul regarding the wish list, I've been experimenting doing this before I go to bed instead of the morning in hopes that my subconscious can work on it a bit :)
@Paul regarding the wish list, I've been experimenting doing this before I go to bed instead of the morning in hopes that my subconscious can work on it a bit :)
August 29, 2024 at 18:01 |
Brent
Brent
A list of the rules in Time Surfing may be useful for people like me who haven't read the book yet. They're referred to in the discussion above without all being specified. Copilot gave me the following. If there's anything wrong with this, please provide corrections:
>>>
- **1. Do one thing at a time**: Focus on completing one task before starting another.
- **2. Be aware and accept**: Stay mindful of your actions and accept them.
- **3. Create breathers**: Incorporate short breaks between activities.
- **4. Give full attention to drop-ins**: Address unexpected tasks with full attention.
- **5. Transform “gnawing rats” into “white sheep”**: Deal with nagging tasks to prevent them from causing stress.
- **6. Observe background programs**: Be aware of underlying thoughts and distractions.
- **7. Trust your intuition**: Let your intuition guide your task choices
>>>
- **1. Do one thing at a time**: Focus on completing one task before starting another.
- **2. Be aware and accept**: Stay mindful of your actions and accept them.
- **3. Create breathers**: Incorporate short breaks between activities.
- **4. Give full attention to drop-ins**: Address unexpected tasks with full attention.
- **5. Transform “gnawing rats” into “white sheep”**: Deal with nagging tasks to prevent them from causing stress.
- **6. Observe background programs**: Be aware of underlying thoughts and distractions.
- **7. Trust your intuition**: Let your intuition guide your task choices
August 30, 2024 at 14:24 |
Chris Cooper
Chris Cooper
Chris:
Those rules are close, but not quite right.
1. Do one thing at a time, and finish what you are doing --- importantly, not only do you do one thing at a time, but you "clean up" or close off that task before starting another, creating crisp transitions between tasks, rather than having many "open" tasks that you switch between all the time.
2. Be aware of what you are doing and accept it.
3. Create breathers between activities.
4. Give your full attention to drop ins; make a relationship with anything you want to do --- drop-ins can be anything from being reminded about something in your head to being interrupted by your coworkers or children. The important thing is to make a clear transition between what you were doing and giving your full attention to the drop in even if only to defer it to a later moment. The key is giving it full respect and attention in the moment, rather than trying to push it away. All of the things that come up which you want to do, you need to build a relationship with it, which means full engagement with it around what you know, don't know, feel, and need help with pertaining to the task.
5. Transform gnawing rats into white sheep --- This isn't so much about "dealing" with tasks in the traditional sense as it is identifying those tasks that you keep putting off but which continue to nag at you. Instead of avoiding them, you "visit" them and transform them either physically or in your mind. This is very specifically *not* about doing the task, but rather about enhancing your relationship with the task to allow yourself to make friends with the task instead of making it an enemy.
6. Observe your background programs --- this is not so much about underlying thoughts or distractions, which are more dealt with by rule #1, but specifically about undirected, unfocused emotions and stresses that you feel but which aren't really directed or driven by a specific thing (which would make it a gnawing rat). These are nebulous entities that represent unaddressed elements that need to be observed and "felt" to allow them to run their course and for you to gain the space internally to then deal with anything that arises from giving them the space to run properly.
7. Use your intuition when deciding what to do --- this is about letting all of the other rules come together to provide you with an in the moment set of things to do (a small set of intuitively available possibilities) that you can trust will give you things to do that are appropriate to the time and place and energy. An interesting combination of intuition and rationality comes into play wherein intuition presents a possible set of options, whereupon it's fine to allow your rational mind to choose among those valid options on more objective measures.
Those rules are close, but not quite right.
1. Do one thing at a time, and finish what you are doing --- importantly, not only do you do one thing at a time, but you "clean up" or close off that task before starting another, creating crisp transitions between tasks, rather than having many "open" tasks that you switch between all the time.
2. Be aware of what you are doing and accept it.
3. Create breathers between activities.
4. Give your full attention to drop ins; make a relationship with anything you want to do --- drop-ins can be anything from being reminded about something in your head to being interrupted by your coworkers or children. The important thing is to make a clear transition between what you were doing and giving your full attention to the drop in even if only to defer it to a later moment. The key is giving it full respect and attention in the moment, rather than trying to push it away. All of the things that come up which you want to do, you need to build a relationship with it, which means full engagement with it around what you know, don't know, feel, and need help with pertaining to the task.
5. Transform gnawing rats into white sheep --- This isn't so much about "dealing" with tasks in the traditional sense as it is identifying those tasks that you keep putting off but which continue to nag at you. Instead of avoiding them, you "visit" them and transform them either physically or in your mind. This is very specifically *not* about doing the task, but rather about enhancing your relationship with the task to allow yourself to make friends with the task instead of making it an enemy.
