Get Everything Done

Sounds great Mark. Can you also add a point that "backlog" items can be entered at some point but with a recommendation that maybe only 10 or so items at any time. Otherwise there will me a myriad of posts about what to do with backlogs. It is the entering of backlog items (without prior evaluation) that is moving me forward on those "stuck" areas but more than about 10 items increases my resistance to the relevant page. In fact maybe less than 10 would be better - haven't experimented below 10 :-)

I like that approach to handling backlogs. It appears that getting a good mix of activity types (easy/hard, small/large, old/new, simple/complex) on each page is really important to make AF work well. Backlogs (well mine anyway) can often contain difficult, messy, painful and general high-resistance stuff (that's why they never got done!).

How about suggesting that no more than 3-5 backlog items are added for every 30 new activities? This way the backlog would seep into the system over time.

More and more I'm seeing AF as a mutli-way pipeline or engine which takes time to be filled up, and then operates as a large parallel system. Getting the early mix of inputs (fuels) balanced helps get an effective engine working.

I started by putting in more backlog items than "felt" comfortable when I looked at the page but their nature was becoming urgent. What I now do (having gotten the most urgent ones into the system) is to have an item to "enter backlog items". I believe that AF is now naturally prompting me when (and I probably just need to let it prompt me about how many). The more I work with AF the less comfortable I now feel with tweaks and extra rules. I know I suggested about 10 items but I wouldn't feel like making that a rule. I have been using the odd tweak, forcing pages, tags etc here and there - which have had their place - but I am now finding that they are starting to drop away, leaving just plain old AF. (Still like OneNote tho' <grin>)

I'm using the same approach Christine described, for transferring items over from Toodledo. I just have an item called "Transfer from Toodledo", and if that "stands out" when I come across it, I pull across several Toodledo tasks -- sometimes just a few, sometimes several dozen, whatever seems right at the time. This has worked pretty well for me.

The part that slows me down is that AutoFocus finally gives me a place to write down ideas and brainstorms and odds-and-ends that pop into my mind throughout the day. It's so liberating just to be able to write down a snippet, without the need to think up a "next action", and without the need to set a due date and context and all the other metadata fields that TM software programs need. But this has generated so many hundreds of new items, that it sometimes feels like the system is going too slowly.

Using longer pages (40+ items per page) does help with this. This suggests an additional clarification/amendment. Maybe starting out with 25-35 items is OK, as described in the original instructions, but 40-50 is even better, once you get the hang of it.

Mark, curious as to when you intend to re-write the instructions, and also how long the beta test will last?

Seraphim,

Have you thought of writing things that don't involve some action to be taken, somewhere else? I use the back of my book for odd thoughts, etc. One writer called this a "grass catcher" list ... referring to the bag on a lawnmower. I'm not sure who it was or why he thought that was an apt metaphor, but it has stuck with me ;-)

Anyway, I write odd ideas, prices I see while shopping, etc. in the back of the book so they don't get in the way. If they generate any actions, those go on the AF list.

Seraphim

I agree that using AF for all those thoughts etc does add lots of items and sometimes feel that sometimes "I" am going too slowly. However I have come to the conclusion that the benefits of having it all in one place far outweigh those concerns, and am now finding that those random thoughts and ideas move quite quickly. For example today I hit a page with several items which were random ideas for my website and so I set up a project (within my "normal" project management system) and was able to put evrything related in the correct place, so that when I work on my website then everything is to hand. That cleared a whole load of items in one fell swoop.

Mark, you might want to add that ideally only those tasks are put into the system which are currently actionable.
E.g. one might have a task "Reinvest money from life insurance", but the money from the insurance company is due in six months time. This task is currently simply not actionable (it even doesn't make sense to plan that far ahead). These type of tasks should be catered for in a tickler file or a calendar.
Secondly I think it make sense to keep a separate "Someday/MayBe"-list (GTD terminology) in order to avoid to much clutter within AF. Instead I have an item "Review Someday/MayBe-list" in AF.
Overall: My compliments for inventing such an efficient and simple system, my productivity skyrocketed since introduction (although I spend approx. 1 hour per day in this forum). Thank you very much!

To add to Christian's suggestion ... rather than have separate books for those lists, it is fairly simple to start at the end of the book making lists for special things such as: waiting for, tickler, etc. These lists can then be reviewed first thing in the morning and if action is needed, a note put in the AF list.

