Discussion Forum > Share Your Stats
Data are fun. ;^)
I have one book for both personal & work - I started out just mixing everything up for a couple of days, then using left pages for personal and right pages for work, and then switched to the front-and-back method which works quite well for me.
Started on 2/11/09 (has it been a month? really?)
5 pages closed before I switched to separating personal & work... I don't track times through the pages so I don't have any info on that.
Work:
9 pages total, 5 closed, 1 dismissed, 3 active. Active pages are 63% completed. Average about 10 days between opening and closing (including reviewing dismissed tasks) a page. 3 of the 5 closed pages never had any items dismissed from them.
Personal:
13 pages total, 7 closed, 3 dismissed, 3 active. Active pages are 46% complete. Average time between opening and closing pages is about 14 days. Only 1 page has been completed w/o dismissing any items.
What this tells me... I have more tasks in my personal life (not surprising as "personal" now includes my work on the planning committee for a big fundraising event next month) and I do many more of my work tasks as they appear on the list.
I have one book for both personal & work - I started out just mixing everything up for a couple of days, then using left pages for personal and right pages for work, and then switched to the front-and-back method which works quite well for me.
Started on 2/11/09 (has it been a month? really?)
5 pages closed before I switched to separating personal & work... I don't track times through the pages so I don't have any info on that.
Work:
9 pages total, 5 closed, 1 dismissed, 3 active. Active pages are 63% completed. Average about 10 days between opening and closing (including reviewing dismissed tasks) a page. 3 of the 5 closed pages never had any items dismissed from them.
Personal:
13 pages total, 7 closed, 3 dismissed, 3 active. Active pages are 46% complete. Average time between opening and closing pages is about 14 days. Only 1 page has been completed w/o dismissing any items.
What this tells me... I have more tasks in my personal life (not surprising as "personal" now includes my work on the planning committee for a big fundraising event next month) and I do many more of my work tasks as they appear on the list.
March 12, 2009 at 14:38 |
Sarah
Sarah
For Work notebook, I am holding steady at around 300 open tasks +/- 10%. Feels great. Feel like I am productive, in control.
For Home, I am somewhere around 400 open tasks, and it seems to keep growing. Feels bad. I can never find enough time to get everything done. I don't feel that I have too many commitments -- just not enough time. I am trying to see how I can reorganize my schedule to make more time for home and family. And reconsidering some of my commitments.
For Home, I am somewhere around 400 open tasks, and it seems to keep growing. Feels bad. I can never find enough time to get everything done. I don't feel that I have too many commitments -- just not enough time. I am trying to see how I can reorganize my schedule to make more time for home and family. And reconsidering some of my commitments.
March 12, 2009 at 21:55 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
I don't understand why - like Seraphim - I'm so heavy on the home tasks vs. work tasks - because I have less time at home than work? Why??? Because much of work isn't discretionary?
Started Jan. 5 - yay!
At home:
25 pages total
3 pages complete
About 150 tasks dismissed (most "to do later") - my name is Jacqueline, and I am - er, I mean WAS - a dumper...
29 lines per page
Out of ~700 tasks total, about 160 outstanding
Average time estimated for tasks - about 20 minutes
So there's about 50 hours of work contained in my home book right now. At an average of 1.5 hours "AF time" per day, that's a solid month - without doing anything else. Eek!
At work (going from memory here) - started ~ Feb. 20, 7 active pages, one item dismissed. About 70 open items, 30 lines/pp, so 210 total items, 140 complete.
It's harder for me at home than at work Lynn - *because* I have deadlines. Or because I'm German, I don't know. :-)
Started Jan. 5 - yay!
At home:
25 pages total
3 pages complete
About 150 tasks dismissed (most "to do later") - my name is Jacqueline, and I am - er, I mean WAS - a dumper...
29 lines per page
Out of ~700 tasks total, about 160 outstanding
Average time estimated for tasks - about 20 minutes
So there's about 50 hours of work contained in my home book right now. At an average of 1.5 hours "AF time" per day, that's a solid month - without doing anything else. Eek!
At work (going from memory here) - started ~ Feb. 20, 7 active pages, one item dismissed. About 70 open items, 30 lines/pp, so 210 total items, 140 complete.