6. Observe your background programs --- this is not so much about underlying thoughts or distractions, which are more dealt with by rule #1, but specifically about undirected, unfocused emotions and stresses that you feel but which aren't really directed or driven by a specific thing (which would make it a gnawing rat). These are nebulous entities that represent unaddressed elements that need to be observed and "felt" to allow them to run their course and for you to gain the space internally to then deal with anything that arises from giving them the space to run properly.
7. Use your intuition when deciding what to do --- this is about letting all of the other rules come together to provide you with an in the moment set of things to do (a small set of intuitively available possibilities) that you can trust will give you things to do that are appropriate to the time and place and energy. An interesting combination of intuition and rationality comes into play wherein intuition presents a possible set of options, whereupon it's fine to allow your rational mind to choose among those valid options on more objective measures.
August 31, 2024 at 4:16 |
Aaron Hsu
Aaron Hsu
Hi everyone,
I’ve been immersing myself in *Time Surfing* by Paul Loomans, reading it while warming up in my cozy sleeping bag on a recent camping trip, with my trusty Coleman stove turned on to keep the chill at bay. One concept that’s really captured my imagination is Paul’s emphasis on following "clues" rather than sticking to rigid "rules." It’s like Paul hands us a map with only the first few steps marked out, leaving the rest as a mystery to unfold. Each clue is like a breadcrumb, reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel’s trail, scattered through the dense forest of our daily life.
Instead of marching along a paved highway of rules, we’re invited to wander the winding paths of our day, picking up on these breadcrumbs of intuition. It’s our job to notice them—tiny, almost invisible hints—and follow where they lead, like a treasure hunt where the next step reveals itself only when we’re truly paying attention. This approach turns our day into an adventure, full of unexpected twists and delightful surprises, rather than a monotonous march from task to task.
By embracing this "breadcrumb trail" mentality, we get to dance through our days with curiosity and presence, letting each clue guide us naturally. It’s less about controlling every minute and more about surfing the waves of time as they come—catching the right wave at the right moment.
Has anyone else tried this more intuitive, almost whimsical approach to time management? How has it reshaped the way you experience your day-to-day life?
@Aaron
Also, a big thanks to Aaron for his testimonial on this approach—it really helped me dive into the practice!
@Paul
And of course, a nod to Paul Loomans himself for his surprise drop-in to our discussion this week. It’s great to have the author’s insight as we explore this new way of navigating our time. 🌟
I’ve been immersing myself in *Time Surfing* by Paul Loomans, reading it while warming up in my cozy sleeping bag on a recent camping trip, with my trusty Coleman stove turned on to keep the chill at bay. One concept that’s really captured my imagination is Paul’s emphasis on following "clues" rather than sticking to rigid "rules." It’s like Paul hands us a map with only the first few steps marked out, leaving the rest as a mystery to unfold. Each clue is like a breadcrumb, reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel’s trail, scattered through the dense forest of our daily life.
Instead of marching along a paved highway of rules, we’re invited to wander the winding paths of our day, picking up on these breadcrumbs of intuition. It’s our job to notice them—tiny, almost invisible hints—and follow where they lead, like a treasure hunt where the next step reveals itself only when we’re truly paying attention. This approach turns our day into an adventure, full of unexpected twists and delightful surprises, rather than a monotonous march from task to task.
By embracing this "breadcrumb trail" mentality, we get to dance through our days with curiosity and presence, letting each clue guide us naturally. It’s less about controlling every minute and more about surfing the waves of time as they come—catching the right wave at the right moment.
Has anyone else tried this more intuitive, almost whimsical approach to time management? How has it reshaped the way you experience your day-to-day life?
@Aaron
Also, a big thanks to Aaron for his testimonial on this approach—it really helped me dive into the practice!
@Paul
And of course, a nod to Paul Loomans himself for his surprise drop-in to our discussion this week. It’s great to have the author’s insight as we explore this new way of navigating our time. 🌟
September 1, 2024 at 0:15 |
Mathious
Mathious
@Aaron
Thanks for your full replies.
I'm currently reading Time Surfing and finding it valuable.
Thanks for your full replies.
I'm currently reading Time Surfing and finding it valuable.
September 2, 2024 at 12:10 |
Chris Cooper
Chris Cooper
@Aaron Hsu
I would be pleased if you contact me:
paul@destressontknoping.nl
I would be pleased if you contact me:
paul@destressontknoping.nl
September 26, 2024 at 11:39 |
Paul Loomans
Paul Loomans
I'm 3/4 of the way through the Time Surfing video course. Paul does an excellent job at combining ideas from CBT and Depth Psychology to inform his take on managing life's tasks and projects. I'm still unsure how all of this comes together on a day to day basis. Actually, I'm feeding a lot of this info to ChatGPT and asking for practical ways to implement Time Surfing principles, and receiving some interesting ideas. My plan is to re-read the book after I finish the video course.
