Get Everything Done

I happen to note ideas as well as tasks. These ideas are not immediately actionnable so they end being dismissed. There is a lot of things I want to do, and that end dismissed as well. All in all I don't accomplish much with the system as without. BUT I can trust the system to hold everything I want to do so it at least accomplishes its basic purpose.
When I just want to relax I don't open the book to look at the tasks, but I keep writing in it so I have many many pages. When I decide to do tasks I in fact browse the whole list to be sure to get the most important thing to do, then I do it (once again I don't follow the rules, but I keep accomplishing stuff anyway). The reason why a lot of tasks are dismissed is not because I don't want ot don't have the time to do them, but because I end in doubting my purpose for doing them ("is this project really realistic? Doing all tis task will end in me beein an expert in this field, but when I imagine myself as an expert what do I get more than now, is it really the path I want to follow? Wouldn't it better to work on something more essential?) I doubt a lot, and I end in "procrastinating". My procrastination has somewhat good results, since I become interested in a lot of various things and become rather well informed of each subject in which I am interested. But once my interest gone, I skip to another field. I am interested in learning what I don't know, but not just pushing my skills to an expert level in some field since it would take my time and stop me to expand my knowledge on fields I don't know. I have an horizontal knowledge, I know a lot of things and I grasp a lot of concepts, and I like to find links between differents things. So I feel the need to expand my knowledge horizontally instead of vertically. But in our society only the vertical knowledge is remarked and measurable easily.

Well, so to speak, I end up dismissing a lot, as much as I do, maybe more, since a lot of my notes are not actionnable, or ask for a long term effort without a clear return on investment.

The system helps me realize that, but doesn't help me realize goals I don't see clearly the investment, so Ican't say I am more productive than before, I just see what I dismiss. I guess it is a good thing but I can't say I am in the "flow".

Hi isd

The reason you are not "in the flow" is actually quite simple - it is basically down to the fact that you are not following the system. The system works but it works for a reason and to experience that you do need to follow the rules. All you are doing at present is producing a To Do list with random notes included but not addressing it in any other way than randomly. AF is a very structured approach and that structure is essential to its' working properly. The freedom comes within each page but the treatment of those pages is not optional.

If you give the system a try - following the rules to the letter - you will have a very different outcome. Do give it a try and please post back on your findings.

I agree with Christine B. Use the system properly, see how that works for you.

I use the system to note ideas too. Many of them do get dismissed, which I am happy about. Most of them deserve to get dismissed.

A few of them I'll look at in the notebook and see 2 or 3 short term actions I can take to explore the idea or start working on it. So I add them to the list, and mark the "idea" as done -- knowing that I'll have the opportunity to follow up later. And maybe those actions will end up getting dismissed too. But I trust that if they are worth doing, I will do them.

At the beginning I tried the system as it should be done, but the exceptions were too many. When I read the whole list all the task are uploaded in my memory, which class them by importance immediately, so when I have to do a task I do it. And when it's done, well, my "work" is "finished". And I start again the next day... Or the day after. To sum up the thing ^^; I use the system as a single page. First of all, because a lot of tasks (idea) take several lines to write, sometimes I even sketch things so just imagine the place it takes, It kills the intended balance between the pages. So I often treat several pages as a single page. Maybe what I SHOULD do would work "a little" on each task before going to the next page, but if I decide on this rule I know won't open the notebook ever, so it will be the complete end of the thing ^^;
At least the system still helps me be over things, but I can't have it forcing me to do things because it would be its end right away ^^; I need it to show me the payback of the task to make me do it. I need immediate feedback to keep me going it seems. The systems as it is now clearly shows me my doubts regarding the hard work that a technical pursuit represent... but I am not sure this is really what I want to do, and not sure it would lead, event with a lot of work and concentration where It would be a nice place for me...

So I guess the system is somewhat working since it puts light on this. I am not sure that if I do like you say, following the system by the rule, I would see better in the problem stated above.

Hi isd

It sounds to me that you are really confusing your "list" by adding ideas, pictures etc into the system. That is not what AF is all about. What you have is just a centralised location for your tasks and thoughts and to the extent to which that has a benefit to you that is great. However that is not AF and cannot be made to be AF in the format you describe. Some people keep notes on a facing page to their lists but that is very different to what you are describing.

Lengthy notes and pictures belong in more of a project type system which is not part of AF. As has been mentioned before AF is not a project management system although projects can of course be managed from within AF by the means of tasking.