It's harder for me at home than at work Lynn - *because* I have deadlines. Or because I'm German, I don't know. :-)
March 13, 2009 at 2:28 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
March 15, 2009 at 13:49 |
Marc (from Brussels)
Marc (from Brussels)
Here are my stats for the first two weeks of using AF:
I started using AF on the 28th Febraury using an A5 notebook with 25
lines per page. The front half of the book is dedicated to home
activities and the second half for work.
THE HOME SECTION
I'm halfway through page 14 of the HOME section with 146 items
currently open. Here is the distribution of the number of open items
per page: 5 20 17 18 17 5 6 9 9 11 10 11 8
When I started the system I wrote 126 items in the book.
In total I have added 297 items to the Home section, closed 151 items
with 146 items still open.
Since the original setup I have added an average of 11 items per day.
On average I am closing 9 to 10 items a day. At this rate of closing
slightly less than what I am adding means my backlog of 151 items will
never be cleared! Solution? Cut back on my commitments and spend more
time on clearing the backlog. I am motivated to close off some of
these pages that have 5 items or less.
Why so many tasks for Home compared to Work? The reason is at home I
have many roles. My home tasks are related to personal finance, home
maintenance, health and fitness, my Toastmasters activities, reading,
DVD watching, contacting friends, home computer activities and
personal planning. I am married with one daughter at university,
and second daughter in high school.
THE OFFICE SECTION
I'm only one third of the way through page 4 of Office Tasks. This
section is for my work related activities of a Technical
Writer/Courseware developer. My work is project based so a task such
as "Update POwerpoints for Classroom module XXX" could take all day.
I add my lunchtime errands to this section as well, for example,
"Return library books" or "Buy Postage Stamps".
I have added 62 tasks to the office section, closed 47 so there are 15
tasks currently open. In these 10 working days, I have closed 4 to 5 a
day, but these tend to the lunchtime errands. Once I have completed a
work task, the next one gets copied from my project plan.
MY SUNDAY CLOSE OFF BLITZ
On Sunday I was concerned about all the things I need to get done
before the end of the weekend. I contemplated writing a "Must do it
today Closed List" as if I was using the DIT methodology.
Instead I reviewed all the home pages, looking these important tasks
then writing them on the last page. Once I had done this, I ruled a
line to make a closed list. I felt a lot better having one place to
look for these tasks. The fact they were scatted throughout the book
is probably an indication of my procrastination. I haev to confess I
didnt get them all completed, but the tasks are still there for me to
review this evening.
I am learning a lot about myself by reviewing the AF task diary and
observing my patterns of behaviour.
I started using AF on the 28th Febraury using an A5 notebook with 25
lines per page. The front half of the book is dedicated to home
activities and the second half for work.
THE HOME SECTION
I'm halfway through page 14 of the HOME section with 146 items
currently open. Here is the distribution of the number of open items
per page: 5 20 17 18 17 5 6 9 9 11 10 11 8
When I started the system I wrote 126 items in the book.
In total I have added 297 items to the Home section, closed 151 items
with 146 items still open.
Since the original setup I have added an average of 11 items per day.
On average I am closing 9 to 10 items a day. At this rate of closing
slightly less than what I am adding means my backlog of 151 items will
never be cleared! Solution? Cut back on my commitments and spend more
time on clearing the backlog. I am motivated to close off some of
these pages that have 5 items or less.
Why so many tasks for Home compared to Work? The reason is at home I
have many roles. My home tasks are related to personal finance, home
maintenance, health and fitness, my Toastmasters activities, reading,
DVD watching, contacting friends, home computer activities and
personal planning. I am married with one daughter at university,
and second daughter in high school.
THE OFFICE SECTION
I'm only one third of the way through page 4 of Office Tasks. This
section is for my work related activities of a Technical
Writer/Courseware developer. My work is project based so a task such
as "Update POwerpoints for Classroom module XXX" could take all day.
I add my lunchtime errands to this section as well, for example,
"Return library books" or "Buy Postage Stamps".
I have added 62 tasks to the office section, closed 47 so there are 15
tasks currently open. In these 10 working days, I have closed 4 to 5 a
day, but these tend to the lunchtime errands. Once I have completed a
work task, the next one gets copied from my project plan.
