Discussion Forum > Autofocus - a little clarification please
Hi Mark,
I also do not understand the 'Dont' that Hannah has picked up on. I read from this that some sort of additional notepad may be needed for ideas etc. If that is the case I may need 3 items? A notebook for the System, a notebook for rough notes/ideas and a calender/diary for follow up items?
Do you recommend any particular level of the job - breakdown? E.g. 'next action' 'sub project' 'project' 'longer term goal' etc? Related to this, do you recommend a seperate document that lists any major goals, or is the intention to work from a purely bottom - up approach?
Lastly, I will probably list follow ups and reminders, time-sensitive tasks, appointments, on-going practice activities in my diary. Does this sound about right?
Thanks in anticipation for your advice. Sorry for all the questions!
I also do not understand the 'Dont' that Hannah has picked up on. I read from this that some sort of additional notepad may be needed for ideas etc. If that is the case I may need 3 items? A notebook for the System, a notebook for rough notes/ideas and a calender/diary for follow up items?
Do you recommend any particular level of the job - breakdown? E.g. 'next action' 'sub project' 'project' 'longer term goal' etc? Related to this, do you recommend a seperate document that lists any major goals, or is the intention to work from a purely bottom - up approach?
Lastly, I will probably list follow ups and reminders, time-sensitive tasks, appointments, on-going practice activities in my diary. Does this sound about right?
Thanks in anticipation for your advice. Sorry for all the questions!
January 5, 2009 at 9:07 |
Leon
Leon
I took the "don't leave your list" comment as meaning to ensure you have a means to collect ideas/tasks somewhere when you are away from your list and are unable to input them into your master list at that time. e.g. outdoors, driving
January 5, 2009 at 10:03 |
Frank
Frank
Oh yes, that makes sense!
Perhaps Mark you would be kind enough just to confirm this is what you meant
Thanks
Perhaps Mark you would be kind enough just to confirm this is what you meant
Thanks
January 5, 2009 at 10:39 |
Hannah
Hannah
Frank has understood correctly. I mean that whenever I am away from my main list I invariably have brilliant ideas or think of tasks which I then can't remember when I get back to the list. So I try to carry something on which I can record things that pop into my head, even if it's only a scruffy bit of paper.
That particular DON'T is a bit ambiguous. I'll correct it in later editions to make it clearer. Thanks for the feedback.
That particular DON'T is a bit ambiguous. I'll correct it in later editions to make it clearer. Thanks for the feedback.
January 5, 2009 at 10:46 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Hannah:
In reply to the other points you make, I used to use the continuous list method myself in the way you describe and the problem I found with it is that I would always do the easy tasks at the end of the list and avoid the more difficult ones which got left at the beginning. It was however an excellent way of keeping on top of the relatively easy tasks!
Autofocus keep this advantage, but through treating each page as a closed list overcomes the problem of never tackling the more difficult items.
As far as level of task goes, I tend to start a project with something like "Think about Project X" and then take it from there.
After years of trying and failing with top-down planning, I've found the bottom-up approach to be much more effective. My vision grows naturally as I get into the work.
Using a diary for follow-ups and reminders etc is great. I use the task reminders in Outlook. However if a follow-up is due in only a few days it's not worth diarising it. I just leave it on the list as a question, e.g. "Mike replied to email about widget availability?" This works fine because it normally takes several days to completely finish a page.
In reply to the other points you make, I used to use the continuous list method myself in the way you describe and the problem I found with it is that I would always do the easy tasks at the end of the list and avoid the more difficult ones which got left at the beginning. It was however an excellent way of keeping on top of the relatively easy tasks!
Autofocus keep this advantage, but through treating each page as a closed list overcomes the problem of never tackling the more difficult items.
As far as level of task goes, I tend to start a project with something like "Think about Project X" and then take it from there.
After years of trying and failing with top-down planning, I've found the bottom-up approach to be much more effective. My vision grows naturally as I get into the work.
Using a diary for follow-ups and reminders etc is great. I use the task reminders in Outlook. However if a follow-up is due in only a few days it's not worth diarising it. I just leave it on the list as a question, e.g. "Mike replied to email about widget availability?" This works fine because it normally takes several days to completely finish a page.
January 5, 2009 at 10:56 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
I just take scratch paper from my printer, fold it into quarters, and keep it in my back pocket for quickie notetaking. At the end of the day, it goes into my inbox for processing.
January 5, 2009 at 19:13 |
Mike Brown
Mike Brown
For all of you who always carry a email capable mobile phone (e.g. a Blackberry) with you: When you want to note down something for your task list while you are away from it, just send yourself an email. I setup a dummy address in my blackberry's address list with my email address and the name "qwer" (the most upper left keys of an alphanumerical keyboard), thus I can easily find and select my own email address.
January 8, 2009 at 13:10 |
Christian Gärtner
Christian Gärtner
Worth remembering too that most mobile phones these days have a voice memo facility.
January 8, 2009 at 15:44 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
I can recommend http://www.reqall.com. You can record a note on your phone, and it will be voice recognized and mailed to you, with the sound file as attachment.
January 12, 2009 at 15:20 |
Johan
Johan
I use reqall when driving, but mostly just a folded up index card in my pocket at all times so I can capture everything I need to, write it on a list when I get to work or home and grab a fresh card.
January 18, 2009 at 19:18 |
jim (atlanta)
jim (atlanta)
"That particular DON'T is a bit ambiguous. I'll correct it in later editions to make it clearer. Thanks for the feedback. "
I wish they were in separated sections, the DO and the DON'T.
January 18, 2009 at 23:56 |
Silvia
Silvia
ops, writing it again - I wish they were in separated sections, the DOs and the DON'Ts, and not mixed as they are in AF instructions.
January 19, 2009 at 0:23 |
Silvia
Silvia
Wow! This is in many ways very similar to a method I used when I was employed and doing office work - a reporter's notebook where I wrote everything and continued passes through my list. However, there are some major differences which should make it a better system than mine ever was. My old system allowed for major procrastination on those sticky tasks I really didn't want to do so some tasks would stay on my list for weeks or months without action.
One little bit of clarification please. In the dos and don'ts you say "DON'T leave your list without some means of recording ideas and tasks which come into your mind" - what exactly do you mean by this. I'm sure once you clarify I'll wonder why I didn't see it straight away but for some reason I can't quite understand what that particular don't means...
Many thanks. I'm really looking forward to using this method as it seems to feel more right than any other I've come across so far. Will keep you posted on progress.