With AF you would not be able to treat the whole list as an entity (although reviewing it in it's entirety periodically is definitely recommended). Neither would you grade tasks for importance. Tasks are "chosen" by the "standing out" method and it it is that which eliminates procrastination. As I say, your system may have benefit for you but it is not AF.

Hello isd,

my impression is that you are journaling and using your notebook as a journal for all your thoughts and ideas. That's great.

But is has nothing to do with Autofocus.

If you need immediate feedback from your work, perhaps you should try metalworking or woodworking, carpentering or painting.

Other 'objects' that can give you immediate feedback are people. Have you already thought about working with people?

isd, perhaps it would give everybody a clearer idea of your situation if you shared some photos of pages from your list.

You can share them using the "Autofocus -- Getting LOADS Done" Ning group here: http://autofocusgld.ning.com/

And then link to the images from this forum.

Presumably it would also work within the rules of "pure AF" to keep a journal for ideas, sketches etc separately to your AF list, and then make sure you had a task on your AF list to "check through journal for actionable tasks". (And maybe also "spend time brainstorming in journal", if you needed it.)

You'd still have a 100% trusted system - everything would be in one of those two places.

I am still early in my testing of Autofocus, but I'm still using a GTD-style "someday/maybe" list (the only part of GTD I'm still using) because I produce ideas for things I MIGHT want to do one day at a crazy rate, and it would add hundreds of items to my AF list each week if I added them all there. At the moment I'm using an AF list item to "Check through someday/maybe list for potentially actionable things", and only putting new ideas on the someday/maybe list, rather than the AF list, when I *know* I have no desire to do them anytime soon. If I think I might want to do them, they go on the AF list. And then if they end up being dismissed, one of the things I can do with a dismissed item is add it back on to the someday/maybe list...

This probably isn't canonical Autofocus but it seems to be working.

Aside from that, perhaps you should also clarify what you want OUT of the system, rather than the particular problems you're finding with it. Presumably you started using autofocus because you thought it could help -- what exactly are you wanting help with?

Ludlow, I do something like that... I'll mind map a topic or idea in a journal, and then either pull out short term actions and add them to the AF list, or add a "pull out 3 short term actions from mindmap on page..." as an AF action.

It works well for me. It means I can use AF for personal development as well as straight task management.

isd, give that a try.

maybe I should have a traditional notebook for all notes, then use a dedicated autofocus notebook separately... but that may mean I would not look too much to my notebook... you know, having several notebooks doesn't simplify. In fact i already use the autofocus notebook divided in 3 parts : home, work and errands... The ideas I write inside are often related to time and project management and they often are some triggers for some action... well, in fact they are propositions I want to test, things I have in mind I need to judge ... things as stupid as buying a down blanket, it is something that I want to do but it is something expensive I need to put thought in it, and compare with other things to see if there is not a better solution or if I really need this thing... it is a maturation process. For the sketches it is not the norm but when I I an interior design project it is the only way to write propositions and things to do, for example... so I need more versatility.
I have posted 3 pictures of my notebook. It is not clear but I highlight items before have completed the pages... I dismiss this way a lot and make my reviews more feasible.

I uploaded 3 pages taken randomly (except the page with the sketches... it is a very special one, other pages are just like the 2 others I uploaded. But some pages CAN become like this so I don't really know how I could handle this. Because I NEED to review this so I have to put it in the AF notebook I think.

http://autofocusgld.ning.com/profile/isd

I have posted one more picture of my Work section... where a lot more tasks are effectively done.. in fact nothing is dismissed ^^; oooups

Those are pretty interesting pictures.

I do think you'd be best with a different notebook for exploring ideas. Autofocus is for focusing your use of time, not managing ideas or projects.

I might record an idea in my AF notebook as a way of triggering further exploration later, but I would always explore the idea somewhere else, perhaps adding follow up actions in the AF list.

Also add a task to AF called something like "look in my ideas book and see if anything stands out". Every time you do that task, add it again to the end of the list, so you're always reminded of it.

Finally, I reckon you could do with more tasks to a page. 12 is not much.

My work section of my AF notebook has at least 20 tasks per page so it is okay. My errands section is also okay. This is my home section the problem.
I could create an idea book and link to it in AF I may try this yes ^^
But I add a lot of ideas everyday and just "reviewing" becomes impossible after 2 weeks... I need a way to organize, prioritize, select and actionate them without losing the big picture.... seems that AF can't do this...GTD also was even more unsuccessful than AF at this. So... is there some suggestions?