MY SUNDAY CLOSE OFF BLITZ
On Sunday I was concerned about all the things I need to get done
before the end of the weekend. I contemplated writing a "Must do it
today Closed List" as if I was using the DIT methodology.
Instead I reviewed all the home pages, looking these important tasks
then writing them on the last page. Once I had done this, I ruled a
line to make a closed list. I felt a lot better having one place to
look for these tasks. The fact they were scatted throughout the book
is probably an indication of my procrastination. I haev to confess I
didnt get them all completed, but the tasks are still there for me to
review this evening.
I am learning a lot about myself by reviewing the AF task diary and
observing my patterns of behaviour.
March 15, 2009 at 22:50 |
Charles
Charles
Hi Charles
A couple of thoughts came to mind reading your post. You say "Once I have completed a work task, the next one gets copied from my project plan". This sounds as if you are limiting the tasks you enter into AF which is in effect limiting the choice of items you have to work with. In that scenario you may find that you are working longer on a task than you "feel like" because you are deciding rationally to get it done, rather than working with the amount of time your intuition tells you feels right.
The use of an extracted closed list can get things done, but this should only ever be used for items that absolutely must be done today. There are times when you will feel uncomfortable with AF and feel that you are not getting things done that you feel you "ought" to do. The more you learn to trust the system - ie your intuition as to what stands out to be done - the more you come to realise reasons for procrastination. The major benefits with AF are not the number of tasks you get done but that fact that, through using the system according to the rules, you come to realise why you are procrastinating on certain tasks and what changes need to be made.
It is great that you are getting so much done, but be aware that the system is more than that ....... try not to override the system except for genuine must do items and see where it leads ....... :-)
A couple of thoughts came to mind reading your post. You say "Once I have completed a work task, the next one gets copied from my project plan". This sounds as if you are limiting the tasks you enter into AF which is in effect limiting the choice of items you have to work with. In that scenario you may find that you are working longer on a task than you "feel like" because you are deciding rationally to get it done, rather than working with the amount of time your intuition tells you feels right.
The use of an extracted closed list can get things done, but this should only ever be used for items that absolutely must be done today. There are times when you will feel uncomfortable with AF and feel that you are not getting things done that you feel you "ought" to do. The more you learn to trust the system - ie your intuition as to what stands out to be done - the more you come to realise reasons for procrastination. The major benefits with AF are not the number of tasks you get done but that fact that, through using the system according to the rules, you come to realise why you are procrastinating on certain tasks and what changes need to be made.
It is great that you are getting so much done, but be aware that the system is more than that ....... try not to override the system except for genuine must do items and see where it leads ....... :-)
March 17, 2009 at 20:08 |
Christine B
Christine B
Christine,
Thank you for your most helpful post. Now I realise I am limiting my ability to get many things done because in effect I have two systems in place --- The GTD
(master project/lists) for the longer term planning and the AF list boko for the tactical day to day operation. I often have the nagging feeling of "what have I missed?"
and "what is next?".
I'm going to use my AF book to write complete projects with the outcome of list of tasks that I thought of at the time. An example is a task I have of watching all the programs in a set of 3 DVDs. I wrote the names of each program in my AF list so I have a reminder of the bug picture. It doesnt matter if I dont watch them in sequence but I see what you mean by being able to view an entire project
then seeing the pieces filled in, something like a jigsaw puzzle.
The GTD methodology talks about having a master project list. Well, I am about
to write my personal project list in the HOME section, and the work projects in the WORD section of the diary.
Many thanks for your words of wisdom.
Thank you for your most helpful post. Now I realise I am limiting my ability to get many things done because in effect I have two systems in place --- The GTD
(master project/lists) for the longer term planning and the AF list boko for the tactical day to day operation. I often have the nagging feeling of "what have I missed?"
and "what is next?".
I'm going to use my AF book to write complete projects with the outcome of list of tasks that I thought of at the time. An example is a task I have of watching all the programs in a set of 3 DVDs. I wrote the names of each program in my AF list so I have a reminder of the bug picture. It doesnt matter if I dont watch them in sequence but I see what you mean by being able to view an entire project
then seeing the pieces filled in, something like a jigsaw puzzle.
