Discussion Forum > Michael Linenberger's approach
No, I haven't read it. I tried reading an earlier edition and couldn't really get into it - I certainly never got so far as to try to put it into practice.
Another correspondent told me that Michael has read Do It Tomorrow, so the resemblance may be more than coincidental.
Although I find Outlook 2007 a great improvement on its predecessors, I personally prefer paper and pencil to work DIT and can't see myself changing over any time soon!
Another correspondent told me that Michael has read Do It Tomorrow, so the resemblance may be more than coincidental.
Although I find Outlook 2007 a great improvement on its predecessors, I personally prefer paper and pencil to work DIT and can't see myself changing over any time soon!
November 14, 2008 at 10:43 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Hi Mark,
I use Outlook 2007 for all of my task management. Guess I am pretty much a digital person. :)
I would, however, be very grateful if you read his approach in the sample chapter in the link I gave. Your opinion means a lot to me and I would appreciate hearing your assessment of this approach.
Thanks,
-David
I use Outlook 2007 for all of my task management. Guess I am pretty much a digital person. :)
I would, however, be very grateful if you read his approach in the sample chapter in the link I gave. Your opinion means a lot to me and I would appreciate hearing your assessment of this approach.
Thanks,
-David
November 14, 2008 at 14:11 |
David Drake
David Drake
Ok, I'll print it out and give it a read.
November 14, 2008 at 14:23 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
David:
I've had a chance to read the specimen chapter now. Bearing in mind that I only know what is in that chapter and not the rest of the book, I would say that the resemblance to DIT is more apparent than real.
Firstly, there is a major philosophical difference. DIT aims to get *everything* done and emphasizes the importance of defining closely what "everything" is. On the other hand Michael, like every other time management guru I know of, talks about prioritizing one's way out of overload. He also talks about deferring tasks to "over the horizon".
The trouble with this approach is that shunting tasks to a further off time horizon is like borrowing more and more money so you can continue to live beyond your means. In the end it results in a crash (any politicians listening?) There are methods in the rest of the book which he claims deal with this - but as I don't know what they are I can't comment on whether they will work or not. To my mind the route to health, wealth and happiness is not to live beyond your means in the first place.
As for his methods of dealing with email, clearing the In-Box every day is good, but I am not sure what then happens to the tasks resulting from the email. Many of them seem to get consigned to the "I'll do it when I've got the time" category. Just exactly when is that supposed to be?
Apart from anything else, it all sounds very complicated. Whether it actually is in practice I don't know, but the biggest virtue of DIT is its simplicity. Any task management system which becomes a significant task in its own right is pushing its luck!
I've had a chance to read the specimen chapter now. Bearing in mind that I only know what is in that chapter and not the rest of the book, I would say that the resemblance to DIT is more apparent than real.
Firstly, there is a major philosophical difference. DIT aims to get *everything* done and emphasizes the importance of defining closely what "everything" is. On the other hand Michael, like every other time management guru I know of, talks about prioritizing one's way out of overload. He also talks about deferring tasks to "over the horizon".
The trouble with this approach is that shunting tasks to a further off time horizon is like borrowing more and more money so you can continue to live beyond your means. In the end it results in a crash (any politicians listening?) There are methods in the rest of the book which he claims deal with this - but as I don't know what they are I can't comment on whether they will work or not. To my mind the route to health, wealth and happiness is not to live beyond your means in the first place.
As for his methods of dealing with email, clearing the In-Box every day is good, but I am not sure what then happens to the tasks resulting from the email. Many of them seem to get consigned to the "I'll do it when I've got the time" category. Just exactly when is that supposed to be?
Apart from anything else, it all sounds very complicated. Whether it actually is in practice I don't know, but the biggest virtue of DIT is its simplicity. Any task management system which becomes a significant task in its own right is pushing its luck!
November 15, 2008 at 12:12 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
David, thanks for bringing this to our attention. I really enjoyed reading the sample because I think that the author identifies a couple laws of life: the time horizon of urgency and the treadmill effect of life pulling towards us.
This is part of the draw of DIT for me... When I start seeing tasks not getting accomplished, it signals there is too much on the conveyor belt or I am not working efficiently. With GTD, I could keep building these giant lists out on the horizon and never get to them. I fear that if I implemented ideas such as these I would have the same temptation.