Have fewer ideas. ;)

In fact if I don't write them they keep bogging me, so I need to write them.
Once written I have to process them to make something out of them... and here begins the journey ^^;
I can make them compete to get only the best to action... but I need to manage them to make a clear and trusted choice. I need a system that helps me to make this clear choice... This is my main problem in fact ^^; And I need a system that work not just one time, I need to refresh this at leat once a week (h no, not the weekkly review(><) never could do it really ^^; )

isd, you may benefit from reading some of Barbara Sher's work, "Refuse to Choose" in particular as it is based on helping people with more interests than the average person and no desire to focus on one thing to the exclusion of others.

isd

Have looked at your photos and would say that even 20 lines may not be sufficient. On some of the pages you only have four or five tasks. At the end of the day what you have is just not Autofocus.

So, for you to try Autofocus, you will want to have some assurance that it can actually deliver what you are looking for in a system. From your posts I would assess that your concerns are that you want a system to

(a) keep everything together
(b) a place to record everything
(c) the ability to compare options
(d) enable you to do stuff
(e) identify what you don't want to do

AF will do all of that and more but it is not a diary, it is not a journal, and it is not a project management system. The thoughts and ideas you are adding need to be in a project management system and the tasks deriving from that then listed within AF. For example, your down blanket task - if you were to put in your list something like your comment above, ie "buying a down blanket, - I want one but can I afford it? Need to think about this - is there a better solution - do I need it?" then that is an unnecessary level of detail. Just enter "buy down blanket" - all of the other questions will become clear and you will either buy it, buy something else, or dismiss it until a more affluent time!

You may find it helpful to read some of the posts within the FAQ's
http://www.markforster.net/forum/post/645945

AF will do what you need, but only if you follow the instructions :-)

Jacqueline:
I think I will look at Barbara Sher's book thank you.

Christine B:
It is often said that AF is not a project management system but in saying so we must separate project management from time management etc... But I don't think these are separate things. I opened the threads about project management and will read them though.
Thanks to the answers I got I will today buy a binder and separate AF, projects, and notes (what I will call "workbook" and what is in fact an inbox). And will see if it helps.

As for the way to write tasks, I should have wrote only "write down blanket" ?
So all the options I found, the different shops, the sales dates, etc... would ideally be treated as a project folder out of autofocus? So I may just write "project:buy blanke(research)t" on AF so I would understand it is a project I am researching about at the moment.
In fact I often do things without autofocus. For example if I happen to see a shop on the street I may go and seee there. So I should add the information collectedin the project folder... but when later I open AF and see the project task on a page, what should I do? cross it and write it again at the end? Since I already did some research by chance.

Definitely cross it out and re-write it again - you advanced the project. I confess I don't always do this, but you will feel more of a sense of accomplishment and movement if you do, rather than looking at what you've got not crossed out and thinking you haven't done anything at all.
Also, once you get to 25 or 30 pages of crossed-out tasks, you will feel very good about yourself, and so you should. :-)

ISD,

Project management and time management are really different things. Time management focuses on you and looks at how to spend your time based on your needs whereas project management focuses on the project and allocates time and other resources based on the needs of the project ... not your needs. Granted, your needs are in some sense implied by your choice of project, but that is not the point here.

The two can be linked by using your time management system to tell you when to work on your project and using your project management system to tell you what to do, in particular, on the project.

So, for example, on the AF list I have "Work on deck" and then my project management system has all of the tasks, tools, materials, people, plans, etc. that I need. When AF tells me to "Work on deck", I go to the project files and decide who, what, when, where, and how.

People have tried to make AF into a project management tool but we always seem to find out about it when they post here with questions about the problems they are having ;-)

As to your blanket example, I'd do what you are doing. "Research Blanket" then I'd make notes somewhere else. As it happens, I carry two books in my pocket, my AF list (which has a few other lists in it as well) and a journal book for writing all kinds of random things, like prices of products, etc.