And there is no need to go nuts trying to anticipate how many pages to allocate for each list. Just number the pages then make each list on its own page, starting from the end. When you run out of room on a page and the previous page is occupied by another list, find the next earlier page to continue ... then make a big notation at the top of the just filled page like "---> 153" meaning that this page is continued on page 153. The whole process takes only moments.

My mantra for years has been: "I have one notebook and it is ALL in there." Peace of mind <sigh> ;-)

I have included a project based analysis in my approach as well. If I hit a item I have a high level of resistance to it is most likely a project (More than a few actions to complete)

This is a trigger to analyses the action, so it gets crossed out and a new entry to the list gets added called "Write down why I want to do .......", that in itself is not to hard when you spend a few minutes thinking about it. Then you have the advantage of forming a objective or goal for the project.

since I use OneNote I have a Projects Section Group and a section for each project, I make a new section and just type down what the goal is and usually the first thing I need to do falls out.

I then add that to the AF list with a link back to that section at the end so when I cross it off I have the action to view to check the outcome I want, any reference material and to keep me on track with out lost of extra text in my AF list.

Ill update my OneNote package over the weekend with this information and project template. So those of you who have emailed me for it I will send a update email.

For those of you not familiar with OneNote goto http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/onenote/default.aspx I can not do without it these days. I consider it a hidden Microsoft tool!

Mark, I suppose what I mean when I ask when the amendments will come and how long the beta will last is this:

1. Are the changes to Autofocus going to happen organically, as the beta progresses, taking in all the comments on this forum.

2. Do you plan to make amendments a number of times until you are satisfied with Autofucus?

And also,

3. How do you intend to measure the success of Autofocus amongst Beta-testers, do you plan to have an embedded survey for example on your website?

I have used the system for 2 weeks now and it has definitely improved my peformance at work and home. At the same time there are a number of 'tweaks' suggested on this forum that could improve the system, potentially.

Most of the suggested improvements are coming under the category 'common sense', which is fair enough, although when under pressure common sense doesn't always lead to common practice. So perhaps a few additional tweaks in certain areas would be beneficial.

Two areas well documented on this forum that come to mind are tasks that are urgent and context related texts.

Enjoying the beta, keep up the good work.

Mark Crossfield

Hi Mark,

I'm a little confused about this whole "beta" concept. Basically Mark is writing a new book, I assume. The idea of "beta" for information is confusing. I see why he wants feedback, but I don't see how his updating the instructions affects any one who is on this list. We already have suggestions to incorporate into our personal systems. I don't really find myself waiting for any new instructions.

Mike

At the top of the post Mark talks about re-writing the instructions.

From what I have read Mark isn't writing a new book (which is a pity, I love the other 3), but giving away Autofocus for free.

I love this forum and the suggestions and believe Mark is in a position to synthesize any suggested tweaks.

Just looking for clarity

Hi Mark,

Not writing a new book is just nutty, IMO ;-) I really think that many people don't get information through the Internet, hard as that is to believe, and why should they be left out? In addition, a book is a different experience. You can open it, read it, try something, take notes, flip back and forth in an instant, it does not hang or crash, etc. It is not quite the same experience as using search engines and forms to get information. And, the biggest thing, this is a paper based system so it is only fitting that it should be described on paper ;-)

Yes, I think Mark could collect the tweaks and compile them into a new document. But most of us here have already incorporated them and the updated document will not change the way we work.

I get why you might want to see it all tied up with a ribbon ... I'm a big fan of ribbons ;-) But I noticed that after I made a flow chart of the basic system I did not bother going back and adding in the tweaks I use. Why bother?

I guess I'm thinking that if I craved new instructions, I'd just write them for myself and save Mark a lot of headache writing them for me ;-)

Just a general comment ... I can't say how great an experience this whole thing is. Being able to read how others are tweaking the system has really stimulated my thinking. This idea of Marks really was first class.

Christian wrote:

"Mark, you might want to add that ideally only those tasks are put into the system which are currently actionable."

That's a good idea, Christian. Otherwise those Someday/MayBe-items would clog up the AF work flow.

Mike,

I'm not craving new instructions, Mark says he is planning to make some amendments.

Also, I am not interested in Mark compiling all our suggested tweaks, I am hoping that Mark suggests his own tweaks based on our comments.

I like the index card idea. I essentially looked through my whole list the night before and only wrote those items that absolutely needed to be done the next day on my card. I never thought of using it WITH my list, however. I like that idea.

I would like to suggest to mention that it is possible that no item will be dismissed. That happened to me, and my first thought was that something was wrong, but today both Christine B and another person mentioned it.
It also happened that I didn't read the list during one or two days. After writing the list it became so clear to me what to do that I did not need to refer to the list. When I checked it at night all the important things were done, and I was active the whole day. ( i usually lost focus and don't know what to do next). I think that MF couldn't find a better name than Autofocus for this system!