Great read nonetheless.
This is part of the draw of DIT for me... When I start seeing tasks not getting accomplished, it signals there is too much on the conveyor belt or I am not working efficiently. With GTD, I could keep building these giant lists out on the horizon and never get to them. I fear that if I implemented ideas such as these I would have the same temptation.
Great read nonetheless.
November 15, 2008 at 16:53 |
Erik
Erik
Hi Mark and Erik,
I appreciate your comments. I do, however, wish to expand the discussion somewhat. I guess I am not so negative about Michael's approach even though, as you put it Mark, it is a different philosophy. First and foremost, I am in complete agreement about the prioritization part. If one is overloaded, simply working on your top priorities does not get all of your work done. Now, with that said, I think his strategic deferral approach is interesting and has merit. The way this works is that the low priority items -- tasks that you have not yet committed to doing -- are to show up in the daily view every Monday morning. You then decide if you wish to commit to these this week, or defer them for another week because you already have too much on your plate. Remember, these are not things that one would have on your will-do list -- these are things you are thinking about making commitments on doing, but perhaps not now and you wish to wait a week and see how you feel about them. I dare say we all encounter so many things that come our way and we may not want to always say no just because it may be a bit more on our will-do lists than what our normal situation calls for. For exceedingly busy executives at the top, professors (like me), and many others, this is real life. So I am not sure this is a bad thing to have. It is similar to the someday/maybe list concept that is in GTD. Is there room in DIT to have a separate list of things one would like to do, or maybe do soon, but not necessarily have on the will-do list as the latter contains things we most definitely have committed to doing?
At any rate, I do not think Michael's system is necessarily that bad and has many components that I think people would find helpful.
Just my thoughts at the moment...
-David
I appreciate your comments. I do, however, wish to expand the discussion somewhat. I guess I am not so negative about Michael's approach even though, as you put it Mark, it is a different philosophy. First and foremost, I am in complete agreement about the prioritization part. If one is overloaded, simply working on your top priorities does not get all of your work done. Now, with that said, I think his strategic deferral approach is interesting and has merit. The way this works is that the low priority items -- tasks that you have not yet committed to doing -- are to show up in the daily view every Monday morning. You then decide if you wish to commit to these this week, or defer them for another week because you already have too much on your plate. Remember, these are not things that one would have on your will-do list -- these are things you are thinking about making commitments on doing, but perhaps not now and you wish to wait a week and see how you feel about them. I dare say we all encounter so many things that come our way and we may not want to always say no just because it may be a bit more on our will-do lists than what our normal situation calls for. For exceedingly busy executives at the top, professors (like me), and many others, this is real life. So I am not sure this is a bad thing to have. It is similar to the someday/maybe list concept that is in GTD. Is there room in DIT to have a separate list of things one would like to do, or maybe do soon, but not necessarily have on the will-do list as the latter contains things we most definitely have committed to doing?
At any rate, I do not think Michael's system is necessarily that bad and has many components that I think people would find helpful.
Just my thoughts at the moment...
-David
November 17, 2008 at 14:01 |
David Drake
David Drake
Hi Mark,
I read your most recent blog -- very nice! So are you saying that there should be a bit more flexibility in how much time one gives onself in clearing their will-do list?
Also, any comments about my question of a separate list of things one is considerring, but not yet ready to make a commitment?
-David
I read your most recent blog -- very nice! So are you saying that there should be a bit more flexibility in how much time one gives onself in clearing their will-do list?
Also, any comments about my question of a separate list of things one is considerring, but not yet ready to make a commitment?
-David
November 17, 2008 at 15:57 |
David Drake
David Drake
David:
Perhaps I sounded more negative than I intended about Michael's system. It may work very well in practice - but I was more concerned about pointing out the differences from DIT.
Is there room in DIT to have a separate list of things you would like to do? Sure, you can use anything you like in conjunction with DIT - but just how often do you get one of those weeks in which you say "Oh, great, I've got hardly anything to do this week. Let's find some extra stuff to fill in the time"?
Perhaps I sounded more negative than I intended about Michael's system. It may work very well in practice - but I was more concerned about pointing out the differences from DIT.