As to crossing it off, yes, I'd cross it off and write it down at the end. If you don't, you'll mess up the way that the list works. (I know a lot of people argue with this, but I don't cross it off and write it down again if I am already on the last page. I see the crossing off and rewriting as the means by which the list purges the someday items by forcing you to work on them or dismiss them. It does that by leaving nothing on the page except those last few items. If you don't cross off "research blanket" when you have done some work on it you are not letting the list get to the items that it needs you to dismiss. But on the last page, it does not matter because so long a it IS the last page, it must be active and nothing can be dismissed anyway.) But then, that's just me ;-)

The solution is quite simple, actually. :)

Do autofocus on one side of the paper. On the flip side, keep notes like you're doing now, so you don't have to carry around multiple notebooks.

I use a variant which works because I write relatively small and concisely. On the right side of my page, I have my AF list. On my left side, I have extra notes pertaining to the tasks. IE, phone numbers related to who I need to call, small drawings, etc.

You write big, so I'd suggest using the front side of the current page for AF and the back side of the previous page for your notes. Number your pages if you have to so that you can refer back as necessary.

Good luck!

Hi isd

If we look at projects in a very simplified way as a larger task or desired outcome that requires a series of steps to complete or achieve, unless it is a "task/project" requiring say just three or fours simple (and normally quick) steps, then it is usually preferable to want a system to keep track of progress. For a smaller task of that type, eg "buy down blanket" AF may handle it by actioning it in small steps as it progresses. For example it may go something like

Buy down blanket
Research best price for blanket
Buy blanket £5,000?
Go to Harrods
Buy Blanket

You may find once you discover the price to dismiss the item at that point or replace the task with

Buy duvet!

As you can see AF will handle that well (and with the task being defined in a concise way (that fits on one line) :-) You may well keep a file to collect your research information - that is your project management system for that "task/project"

However if it were a large project, for example, Research Family Tree, you would not expect to keep all of your research and other finding jumbled together with everything else. You would have a seperate file or files. That is your project management system. You may just include as a task

Family History

and when that jumps out use the time as a time block to action the variety of tasks which you have referenced in your project management system. Alternatively you may decide to extract specific tasks from you PM system and have tasks in your list such as

Order Birth Certificate for Great Aunt Esmerelda
Contact Fred re Great Aunt Esmerelda
Research Great Aunt Esmerelda's parents on Ancestry.com
Find Great Aunt Esmerelda on 1911 census

Either method is fine and either way works well in AF.

As for whether to cross tasks off, it is very common to get to a page and find you have already actioned a task, either in full or in part, and yes, the rule is to cross the item off and to reenter it at the end of the list if uncompleted. That retains the fluidity of the lists and enable pages to be completed. If you never crossed off and replaced a recurring item then you would end up with a page that had only that one item on it for ever unless dismissed - something like a "to do" list - which is also not AF :-)

Hope that helps a bit more. Good luck with trying out AF in your new notebook, and hopefully the FAQ's will also point you in the right direction.

Hi isd

Have you considered using a PDA where tasks can have a graphic notes capacity? I think Windows Mobile can do this (I just tested it in Agenda Fusion Tasks) and I imagine iPhone has similar facilities.

Thank you very much for your answers.

As for the "blanket" task, it is in fact a rather big project (or it became so), so that may be the reason I couldn't follow it well with AF, at some point I would have needed to put all the information in one place, as a project.
I will try to guess when it is right to make something a project.

I have a win mobile phone (htc touch pro) but it can't be trusted, and is slower than paper, which makes it a very bad companion for reactive tasks. It helps a lot for the calendar thing though.

Most of the time I do tasks I remember, or just out of procrastination (^^;) so whe reading the AF lists I often stumble on tasks I have already done partially, or I that have became big and may be converted to a project.

I think one of my problem is that I don't know any good project management solution, one I could take with me easily like AF... I used to try GTD or the Hipster PDA or any software on earth, I couldn't find a way to have the big picture on all my numerous on-going projects... if there are some suggestions I'd like to try.

For the moment I will use one page (or more if needed) for each project.

(another problem is when half of my documents are digital... it is difficult to have everything in one place and on the go... and I use evernote etc... it is NOT a good solution. I need something as responsive as AF (this is why I was using it as a project management as first it seems)... is it realistic? Or is there a good compromise that someone has experienced?)

Thank you for your reply Marc.

I don't really get what you mean by "managing oneself within a project".
Since a lot of my projects involve only me, does it mean AF could be sufficient...
If so, where do you put the reference material? How could you have an overview of any project quickly and easily?
How can we avoid being overwhelmed by reference material? (especially on an AF list?)

isd, the bottom line is that AF doesn't take care of reference material. It keeps track of tasks so that you can use your time and energy effectively. That's all it does, and it does it very well.