The GTD methodology talks about having a master project list. Well, I am about
to write my personal project list in the HOME section, and the work projects in the WORD section of the diary.
Many thanks for your words of wisdom.
March 17, 2009 at 21:47 |
Charles
Charles
Hi Charles
Glad if my post was of help. I find that for some projects I will add just the project "eg Watch DVD set" and then pick and choose from the associated tasks in that time, and sometimes I will add some or all of the tasks as individual tasks. There is no hard and fast rule - just what seems right at the time. It is helpful to have all of the tasks shown but be careful how you enter batches of tasks. For example if you enter all of the episodes on one page and just don't have the time to watch any of them on the first pass, then they will be dismissed. See Mark's blog post on "57 books"
http://www.markforster.net/blog/2008/12/23/autofocus-the-book-selection.html
With batches of items it is helpful to spread them out. For example I started AF with some pretty sizeable backlogs. I have a recurring task to "add backlog items" and periodically will add about 5 to 10 backlog items to a page.
Good luck!
Glad if my post was of help. I find that for some projects I will add just the project "eg Watch DVD set" and then pick and choose from the associated tasks in that time, and sometimes I will add some or all of the tasks as individual tasks. There is no hard and fast rule - just what seems right at the time. It is helpful to have all of the tasks shown but be careful how you enter batches of tasks. For example if you enter all of the episodes on one page and just don't have the time to watch any of them on the first pass, then they will be dismissed. See Mark's blog post on "57 books"
http://www.markforster.net/blog/2008/12/23/autofocus-the-book-selection.html
With batches of items it is helpful to spread them out. For example I started AF with some pretty sizeable backlogs. I have a recurring task to "add backlog items" and periodically will add about 5 to 10 backlog items to a page.
Good luck!
March 17, 2009 at 23:21 |
Christine B
Christine B
Update:
Work - 6 active pages, started ~ 2/20, 29 lines/pp, 1 dismissed task (somebody else was kind enough to do it :-)
On active pages:
1 - 5 open
2 - 5 open
3 - 10 open
4 - 9 open
5 - 12 open
6 - 10 open, only 22 tasks on page total
So only 116 tasks complete in one month - that's only 5.8 avg. per day, confirming what I knew - that I work in very large focused chunks of time on work projects vs. home.
FYI - I don't put email on my work list because I have set times to check and process it.
Work - 6 active pages, started ~ 2/20, 29 lines/pp, 1 dismissed task (somebody else was kind enough to do it :-)
On active pages:
1 - 5 open
2 - 5 open
3 - 10 open
4 - 9 open
5 - 12 open
6 - 10 open, only 22 tasks on page total
So only 116 tasks complete in one month - that's only 5.8 avg. per day, confirming what I knew - that I work in very large focused chunks of time on work projects vs. home.
FYI - I don't put email on my work list because I have set times to check and process it.
March 18, 2009 at 16:48 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
Home book update:
- 25 pages, 20 active pages, closed off pages 1, 2, 3, 10, 11
- 29 lines/pp & ~ tasks total completed
- 124 dismissed items (went down because someone did them besides me)
- total of 17 tasks open on pages 1-17 (what I'm treating as a sort of closed list), 104 open tasks on pages 19-25
- total estimated time to complete and sign off of pages 1-17: 15.5 hours ~ 7-10 days
- feeling when they're done = priceless :-)
- 25 pages, 20 active pages, closed off pages 1, 2, 3, 10, 11
- 29 lines/pp & ~ tasks total completed
- 124 dismissed items (went down because someone did them besides me)
- total of 17 tasks open on pages 1-17 (what I'm treating as a sort of closed list), 104 open tasks on pages 19-25
- total estimated time to complete and sign off of pages 1-17: 15.5 hours ~ 7-10 days
- feeling when they're done = priceless :-)
March 19, 2009 at 2:36 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
One List for All!
Currently on Page 52 - 38 lines to a page.
Total no of items to date - 1949
Completed - 1414
% Completed - 72.55%
1st 25 Pages
No of Items - 950
Completed - 816
% Completed - 85.89%
1st 50 Pages
No of Items - 1900
Completed - 1414
% Completed - 74.42%
No of Active Pages - 48
No of Open Items - 535
Currently on Page 52 - 38 lines to a page.
