Get Everything Done

Hi Mark,

One of the issues I am running into with your new system is how to handle important and urgent tasks that come in and were unexpected. Let's say I have my closed list, and I have 6-7 important and time-consuming tasks on this list. Any new work that comes in gets placed below the line and I will not work on them until I have completed the list above the line. For the most part, as in standard DIT, this works well. But now an unexpected, important task comes in that is due in 3 days. This does not fit into the same-day urgent of standard DIT and so I would not normally put this in my current closed list. However, in looking at the 6-7 tasks that I have now on the list, the reality I see is that I cannot get these all done in time to address this new and time-sensitive task. So do I go ahead and add this to my closed list and note in some way so that I can see that this was unexpected? I was thinking an alternative in these cases is to task-swap: look at my current closed list and decide what task can be delayed for a while to address this new one as it is more time-sensitive -- and move that task to below the line. That way my closed list does not grow as I have to decide what to move to allow this new task to have a spot on my closed list.

What do you think? And not only Mark -- how about others?

Thanks!
-David

David -- You don't mention whether you're using a Current Initiative. Could the new big-n-nasty task work well as the CI?

Deadline-driven tasks do sometimes have to take precedence, so if this new task has 1) major impact on your life/work/other projects and 2) has the shorter deadline, then just work on it till it's done. Are the other deadlines inviolable? Have you promised things to people? Or are these self-imposed deadlines? (I ask because these are the questions I ask myself when prioritizing projects.)

I'm not sure why you're so insistent on respecting the above/below line rule. I use a paper-based planner and while I do draw a line, I still make my decisions in the moment based on priority, my manager's priority, are other people waiting on me, do I have the energy to do the task, etc. (In other words, while respecting DIT, I still make my own rules as I need to. But on average, I follow DIT more often than not.)

If your swapping idea makes you comfortable and you're able to meet your obligations, then that's great. Do it. Mark will not swat you :)

Another suggestion would be to make your 6-7 tasks an instant backlog project for when your big project is done (and thus, clearing the backlog becomes your new CI).

Do you really need to work on all 6-7 every day? What would happen if you worked on just one until it was all the way done? Then you'd have 5-6 projects. Some days I feel like touching lots of projects (and they benefit from it), other days I feel pushing out one project and calling it done.

I also keep in mind Mark's suggestion that the project with the most distant deadline get worked on first. So even if the big-n-nasty project soaks up a lot of energy/resource/time, it would be good to at least touch your other high-priority projects.

Hi Mike,

This is good advice -- thanks. I do realize that violating the drawn line on tasks is not a cardinal sin and one has to adapt to one's current situaiton. I was just trying to stay true to the system as Mark has described, and am finding that new tasks that appear as I have described -- and that is not uncommon in my work -- begs the question as to where they go on the closed list. I obviously am not going to miss an important deadline because a major task "has" to go below the line!

One more thing -- I do not actually consider these as projects, but single tasks that simply take a fairly large amount of time to complete.

-David

Gee, Mark...are you there? I was hoping you would address my concerns.

Thanks,
-David

I suspect he'll do it tomorrow. ;-)

Brian,

Hmm...you may be correct. :)

Mark, I am sure you will answer me when you get the chance. I can say that I have tried the new system and I am finding again that I actually like standard DIT better. WIth the amount of work that comes in for me, using a "Do it Tomorrow" approach works better for me.

Best wishes to all -- Happy Holidays!

-David