Sometimes you can note down a small amount of information next to the task, to make it convenient. For example instead of "Call estate agent" you might have have "Call estate agent on 0134 1234 3214". However, if there's a whole bunch of issues you want to talk about won't be on the list -- it'll have to be outside AF, either in another system or in your memory.

By "managing oneself within a project", Mark means that AF is a good way to help yourself do the tasks required to complete a project. But it doesn't manage "the project" itself.

You are looking for a system that handles both projects and tasks. Any system that does both will be really complicated and will probably end up being so cumbersome that you won't get anything done.

Is that any help?

Hi isd

Managing the project is handling all of the associated project "stuff" - files (paper or digital), notes, random thoughts, jottings or drawings, research materials etc. Managing oneself in the project is the mechanical doing of the tasks associated with progressing that project.

The best project management tool I personally have found, and one I recommend extensively, is Microsoft OneNote. You can add drawings, files, notes etc. For example we have the AGM of our Residents' Association coming up - I have a section within OneNote which has pages for the Agenda, Board Minutes, Reports, Emails, Accounts, Notes, Action Points etc. Files can be printyed to it directly or just embedded for reference. Items can be tagged or sent directly to Outlook. It can be as simple or as complex as you wish.

However, it sounds as though you may be struggling with this at a more fundamental stage. in that case I would recommend an "analogue" rather than a digital solution until you define what you really need from a project management system. That system is even simpler :-) Just get a selection of files, box files and boxes. Sort your physical stuff, paper, research notes, brochures etc, into categories and file it into the appropriate sized container. That will in itself "define" what are projects by the volume of stuff. Then write a list of your projects and go through your computer, setting up a folder for each project and move all associated files into it. You are probably starting to see a pattern develop here ..... :-)

Once you get to that point I think it will all start to fall into place for you. To get the overview you require, just produce a task list for each project and use that to feed into AF, either as a time block where you action that project list, or by entering individual tasks.

>Managing the project is handling all of the associated project "stuff" - files (paper or digital), notes, random thoughts, jottings or drawings, research materials etc. Managing oneself in the project is the mechanical doing of the tasks associated with progressing that project.

Yes this is what I need...

Thank you for you clear explanation.

I indeed want an analog solution( in fact I have one note and don't use it, I use Gmail for everything's possible, and evernote for the rest... but any digital solution asks to have a computer, so it is too restrictive for what I want to do).

Like you says I may have no choice besides creating an analog file, a digital folder, and a project planning sheet(task list, or just overview of the project) for EACH project. So every project has its place in every context (digital, analog, and on the go)...

This seemed to me a too cumbersome way of doing hings and I was trying to find a simpler way... but if this system IS really the simplest possible, I guess I just have to start with it... ^^;

Hi isd

Your "analog" system can be as simple as you wish but to work effectively you do need some system, even if it just a selection of supermarket boxes to unceremoniously dump stuff into. The alternative is to have everything everywhere, which leads to clutter, which leads to losing stuff, which leads to disorganisation. The lists are just a logical "next step". You may not want separate project lists but just put actions as they become apparent straight into AF. Once you get used to AF working for you you will probably naturally gravitate to whatever will work best for you.

Didn't you say somewhere that you do interior design? Imagine yourself as one of your clients and imagine what you would suggest to them as a storage solution for accumulated project paraphenalia :-)

Hi isd,

I think you have a special situation - something others may perceive as a problem. I see it as a gift.

I prefer Barbara Sher's books (haven't put my bookshelves back together after painting them, so can't find that section - sorry - it's on the list!) :-) but Margaret Lobenstine also wrote a book called "The Renaissance Soul - Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One." In it, she has a chapter on time management. She recommends having a separate book for what she refers to as "Focal Points" - or interests. In those blocks of time, you work on that focal point. She recommends blocking off time in your calendar to pursue these interests. And in that period of time, you turn to the page for that focal point and "decide which of these three activities appeals to him *at the moment*.") Sound familiar?

She goes on to say "he doesn't have to make a half-hearted, unproductive attempt at doing - or avoiding! - a predetermined activity that doesn't suit his energy. Instead, he looks over a limited, entirely manageable number of choices. Happily, he can go with the flow and know that whatever he chooses is directly connected to at least one of his focal points."