Total no of items to date - 1949
Completed - 1414
% Completed - 72.55%
1st 25 Pages
No of Items - 950
Completed - 816
% Completed - 85.89%
1st 50 Pages
No of Items - 1900
Completed - 1414
% Completed - 74.42%
No of Active Pages - 48
No of Open Items - 535
March 19, 2009 at 8:08 |
Christine B
Christine B
My spiral-wirebound (at the top) work notebook was started January 8, 2009. Since that time, there were three distinct 1-week periods in which I did not use it because I was out of the office traveling (two business trips and one family vacation).
34 lines/page
17 completed pages
5 active pages
oldest page: 5 open items (from February 27)
4th to last page: 3 open items
3rd to last page: 8 open items
2nd to last page: 9 open items
last page: 9 open items
680 completed items
29 open items
3 dismissed items
19.5 items completed or dismissed/day
There are 35 workdays of lists spread over 22 pages. Early in the book there were days that took more than one page. Later in the book there are pages with almost 3 days/page.
One of Mark's DIT principles was the need, over the long run, to balance incoming commitments with completed work. I think that AF helps me limit what I take on in new commitments. When I start to get behind with AF it becomes almost viscerally apparent. I feel stressed if I have to riffle through tens of pages open items.
I know I can always put anything in AF and dismiss it if I want and that it is incorrect to limit what I put into it. But I just don't feel like putting more trivial stuff in when my list is so palpably demonstrating to me how far behind I am.
Conversely, when I have only a small number of active pages I feel much more open to putting new things on my list.
34 lines/page
17 completed pages
5 active pages
oldest page: 5 open items (from February 27)
4th to last page: 3 open items
3rd to last page: 8 open items
2nd to last page: 9 open items
last page: 9 open items
680 completed items
29 open items
3 dismissed items
19.5 items completed or dismissed/day
There are 35 workdays of lists spread over 22 pages. Early in the book there were days that took more than one page. Later in the book there are pages with almost 3 days/page.
One of Mark's DIT principles was the need, over the long run, to balance incoming commitments with completed work. I think that AF helps me limit what I take on in new commitments. When I start to get behind with AF it becomes almost viscerally apparent. I feel stressed if I have to riffle through tens of pages open items.
I know I can always put anything in AF and dismiss it if I want and that it is incorrect to limit what I put into it. But I just don't feel like putting more trivial stuff in when my list is so palpably demonstrating to me how far behind I am.
Conversely, when I have only a small number of active pages I feel much more open to putting new things on my list.
March 19, 2009 at 18:08 |
moises
moises
Moises, I have found the same thing, I'm being much more critical about what even gets on the list after dismissing a whole bunch of things that I wasn't committed to. I'm not taking on things that I'm not totally committed to doing right now. I'm also feeling more motivated than I have been for years.
Today, March 25 vs. March 19 above, I'm at (home book):
Now: 26 total pages (25 before)
Now: 5 active pages (20 before)
Now: 179 dismissed (124 before)
Inactive/complete pages are #'s 1-21 and active are 22-26
Total open items: 43
And only 2 items that I would class as backlog items that I should have done before so it's all current stuff.
I also don't feel any desire to hop around, do pages out of order or do anything but follow AF according to the guidelines. I do find that I'm doing a bit more off list than I had in the very beginning, but all little things I wanted to get done relating to projects that I had started and left unfinished. (eg. instead of just moving the cold intake grate that we took off for painting the wall, I spray painted it too.)
This must be the TM Nirvana Seraphim was talking about.
Today, March 25 vs. March 19 above, I'm at (home book):
Now: 26 total pages (25 before)
Now: 5 active pages (20 before)
Now: 179 dismissed (124 before)
Inactive/complete pages are #'s 1-21 and active are 22-26
Total open items: 43
And only 2 items that I would class as backlog items that I should have done before so it's all current stuff.
I also don't feel any desire to hop around, do pages out of order or do anything but follow AF according to the guidelines. I do find that I'm doing a bit more off list than I had in the very beginning, but all little things I wanted to get done relating to projects that I had started and left unfinished. (eg. instead of just moving the cold intake grate that we took off for painting the wall, I spray painted it too.)
