Discussion Forum > AF and routines
My perception (and practice) is that routines are just scheduled activities. As such they take place outside of AF.
Whether things ought to be in AF or in scheduled activities surely depends on whether they need to be done at certain times or with a certain regularity. If so, they are scheduled; if not, they should go in AF.
Whether things ought to be in AF or in scheduled activities surely depends on whether they need to be done at certain times or with a certain regularity. If so, they are scheduled; if not, they should go in AF.
January 12, 2009 at 22:44 |
Dm
Dm
Alex, check out the following thread - it may help answer your questions
http://www.markforster.net/forum/post/624733
http://www.markforster.net/forum/post/624733
January 12, 2009 at 23:15 |
Christine B
Christine B
Alex:
The instructions say that AF should not be used for time-specific tasks, which is what these are.
Though you might want to check that all the items in your routines actually are time-specific.
I put everything that is not time-specific into AF. For example, for me "Tidy Desk" is not time-specific because I work in my own office at home. For someone who worked in a workplace environment with a clear desk policy, "Tidy Desk" would be time specific at the end of the day (and possibly other times as well).
The instructions say that AF should not be used for time-specific tasks, which is what these are.
Though you might want to check that all the items in your routines actually are time-specific.
I put everything that is not time-specific into AF. For example, for me "Tidy Desk" is not time-specific because I work in my own office at home. For someone who worked in a workplace environment with a clear desk policy, "Tidy Desk" would be time specific at the end of the day (and possibly other times as well).
January 13, 2009 at 11:56 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Alex,
Last week, I had a lot of problems with the issue you are raising. I have a list of daily recurrent tasks that I created before doing DIT. Then I used them with DIT. When I put them in AF, it wasn't working. None of these items is time-specific. But they do have varying degrees of time-sensitivity. I have decided, this week, to pull them out of AF, and I am much happier for doing so.
Each morning I print out my checklist of daily recurrent tasks and keep them in front of me. I have been working off of two lists: my recurrent list and my AF list. At any time during the day, I permit myself to stop working on AF and work something off of my recurrent list. I am at lot more relaxed like this compared to last week. Last week I kept missing this or that daily recurrent task.
Over time, I might decide that some of my items might not be necessary on my recurrent list, and I might put them on my AF list to be regenerated daily, or less than daily. But, for now, I am a lot happier doing AF with my recurrents and my time-specific tasks out of the AF list.
Last week, I had a lot of problems with the issue you are raising. I have a list of daily recurrent tasks that I created before doing DIT. Then I used them with DIT. When I put them in AF, it wasn't working. None of these items is time-specific. But they do have varying degrees of time-sensitivity. I have decided, this week, to pull them out of AF, and I am much happier for doing so.
Each morning I print out my checklist of daily recurrent tasks and keep them in front of me. I have been working off of two lists: my recurrent list and my AF list. At any time during the day, I permit myself to stop working on AF and work something off of my recurrent list. I am at lot more relaxed like this compared to last week. Last week I kept missing this or that daily recurrent task.
Over time, I might decide that some of my items might not be necessary on my recurrent list, and I might put them on my AF list to be regenerated daily, or less than daily. But, for now, I am a lot happier doing AF with my recurrents and my time-specific tasks out of the AF list.
January 13, 2009 at 16:10 |
moises
moises
I've gotten in the habit of putting a due date next to items that have due dates. As the due date approaches, it tends to make the item stand out more. Also, I review my entire list every morning and if there is something I have to get done that day, I'll do it before returning to my normal traversal of AF items.
January 15, 2009 at 3:58 |
Robert A.
Robert A.
How to incorporate routines?
Routines of tasks (not only 'routine tasks'). Any group of tasks that are necessarily or most reasonably done together or in a special order, maybe at a specific time. Like, most importantly, morning and evening routines at the very beginning (e.g. check tickler file, check schedule of the day, check deadlines) or at the end (e.g. backup, tidy desk, shutdown computer - don't laugh, the latter is a large task in my case) of the working day.
I tried to put them into the AF list, but it doesn't seem to make sense. So they should be separate checklists, right? Maybe a dumb question, as it looks pretty obvious to me now.
But how much should go into those checklists?
As little as possible to use AF to its fulles potential otherwise?
Or everything that the rational mind would say is useful to put into this batch?
In a broader sense, how useful is it to 'outsource' groups of tasks (like check email - check answering machine - check paper mail) into routines?
--
Alex