Get Everything Done

For a month before I started using AF I was using LifeBalance. I loved that it was goal-focused because that is how I think. I don't want to be productive for productivity's sake. I want to achieve my yearly and life's goals. It does have some drawbacks to it (time required to enter task information and less sense of "completion" than with DIT) so I was willing to test AutoFocus.

I've just determined that I've completed an average of 34 tasks per day with AF! That's huge when you consider that I did not put any of my routine tasks into the system that I am not having a problem staying on top of. I have found that I am doing things I have been putting off for MONTHS and I am obsessed with my lists. I am honestly spending TOO much time being productive, although I am including even recreational tasks in my system: watch movie you recorded, read magazines, spend time scrapbooking, etc. Because I am including these tasks, I find that life does feel more balanced. Tasks that really don't have to be done as frequently as I'd scheduled them in LifeBalance naturally find the right pacing.

Although I am having a hard time with the idea of giving up LifeBalance and its grand colors and pie chart, I have to admit that I am doing well with AF so far. I even realized that AF can be very goal-directed. Because I input my tasks from LifeBalance, I included tasks that further my life's goals. But even if I hadn't, I think it would be easy to make AF goal-directed. You can make a task to list goals for the week, month, year, or lifetime. You could then break these down if you wish for future reference. Then simply put "Work on Goal #1" and "Work on Goal #2" into the system.

Although I'm finding the frequency of recurring task appearance to be too slow for some things (e.g., laundry with my family of 8), it works beautifully for others I've never had a system for. My best example is prayer requests. Often someone asks me to pray, I agree, and it's forgotten. Whoops! Putting it on my calendar is an option, but I love putting them into my AF list as some prayers need to be repeated! If they do, I cross them off my www.tadalist.com and add them to the last page again. Another note on frequency: A few times I forgot that I had already listed a task previously. To me, that indicates the importance of the task to my subconscious mind. I think it's just fine that tasks get listed more than once.

I noticed that Mark blogged on the risk of dumping your backlog of tasks into the system from the start. I can see how it would produce overwhelm if you didn't at least start with the most pressing issues that come to mind on page 1. That is what I did before adding the rest of my backlog tasks. I am GLAD that I included my backlog as it's so very rewarding to make progress on tasks that have sat forever.

Finally, this system has been a tremendous help to me in my writing and speaking. In the past, I would wait until I had a big chunk of time to write. Today, the task to work on my speech stood out. I chose to work on it just a little and felt none of the writers' block that I typically experience.

So, so far so good!

Mel, that's a great post - really encouraging. I hadn't thought to use my lists for prayer requests but what a great idea! I too am glad I added (am still adding!) my backlog items, it is a significant and incredibly helpful feature of AF to have everything listed in one system. Must add more of my leisure items into the system too - your post reminds me that I have a scrapbook saying "do me, do me!" Now how is it doing that when I haven't yet AF'd it? :-)

Thanks, Christine. I am trying not to look for items to put into the system--only adding what occurs to me. For example, I can go into my scrapbook room and find a huge number of projects I'd like to complete, but they don't come to mind automatically, so I will let them go until they do. What I did with the large number of books I'd like to read is add "Read book from top shelf" "Read book from middle shelf", etc. Now that won't help me eliminate certain books necessarily, but I purge my bookcase frequently, so I'm comfortable with it. Good luck getting your scrapbook done!

Thanks Mel - have AF'd "Scrapbooking!". Still a few pages away but that's OK - my Family History task popped up on today's list and was progressed!

Mel said: "I think it would be easy to make AF goal-directed. You can make a task to list goals for the week, month, year, or lifetime. You could then break these down if you wish for future reference. Then simply put "Work on Goal #1" and "Work on Goal #2" into the system."

I love this idea! It really fits in with the precept of little and often, and applies it directly to laying out big goals -- something I usually find intimidating. Thanks, Mel!

Lenore, you're welcome! I have been working on an idea to increase the satisfaction level with accomplishing tasks. I know that at some point, just being done with a page isn't going to be enough to keep me going as I am now. For example, I may come up with a reward for each page I complete or a reward for getting X number of pages complete by a certain date. These kinds of things (along with others encouragement) are what really motivate me long-term.