This must be the TM Nirvana Seraphim was talking about.
March 25, 2009 at 13:28 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
Christine, your numbers absolutely floor me. Do you feel overwhelmed at the volume of open pages and tasks? I felt overwhelmed and depressed with just 22 open pages.
March 25, 2009 at 19:50 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
Hi Jacqueline
I really started to feel overwhelmed when I hit 15 active pages and again about 25 but in fact the answer now is no. I think the reason for that is that I know "why" I have so much to do and that in itself is a major factor. I do have backlog issues that I am having to work through and they are not going to go away overnight but they are reducing. Those tasks would be there whether in AF or not, and although I have effectively moved some areas out that are not essential at present, the tasks that are essential are in my lists in quite a small level of detail. That enables quick action but also keeps me focused on what needs to be done.
I know my lists pretty well so not much gets missed accidentally, well I think I can safely say nothing has been missed accidentally for some time - although I have not done some things I "ought" to have done on time. What I mean is that the things I have missed have not been accidental - rather that I was not prepared to deal with the reasons for resistance ........ AF does not let you off the hook!
I know that my AF lists will not be at this level for ever and the most important statistic for me is the %cleared. Whilst addressing my backlog issues I am having to add a lot of tasks - more than I would like but having tried various methods to get around it know that this is how I need to do it at this time. However, my % cleared is going up which is for me the deciding factor. My current statistics are:
Currently on Page 57 - 38 lines to a page.
Total no of items to date - 2141
Completed - 1583
% Completed - 73.94%
1st 25 Pages
No of Items - 950
Completed - 857
% Completed - 90.21%
1st 50 Pages
No of Items - 1900
Completed - 1545
% Completed - 81.32%
No of Active Pages - 47
No of Open Items - 558
so as you can see they are actually improving :-)
I really started to feel overwhelmed when I hit 15 active pages and again about 25 but in fact the answer now is no. I think the reason for that is that I know "why" I have so much to do and that in itself is a major factor. I do have backlog issues that I am having to work through and they are not going to go away overnight but they are reducing. Those tasks would be there whether in AF or not, and although I have effectively moved some areas out that are not essential at present, the tasks that are essential are in my lists in quite a small level of detail. That enables quick action but also keeps me focused on what needs to be done.
I know my lists pretty well so not much gets missed accidentally, well I think I can safely say nothing has been missed accidentally for some time - although I have not done some things I "ought" to have done on time. What I mean is that the things I have missed have not been accidental - rather that I was not prepared to deal with the reasons for resistance ........ AF does not let you off the hook!
I know that my AF lists will not be at this level for ever and the most important statistic for me is the %cleared. Whilst addressing my backlog issues I am having to add a lot of tasks - more than I would like but having tried various methods to get around it know that this is how I need to do it at this time. However, my % cleared is going up which is for me the deciding factor. My current statistics are:
Currently on Page 57 - 38 lines to a page.
Total no of items to date - 2141
Completed - 1583
% Completed - 73.94%
1st 25 Pages
No of Items - 950
Completed - 857
% Completed - 90.21%
1st 50 Pages
No of Items - 1900
Completed - 1545
% Completed - 81.32%
No of Active Pages - 47
No of Open Items - 558
so as you can see they are actually improving :-)
March 25, 2009 at 21:24 |
Christine B
Christine B
Today, March 31 vs (March 25, March 19) above, I'm at - home book:
Now: 27 total pages (26, 25 before)
Now: 3 active pages (5, 20 before)
Now: 179 dismissed (179, 124 before)
Complete pages are #'s 1-24 (1-21) and active are 25-27 (22-26)
Total open items: 45 (43)
On the last active page: 3 craft type of projects that I have the supplies for but haven't done for >2 years, 2 minor reno projects to finalize things, 1 small repair job on something that's been annoying me for 6 months, 2 items to contact friends I don't see often enough and arrange lunch, 2 small cleaning/decluttering jobs and 1 bigger. Life is good...and balanced.
