Get Everything Done

Tired

Since the AF test started ,I have been feeling more tired than usual. It could be that it's the darkest part of winter, or that the economic news is depressing, or just a fluke.

But I don't think so. I think it's because there's greater intensity to working with the AF method, and it is not leavened by dilking time.

I've heard people say proudly that their employers have a work hard, play hard culture. I've never understood that. For me, the ideal is a work soft, play soft culture. I've always imagined I'd like to take my laptop down to the swimming pool (I'm imagining living in a warm climate), poke it at gently during the morning, swim a few lengths, have lunch, and repeat the process in the afternoon.

My own style has for decades been that if I have no social engagements in the evening, work goes on until bed time. There is no firm boundary between work and play.

But in the last ten days, I've been knackered at 6, and not had my usual wish to carry on into the evening. This might be a good thing. Perhaps I'm getting things done during the hours most people consider normal, and am at last freeing up time to get a life.

MF does allude to this when he talks of setting a time to stop. And I'm interested in another thread where people are talking about including in their lists down time, such as Facebook, TV etc.

What are other people finding?

I am certainly finding that I have more energy - not too sure about feeling less tired because I am finding it hard to stop working on my lists and going to bed too late! I also now have a serious problem as a result of using AF .......... I am building up quite a sizeable backlog of films to watch! TV was always a good procrastinator for me - now I keep recording something that catches my eye and not finding time to watch it. I obviously need to add a few specific films into my AF list!

Like David I am finishing work feeling a much greater sense of achievement than usual but as soon as I've got home and fed the family, I feel completely whacked! My home list is suffering serious neglect, so much so I'm thinking of dropping it alltogether andincluding home and personal items to the work list - something I've fought off for all but common sense matters as by and large I like to keep work and personal stuff separate. But I'm starting to wonder if having personal stuff on the list will at least keep it at the back of my mind and maybe prompt me to attack at least some of it when I get home.

Carole

Makes me realise how fortunate those of are who work from or at home. I think I can understand your feelings though Carole - although I can mix my task list I can really only address most of it at home and I do have to spend a lot of the week elsewhere. If you really do not want to mix your lists, you could try taking your home list to work and reviewing. If there are any urgent items that have to be done they will jump our naturally and an AF session at the weekend should help you clear those items quicker than you would normally. Keep in mind also that it may just be AF suggesting you actually relax more in the evenings!

Someone posted that the only item that stood out for her on a page was "break", even though she had just got back from lunch. She decided that perhaps her intuition was telling her something, took that break, and found she was immediately able to refocus on other items.

Yea, I have the tired feeling, but satisfied. Like a good Sunday lunch that you want to have a nap after. the body has to have a rest sometimes.

I'm only on day 3, but I feel I've gotten more done with AF with less stress. With GTD (which I used for a couple of years), I spent a lot of time worrying about the order of things on my list. With AF, that stress is gone. I work on things when they stand out (typically "I feel like it", but sometimes "It has to be done now"). The intuitive nature of AF really appeals to me.

That's a really helpful comment Robert, we're focusing on the standing out relating to "I feel like" but sometimes it is just because it needs to be "done now".

Strangely I was thinking about some of the "now" items this morning. I know there is a lot of concern among AF users regarding missing urgent stuff, but it struck me that a high proportion of my own urgent stuff is because I have not addressed it earlier. My feeling is that AF will eventually get me to the position where I have less and less urgent stuff as it will be done more naturally "at the right time".

Thanks for that Robert

And not just office workers :-)