Mark:

re: index card for same day urgent items

I did just this last night as I noted must do's for today on an index card then parked it at the top of my keyboard this morning. Throughout the day I flipped back and forth between the index card and my AF lists which contained some reference items related to the must do's. It worked out very well.

Hi Mark

I used a similar approach to the index card (just a Post it note instead). One thing i've found works for me with urgent items is to treat the urgent items as a page in their own right. I know there are only two or three things on it in the day, but the discipline of doing or dismissing is working well for that. I also alternate urgent page -> AF page -> urgent page -> AF page etc. That way I don't have to focus exclusively on urgent items, and I don't really get to procrastinate on them either.

That said, my urgent items are generally things that need to be done today, rather than right now, and little and often through the day works quite well on them too.

My 2p worth
Simon C

Mark,

What works best for me is a Post-It stuck on the cover of the book -- I usually put it on the inside cover as I take the list in and out of my pocket all day so it would otherwise come off.

It is easily seen, I know it is there, I don't have to move it around, if I really wanted to have a long description on the AF list I could point to it (by page number) or, conversely I could put expanded information on the Post-It.

Mark:

I'll give your way a whirl this week and report back on which way I prefer.

I have been using a post - it to keep my place and also to list urgent items on. I'm also using post its to keep information associated with a task on the page adjacent to the task ( I am only using the right hand page of my notebook and was using the lefthand to scribble notes on, but this way I can move the post it along as the task is moved to the end of the list, ie when the task has been worked on a bit and crossed off.

Examples are:

- a list of possible agenda items associated with the task "prepare for team meeting"
- phone number for insurance broker (and subsequently some quotes) associated with the task "renew home insorance policy"
- list of items to be discussed associated with task " meet with Frank"
- note of where the paperwork/email/documents associated with the task are filed

On completion of the task, the post-its can be either destroyed, the contents recorded elsewhere if likely to be needed, or, if unsure, stuck in the back cover of the notebook and reviewed periodically (task: review old post-its!)

This works well for me and keeps everyhing together

I have been dealing with urgent items by ruling a line with the date on it at the end of my list, listing the urgent actions and then closing it off with another line - I then allow myself to work as much from this list and return to it as I wish. I'll only do this as an exception with the aim being not to be in the position that I have items urgent enough to do this.

I like the bookmark idea - my only problem with it is that because it's so useful it may encourage me to start listing "will dos" and "would like to dos" (ie prioritising) which then I feel undermines much of the power of AF. But it would be useful to put time sensitive items on it so that what you need to do for the day is kept in one place so perhaps that's the rule, it can only contain time sensitive tasks (including those very urgent items that MUST get done that day).

After rewriting my whole list for some reason, Mark's comment in that other thread to try prioritizing by urgency for all the short-deadline (less than a day or even less than one hour) tasks I have, and switching to two-page spreads (in an A5 notebook) instead of single pages as the "closed list" (= AF "page") unit, I reserved some space at the top of every left page (thus at the beginnig of every two-page unit) for a large (5 x 3 in.) post-it to carry over the urgent items.

My experience (due to the number of interruptions and immediate- or short-term-deadline tasks in my job) was that, unfortunately, the post-it with the urgent items quickly overruled the AF list, becoming the only "list" my day was run from.

Today, I purchased a small (A6 format = ca. 5 3/4 x 4 1/8 in.) top-spiral-bound pad to record all the urgencies separately, which I hope will make it easier to return to the AF list by clearly differentiating between them.

--
Alex

regarding: index card for urgent actions
Actually, I'm a bit reluctant to keep a separate list (and an index card would be one, and I would need to write tasks twice and to cross them off twice..). So far my approach of "hard deadlines" written left of the check box and highlighted has served me well - every morning I scan all highlighted dates which are unchecked and if there is one item due today I start working on it. But I'll give it a try - it wouldn't be the first time Mark persuaded me ;-) ...

The idea that has been most helpful is the concept of the "page as structure" -- where tasks, in a sense, compete with one another for your attention through the intuitive and rationale scans. I hope that is more strongly emphasized in your revision.

Also the ideas of "moving to the next page" and "dismissing items". Initially, I was very unclear on these 2 rules and conversations through the discussion group have helped. Move to next page when you can't find anything more to complete on that page in a given day. Dismiss/highlight items on a page if you don't do *any* first time through in a given day. Since there are things I don't want to dismiss, my energy shifts them and I do them.

