Get Everything Done

Hi Mark, Just want to clarify some things. First, you have two key project principles, "little and often" and "one thing at a time."

You have written that: "Projects without deadlines are best tackled one at a time with focused effort... This is generally speaking the quickest way to get them up and running."

However, you have also said of projects: "There’s the type which involves some recurrent activity over a long period..." [i.e. an ‘ongoing’ or ‘continuous’ project] "The best way of dealing with this type of activity is to schedule a specific time of day for it every day (or whatever time interval is appropriate)."

I take it then that you advocate "one thing at a time" as the application of focused effort to get any project up and running. Following this you would prescribe somewhat different approaches.

For projects where there is a definite point of completion (but with or without a deadline) you would continue with the focused "one thing at a time" approach and, in keeping with your article of that title, you would rank the projects in order of urgency and then tackle them in that order.

For projects of the "continuous" type you would prescribe a shift to the "little and often" principle.

I might guess that you might also accept a shift to the "little and often" principle for projects which I have started at the beginning of the time available, but which may have deadline a long ways off or none at all. However, I am not sure of this.

Would you also affirm the following?:

When you have reached a stage in your project of having to wait for a person or feedback or changed circumstances in order to continue, make a note in your task diary at an appropriate interval sometime in the future. This will serve as a reminder, so you don’t lose track of the need to move forward on the project once you have what you need. At this point it would once again become part of your daily work.

Thanks for your help,
Gordon

Gordon,
I think some of your questions/concerns/desires for affirmation might be addressed in the article "Dealing with Projects that Don't have a deadline" on MF's site.

Bob