I am very resistant to scheduling myself, so this method wouldn't work for me (ie to block off time) - maybe it would for you though. However, I wonder if perhaps having your 'focal point' only on your AF list and a separate section in your notebook to list all the ideas, interesting information, etc. as well as a page of possible tasks - only tasks, no notes - for that focal point would work well. When you come to the AF page with that focal point on it, you go to your list of tasks and pick one following the same principle as AF/Lobenstine recommends.

You also said that you want a system that will help you make a choice of interests to pursue. She has a chapter on that as well, discussing how you can put your interests to a litmus test to see if they are really worth going after. I think the best advice here was to look at your interest, figure out how far you want to go with it and think about the reality of what your life would be like if you actually got there. It's like declaring a major in university - would you like the life of a biologist or would being a city planner suit your lifestyle better?

If nothing else, reading this book or Barbara Sher's books (here is her website: http://www.barbarasher.com/

and her forum for scanners:

http://www.barbarasher.com/boards/viewforum.php?f=30&sid=4a4c9448f02444ebc1cb3a19af85a6f1

- or good biographies of Winston Churchill, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Leonardo da Vinci is helpful because you know that you're not alone, there's lots of us flaky people out there, it just isn't respected like it used to be. However, these people weren't averse to becoming experts in their various fields. I'm still figuring that one out myself. The only advice I can offer there is to choose 3-4 priorities to follow in a year and know that later those other possible priorites will still be there - but that's for me - a "serial scanner", you may be a "plate spinner" and want to keep a large number of projects going at once - I have a tendency to be this way and have to continually rein myself in.

Since you become passionately interested in things, your learning curve is much shorter than other people's so you can often achieve much more in a shorter period of time.

All the best!

>would you like the life of a biologist or would being a city planner suit your lifestyle better?

Good point here, I often forget to apply this simple trick... The problem of the trick is that my answers would vary from the ones of last year and next year I think (>_<)

>Since you become passionately interested in things, your learning curve is much shorter than other people's

This is true... but I also become bored as soon as I understand the whole picture, so this is knowledge than fades away with time... and that I don't really refresh so much.
I am at a point where I realized that human memory has a limit, so I am in the process of selecting what deserves to be refreshed and deepened and what not... and this seems like an impossible choice.

>good biographies of Winston Churchill, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Leonardo da Vinci

I would very much like to read them but I know I would buy them, skim them and put them on a shelf after some books I am planning to read for years ago ^^;

As for you suggestion of "focus tasks" I tried something like this in the past but I may not have done it well because I have been overwhelmed very quicky...
When I do a task, things evolve, so I can't just have a static list, I need to be able to see the evolution of a task from its creation to the present progression point, I need a radar...
So I am trying now to put all the focus points on their own page, and browsing the focus point would be in flipping the pages. I hope that with this system I could see the evolution of each "project"... Since I decided to use a binder I could add more pages if needed.

My problem with being productive is exactly that : being PRODUCTIVE.
Because I produce a lot of things I need a system to manage all of them.
When the system is overwhelmed I stop being productive... Seems logical heh. That's why I need a system that could track A LOT and help me being over everything I plan to produce... I guess this explanation makes things clearer.

isd, when I was younger, my answers to "what do you want to be when you grow up?" wouldn't have just changed from year to year, it would have been from day to day.

To be honest, I lucked into a career of sorts that allows me to follow one of my passions - accounting systems/processes - and I haven't felt the need to change or the angst that I once felt that I should be following a different path - because I can go into a company as a consultant, absorb and learn as much as possible, apply my "expert knowledge" -gained from constant job hopping, and I'm gone in a year or so when the project is done. Off to the next thing to learn. And it pays well. :-)

Doing some reading on ADD was helpful to me, because although I'm not afflicted in that way, that field has been so well-researched and there's a lot of information out there that also applies to those of us who have "too many interests."

Don't read the books - that's what the net is for anyway. For us, it's like a veritable feast of information, the only hard part is knowing when to stop.

I think I have also learned never to say "I know that" - because the truth is, until you are really immersed in something, you don't really "know" it - you know about it on a superficial level. For example, I could give someone the instructions on how to do AF, and they would try it for a couple of days and say - ok, I *know* that - but they wouldn't really until they've come to the point of dismissing and all the fear and worry and even anger that goes along with that, until they've made the mistakes and had the successes and achieved more than they thought they were capable of, but less than they had dreamed. Anything else isn't really knowing. That's what we miss by dabbling in things.