It may be obvious, but the assumption underlying all of these rules is is the* idea of the day* as the defining period in which you interact with the lists.

For someone like me with unstructured time, my mental model of my day was different, mornings academic work, afternoons home. It proved to be harder to work with the lists (and the day ended up not really being that well defined due to interruptions.)

When I shifted to 2 lists, the mental model of my day shifted and became more fluid. What structures my day now is the lists, not time. That was a major breakthrough and I have became incredibly more productive and less stressed re: time spent on projects.

Thank you.

Love your comment "What structures my day now is the lists, not time". That really sums things up well!

Thanks for that rani

I've also been using a Post-it to keep track of my current page, and to contain the list of must-today items. I use the smallest Post-It possible so I'm constrained to just a few items. It reminds me of an old story by Jim Rohn. The salesman was asked "How many calls did you make today? Write the number in this little box." Salesman starts with "Well, you know the economy...." The boss says: "The reason I made the box so small was so that a story won't fit."

I am using digital lists and I am using a digital calendar for my index card / bookmark. I enter the must-do-today task into my calendar as an event with no time. I've also used an actual index card for same-day tasks with my digital lists and that seems to work fine, too.

Mark, what I have learned about integrating the same-day urgent tasks into the AF lists is that it helps to dramatically decrease that obligation-based procrastination. In other words, if I know I HAVE to do said tasks today, I automatically don't want to. Giving myself the option of choosing a task from my must-do today list vs. a task from my AF page that I'm on eliminates that perceived obligation and I find I am happily completing these urgent tasks. Because of this, I would strongly suggest avoiding a "You must complete your must-do list before working on your AF list" rule. I know the AF lists can be used as a reward, but I think that we die-hard procrastinators will choose to engage in some mindless web surfing unless we feel we have the choice. More rules leads to more rebellion. :-)

By the way, I am finding this whole experiment as fascinating as it is helpful. Thanks again for your generosity in leading us.

Interesting observation Mark. I haven't put anything on my same day list today, although I have it sitting there with it's 3 reminders,(email, coffee, eat) I went through my list last night and extracted what I thought I might put on my same day list. When I looked at them this morning I realised that although I wanted to do them today, and they were important, the earth would not stand still if I didn't do them. So ...... nothing on my list.

Oh and they got done anyway :-)

I think the great virtue of AF is its simplicity, and rather than complicate it at this stage or mix it with other ideas, I would focus on its strengths and find some way to work within the structure as originally defined.

The problems reported were from people worrying they had to go through too many pages in too short a time in order to reach tasks they knew they needed to do.

So we need to emphasize and facilitate rapid moving through the pages, and look for some way to reduce the number of pages. For example, if people agree that six is a manageable number, consider a rule that increases the number of items per page once the list grows to a seventh page or more.

Also bear in mind that the proposed change with an index card or bookmark is less usable for those of us using exclusively PDA's/computers, and it would be good to maintain a design that is universally applicable.

I concur with Mark's comment about resisting the same day/urgent additional list. It just sat there pissing me off. It has been dematerialized to the main AF list.

I have to agree with the comments on the same day/urgent list. I have trialed it but found it to be a real distraction and actually unnecessary, I have gone back to on AF list each for work and home/personal and haven't missed anything. I believe it imbalanced AF.

I think I initially liked it as it was a "comfort blanket" or "safety net" but I trust the system and I do not find it necessary. Simplicity is the key with this to be at its most effective!

For me, on some days there are some things that just have to be done that day or it will screw up my whole week/ career/ life. Having them on the placemarking post-it means they get done and then the relief is palpable and I can crack on with the rest of the list with renewed enthusiasm. But I don't have must do items every day. Just once or twice a week. And sometimes its as simple as making a call.

Mark:

Having now played around with both methods, I think I agree with your assessment - just use the normal autofocus list and deal with same day items as they stand out.

I have realised what I was trying to achieve with the separate list: the equivalent of a current initiative in DIT. I think I may try incorporating this in the following way - a little work on the current initiative on each page. That lets me work on the current initiative little and often through the day. That means my "bookmark" has only one item written on it - and since it is the current initiative it should always "stand out", at least until I feel I've done enough on it for the day (then it gets crossed off the bookmark and added to the end of the regular list).

I guess this means I prefer your way to mine - but will limit the bookmark to only one item - the Current Initiative. As always, I'll give this a whirl for a week or so and then report back.

I just teared the index card with my same day items since I experienced the same as Mark and Stark. And I feel better now...