September 27, 2024 at 12:48 |
avrum
avrum
I'm doubling down on Time Surfing as my daily mode. I am specifically trying to get better at doing step 3 (take breaks between tasks) and step 5 (create better relationships with my "rats").
The breaks aren't long but it is where I break away long enough to allow my "rats" bug me and then I "have a conversation" about what they really are. Then I tend to feel more ready to catch the next wave and do the next task because I've built a better relationship with my tasks.
This may be the most odd way of explaining my work day that I've ever written but I suspect it makes sense in the context of the book and this thread. Thanks for reintroducing to the book. It came at the right time for me.
Brent
The breaks aren't long but it is where I break away long enough to allow my "rats" bug me and then I "have a conversation" about what they really are. Then I tend to feel more ready to catch the next wave and do the next task because I've built a better relationship with my tasks.
This may be the most odd way of explaining my work day that I've ever written but I suspect it makes sense in the context of the book and this thread. Thanks for reintroducing to the book. It came at the right time for me.
Brent
October 1, 2024 at 22:23 |
Brent
Brent
@Brent,
I’m all in on *Time Surfing* too, and Paul’s idea of "gnawing rats" turning into "white sheep" really struck a chord with me. It made me think of my neighbor’s dog, Jax, who used to bark at me and my pups. At first, those barks felt like annoying interruptions I had to deal with—kind of like those nagging tasks that always seem to demand my attention at the worst times.
But over time, as we got to know each other, the barking became more like a signal that, with a little attention, could actually turn into something good.
Now, when I take a moment to give Jax some love—feeding him treats or giving him pets—he chills out and becomes part of my day instead of a distraction. He even comes on walks with us and hangs out during meals.
It’s funny how those mental “barks” from our to-dos can feel the same way. The tasks that used to feel distant and annoying, demanding my attention when I least wanted it, now seem way more manageable when I take a break and picture how I can tackle them. When I visualize myself getting them done and “feed” them some attention, they turn from burdens into something I can actually handle. It’s like flipping the switch from stress to action.
Jax has shown me that what feels like noise sometimes is really just an opportunity to connect—whether with a task or something unexpected. Your comment really hit home for me.
Thanks for sharing—it came at just the right moment!
Mathious
I’m all in on *Time Surfing* too, and Paul’s idea of "gnawing rats" turning into "white sheep" really struck a chord with me. It made me think of my neighbor’s dog, Jax, who used to bark at me and my pups. At first, those barks felt like annoying interruptions I had to deal with—kind of like those nagging tasks that always seem to demand my attention at the worst times.
But over time, as we got to know each other, the barking became more like a signal that, with a little attention, could actually turn into something good.
Now, when I take a moment to give Jax some love—feeding him treats or giving him pets—he chills out and becomes part of my day instead of a distraction. He even comes on walks with us and hangs out during meals.
It’s funny how those mental “barks” from our to-dos can feel the same way. The tasks that used to feel distant and annoying, demanding my attention when I least wanted it, now seem way more manageable when I take a break and picture how I can tackle them. When I visualize myself getting them done and “feed” them some attention, they turn from burdens into something I can actually handle. It’s like flipping the switch from stress to action.
Jax has shown me that what feels like noise sometimes is really just an opportunity to connect—whether with a task or something unexpected. Your comment really hit home for me.
Thanks for sharing—it came at just the right moment!
Mathious
October 2, 2024 at 0:56 |
Mathious
Mathious
@Mathious
Your experience with Jax is such a great analogy for this. Thanks!
Your experience with Jax is such a great analogy for this. Thanks!
October 2, 2024 at 20:45 |
Brent
Brent
There’s a tightness in my chest that I’ve carried for as long as I can remember. It comes from trying to control everything—the schedules, the deadlines, the never-ending churn of thoughts. Most days, I live like this tightness is normal, convincing myself that if I just hold on a little tighter, I’ll get it right. I’ll figure it all out. But the truth is, I’m exhausted.
The other day, I was listening to Sweet Release by Nu Aspect, and something broke open in me. The song hit me like a wave. It wasn’t just the lyrics—it was the feeling, the way it wrapped itself around me like mist, soft but insistent. For the first time in a long time, I felt myself let go. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t logical. It just happened. And in that moment, I realized how much I’ve been starving for exactly that—a release. A way to breathe again.
Trust has always been hard for me. It’s easier to double down, to grip tighter, to convince myself I need to control everything. But trust—that feels like stepping into the fog, knowing you can’t see the way forward, but still believing the ground will hold you. It feels terrifying. Vulnerable. Like losing your balance and somehow finding it again.