Great post Jacqueline!

Oh, I should mention that I wasn't really referring to isd when I made the comments about "I know that already" - I was thinking of the blogs on AF I've seen or comments on blogs where someone tries AF for a couple of days and makes an analysis or doesn't even try it at all and reviews it and says it won't work. Firstly, the first couple of weeks are pretty easy, because you're on a high and a roll and often picking off a lot of the easy stuff. It isn't until later that you're confronted with your lack of time and the novelty wears off that you see the real value in AF. That it's easy to start, easier to continue with than any other system I've ever tried, and most of all, it sheds a bright light on your life's structure and the problems that you need to tackle more than anything I've seen. It's like therapy, only entirely self-directed - apart from all the help from the very smart people on this forum that is. :-)

That's a great point, Jacqueline, about how easy AF is to start -- and to restart. If my attention is taken up with a huge project or if I take a break, there is no huge penalty. When I was doing GTD, any little break resulted in lots of unprocessed junk. As a consequence, I dreaded returning to the system. With AF, returning is easy, so I have no resistance to the system itself.

But let me bring my post on topic to this thread about dismissing items and idea capture. I struggle with this as well. For now, since my AF notebook is the collection point, I write a line that reminds me of the idea, which I can then flesh out in greater detail in an ideas section of the book.

However, most of my ideas are not visual, or at least I don't initially conceive of them that way. If I did, I might try keeping a bunch of 3x5 cards with my AF notebook, capturing the idea verbally on one line in the notebook wtih a reference to the card where the idea is fleshed out in visual form. Then when my scan through the AF notebook tells me it's time to work on that idea, I would take out the card and move the idea as a whole into an idea notebook, along the lines of what Barbara Sher and Margaret Lowenstine suggest.

Right now, however, I'm backlogged with large house projects (like "Get sidewalk repaired/replaced") and haven't attempted to integrate creative ideas into AF fully -- yet.

For the moment, I did like I said.
I bought a binder and put a paper clip to indicate the current or start page of each section.

I have some lined pages with a Home AF list, an Errands AF list, a Work AF list,
then some grid pages for projects (my personal notes are treated like a project under the name "journal"). Every project fits on a sigle page for the moment.
then at the end some white pages for sketches. I already refilled this part twice since I sketch a lot, leaving in the binder only the best sketches and filing the others.

I use a black DaVinci (simple and functional) system binder, it feels good in the end, and the cover is not too soft. It fits in every pocket but since it is not very thick I may need to refill/file frequently... which in fact may be a good thing, forcing me to decide what is important and what is not, and helping me have a broad view of everything current.
Anyway I always have a refill in my bag.

As for AF I may not do it by the rule(for the moment) but I must say that with my current system I am a lot more on top of things and feel calm about entering a lot of things into the system, or processing it (selecting the page to file when I need to refill).
This system is very flexible and allows me to SEE my main interests grow in front of me... or later fade out eventually.

I'll post again if things change or become even better.

I am so glad you got things working for you isd ! I guess I should be glad I can't draw to save my life - but I calculate a lot!!

There have been several threads on dismissing pages full of items and possible bad feelings it might engender. I don't know whether anyone's made this particular observation, but I felt something like this the first couple of times I dismissed a page, but then I realized something:

Dismissed Items are my "Maybe/Someday" list!

This made me feel immediately better about the whole thing, and makes it clear to me why you'd _not_ want to use a highlighter on items you've actually done some work on, as some folks have done...

I don't see anything that suggests that items that have been dismissed should never be reviewed; on the contrary, they should (probably) be skimmed through on at least a weekly, if not daily, basis as I see it... I can re-add a dismissed item to my last page at any time (although Mark suggests that we consider why we dismissed it in the first place before doing so, which seems sensible...)

I guess that if I rename the action "DISMISS ITEMS" to "PUT ON MY S/M LIST" I would feel great and I would know what really are those highlighted stuff.
When changing notebook we may have to find a way to process all these items for easy revoew (write them on a eparate list for example.... but such a burden for someday items won't work I guess).
I could write them on a separate list as THE ACT of dismissing instead of highlighting them. The burden of the task (rewriting) would force me to consider if they really deserve to be dismissed, and all dismissed items would end on an easily reviewable and versatile list... I guess I will try that from now on. That may help me to go further, and faster.