Is there room in DIT to have a separate list of things you would like to do? Sure, you can use anything you like in conjunction with DIT - but just how often do you get one of those weeks in which you say "Oh, great, I've got hardly anything to do this week. Let's find some extra stuff to fill in the time"?
November 17, 2008 at 16:02 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
I think we were writing our last posts at the same time!
Yes, I'm saying that there should be a bit more flexibility in how much time one gives oneself in clearing one's will do list. No, I'm not saying that as a result one should feel free to pile on more and more work.
What I am actually recommending is that instead of having an audit after failing to catch up for three or four days, you should have an audit if the time spent clearing your list gets consistently longer and longer.
It's exactly the same principle - just makes it easier to spot.
Yes, I'm saying that there should be a bit more flexibility in how much time one gives oneself in clearing one's will do list. No, I'm not saying that as a result one should feel free to pile on more and more work.
What I am actually recommending is that instead of having an audit after failing to catch up for three or four days, you should have an audit if the time spent clearing your list gets consistently longer and longer.
It's exactly the same principle - just makes it easier to spot.
November 17, 2008 at 16:10 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Hi Mark,
I certainly agree with that! My weeks are pretty full, but what I have to do many times -- is to delay implementation of some projects and tasks for a while as there are really more pressing and high priority projects that need to be addressed. So in essence I am not committing to them and have them on a will-do list....but they are there lurking for me to implement as soon as I can. This actually works well for me -- the old putting things on the back-burner until they can be brought up forward.
Comments?
-David
I certainly agree with that! My weeks are pretty full, but what I have to do many times -- is to delay implementation of some projects and tasks for a while as there are really more pressing and high priority projects that need to be addressed. So in essence I am not committing to them and have them on a will-do list....but they are there lurking for me to implement as soon as I can. This actually works well for me -- the old putting things on the back-burner until they can be brought up forward.
Comments?
-David
November 17, 2008 at 16:11 |
David Drake
David Drake
David:
If it works well for you then there's no problem.
If it works well for you then there's no problem.
November 17, 2008 at 16:13 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
David -- for my 'potential will-dos' that I *know* I will *have* to do, I just turn to a future page of my diary book and enter something like "Start Project X?" The question mark alerts me to ask myself whether it's time to start or whether I should delay another week.
I may also put a reminder to an email or folder I've started on the project that has the background information.
An alternative for me would be to write the project on a note card and put it in my inbox so I'm always looking at it when I process the inbox, but I don't do that a lot.
I also keep a long and growing list of tasks and to-dos, ideas, someday/maybes, etc in the Notes section of my planner book, but I hardly ever get to them! I tend to use that section of the book as a catch-all for ideas and things that seem important at the time. I suppose I should go back and review them more often than I do, but oh well...
I may also put a reminder to an email or folder I've started on the project that has the background information.
An alternative for me would be to write the project on a note card and put it in my inbox so I'm always looking at it when I process the inbox, but I don't do that a lot.
I also keep a long and growing list of tasks and to-dos, ideas, someday/maybes, etc in the Notes section of my planner book, but I hardly ever get to them! I tend to use that section of the book as a catch-all for ideas and things that seem important at the time. I suppose I should go back and review them more often than I do, but oh well...
December 6, 2008 at 20:08 |
Mike Brown
Mike Brown
Mark Forster,
You made posed this question:
"Many of them seem to get consigned to the "I'll do it when I've got the time" category. Just exactly when is that supposed to be?"
Does DIT offer a category to replace the "I'll do it when I've got the time" category?
You made posed this question:
"Many of them seem to get consigned to the "I'll do it when I've got the time" category. Just exactly when is that supposed to be?"
Does DIT offer a category to replace the "I'll do it when I've got the time" category?
December 29, 2008 at 19:56 |
Mark in Texas
Mark in Texas
I have read Michael Linenberger's 2nd edition book on using Outlook 2007 for total workday control and must say I am very impressed with his system. Here is a link to his website and a sample chapter that describes in good detail his system.
http://michaellinenberger.com/myn-book/AboutTheBook.html
Mark, I really would like to to hear your assessment of this approach. It is not that too far away from DIT.
Thanks,
-David