That moment with the song brought me back to time surfing, a method that’s teaching me, slowly, to let go. Not just of control, but of the fear beneath it. Time surfing isn’t about managing time—it’s about trusting it. It’s about moving with the current instead of against it, letting the natural flow of tasks and intuition guide you. Some days I can do it. Some days, I can’t. But when I do, it feels like the tightness in my chest finally eases, like the air around me becomes lighter, clearer.
This kind of trust feels like what the song calls a sweet release. It’s not the absence of effort—it’s the absence of resistance. It’s stepping into the mist and realizing the fog itself is beautiful, not something to be feared. It’s the first deep breath after drowning in shallow ones. It’s the quiet warmth of letting yourself be held by something bigger, softer, and more forgiving than the voice in your head.
I keep wondering: What would it mean to live like this every day? To stop fighting the fog and start walking into it? To trust that the way forward will reveal itself, even if I can’t see it yet? Maybe the connections I long for, with others and with myself, are waiting on the other side of that trust. Maybe the release I crave isn’t something out there—it’s something already inside me, waiting for me to let go.
The other day, I was listening to Sweet Release by Nu Aspect, and something broke open in me. The song hit me like a wave. It wasn’t just the lyrics—it was the feeling, the way it wrapped itself around me like mist, soft but insistent. For the first time in a long time, I felt myself let go. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t logical. It just happened. And in that moment, I realized how much I’ve been starving for exactly that—a release. A way to breathe again.
Trust has always been hard for me. It’s easier to double down, to grip tighter, to convince myself I need to control everything. But trust—that feels like stepping into the fog, knowing you can’t see the way forward, but still believing the ground will hold you. It feels terrifying. Vulnerable. Like losing your balance and somehow finding it again.
That moment with the song brought me back to time surfing, a method that’s teaching me, slowly, to let go. Not just of control, but of the fear beneath it. Time surfing isn’t about managing time—it’s about trusting it. It’s about moving with the current instead of against it, letting the natural flow of tasks and intuition guide you. Some days I can do it. Some days, I can’t. But when I do, it feels like the tightness in my chest finally eases, like the air around me becomes lighter, clearer.
This kind of trust feels like what the song calls a sweet release. It’s not the absence of effort—it’s the absence of resistance. It’s stepping into the mist and realizing the fog itself is beautiful, not something to be feared. It’s the first deep breath after drowning in shallow ones. It’s the quiet warmth of letting yourself be held by something bigger, softer, and more forgiving than the voice in your head.
I keep wondering: What would it mean to live like this every day? To stop fighting the fog and start walking into it? To trust that the way forward will reveal itself, even if I can’t see it yet? Maybe the connections I long for, with others and with myself, are waiting on the other side of that trust. Maybe the release I crave isn’t something out there—it’s something already inside me, waiting for me to let go.
December 7, 2024 at 8:04 |
Mathious
Mathious
Mathious:
Deep stuff, and vulnerable in itself. I know how you feel. I hope that you are able to find that wave of trust and intuition that lets you move competently and effectively without the stress of trying to control everything.
Deep stuff, and vulnerable in itself. I know how you feel. I hope that you are able to find that wave of trust and intuition that lets you move competently and effectively without the stress of trying to control everything.
December 12, 2024 at 17:29 |
Aaron Hsu
Aaron Hsu
Mathious, that is a beautiful song; thanks for posting. I hope you get on well with Time Surfing.
December 15, 2024 at 13:20 |
Margaret1
Margaret1
I’ve been revisiting Paul Loomans' *Time Surfing* and I’m all set to dive back into it. The book has always seemed timeless to me, but I’m wondering if there are any new updates or insights since it first came out.
For those who’ve been following Paul’s work or attended his workshops, have you noticed any changes or additions to the Time Surfing method over the years? What new techniques or tweaks have you found particularly useful?
Here’s what I’m curious about:
1. **What’s really made a difference for you with Time Surfing, eh?**
2. **Which tips or practices do you find yourself using the most?**
3. **Any specific habits or steps that led to quick, noticeable changes in how you manage your time?**
4. **Any rookie mistakes I should watch out for as I get back into it?**
5. **If you had to pick just a few key elements to focus on, what would they be?**
I know, asking all these questions might lead to some serious analysis paralysis—or maybe I’m just a super curious Canuck. Who knows? 😄
A big shoutout to Mark Forster for creating this fantastic forum—one of the few places where we can geek out about time management like true time-management aficionados.
Paul, if you’re around, it would be awesome to hear from you about any updates or new perspectives you’ve added based on reader feedback or your latest experiences.
Looking forward to hearing from everyone and hopefully from Paul too!
Cheers,