Now: 27 total pages (26, 25 before)
Now: 3 active pages (5, 20 before)
Now: 179 dismissed (179, 124 before)
Complete pages are #'s 1-24 (1-21) and active are 25-27 (22-26)
Total open items: 45 (43)
On the last active page: 3 craft type of projects that I have the supplies for but haven't done for >2 years, 2 minor reno projects to finalize things, 1 small repair job on something that's been annoying me for 6 months, 2 items to contact friends I don't see often enough and arrange lunch, 2 small cleaning/decluttering jobs and 1 bigger. Life is good...and balanced.
March 31, 2009 at 12:58 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
Christine, your 558 open items makes my 304 look paltry. (Though I have plenty waiting in reserve, left over from GTD days and just waiting to be injected into AF and mobilized.)
Those 304 are spread over 31 active pages. I started AF on 26 Feb. And the great milestone in my life will be when I reach the current page - if I ever do.
Perhaps I just saunter through life. How long is it taking you to loop around all your pages?
Those 304 are spread over 31 active pages. I started AF on 26 Feb. And the great milestone in my life will be when I reach the current page - if I ever do.
Perhaps I just saunter through life. How long is it taking you to loop around all your pages?
March 31, 2009 at 17:22 |
Chris Cooper
Chris Cooper
I would be interested to get a feel for typically how long people take to cycle through their open pages, which is difficult to extract from the above. I am finding that I am roughly crossing of items from the final page at a similar rate as I am adding them, which makes it quite rare for me to go back to the beginning of the active pages.
Also, how on earth do Jacqueline and Christine manage to make so many helpful comments on this forum, usually responding to queries almost instantly and still get so much else done? Its quite stunning what you two achieve, but thanks anyway.
Also, how on earth do Jacqueline and Christine manage to make so many helpful comments on this forum, usually responding to queries almost instantly and still get so much else done? Its quite stunning what you two achieve, but thanks anyway.
March 31, 2009 at 18:06 |
Jaroslav
Jaroslav
Jaroslav, I put the finished date on the items on my pages, and my finished dates on p. 1 range from Jan. 5 to Feb. 16. (42 days) On my last finished page, they range from March 6 - 29 (23 days). At only 29 lines/pp and every page having something dismissed, that shows how slow I was at finishing up my pages when I had 22 or more outstanding. Never again.
To be honest, I use the forum as a part of a task sandwich of fun-work-fun-work . It seems to work better than my old methods of reading for fun because I can stop doing it more easily and get back into the flow of work easily. You know I'm getting a lot done if I'm posting.:-) Type a paragraph (can't be a whole post or I won't get drawn into the task if there's nothing to respond to), go do an item/part of an item on the list, back and forth. Weird, huh?
To be honest, I use the forum as a part of a task sandwich of fun-work-fun-work . It seems to work better than my old methods of reading for fun because I can stop doing it more easily and get back into the flow of work easily. You know I'm getting a lot done if I'm posting.:-) Type a paragraph (can't be a whole post or I won't get drawn into the task if there's nothing to respond to), go do an item/part of an item on the list, back and forth. Weird, huh?
March 31, 2009 at 18:59 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
Hi Chris
I probably circle through my pages about once a week although it can be longer. I do know what is in my pages though so anything that is urgent is not forgotten. My problem is that my discretionery time is erratic and I have backlog items. As I recently took the decision to dump one of my backlog projects into AF it has had a massive impact on my lists but AF is getting it dealt with, and in a far more efficient way than I could have imagined. I don't honestly believe I could have done this at an earlier stage of using AF because I would not have known how to include it without it overwhelming the system or being dismissed which wasn't an option :-) I'm about half way through my backlog so my numbers are still increasing slightly but will be reducing over the next week ......
I probably circle through my pages about once a week although it can be longer. I do know what is in my pages though so anything that is urgent is not forgotten. My problem is that my discretionery time is erratic and I have backlog items. As I recently took the decision to dump one of my backlog projects into AF it has had a massive impact on my lists but AF is getting it dealt with, and in a far more efficient way than I could have imagined. I don't honestly believe I could have done this at an earlier stage of using AF because I would not have known how to include it without it overwhelming the system or being dismissed which wasn't an option :-) I'm about half way through my backlog so my numbers are still increasing slightly but will be reducing over the next week ......
April 1, 2009 at 0:04 |
Christine B
Christine B
Hi Jaroslav
I actually find posting on the forum a great way to really think about how AF works and also to maintain momentum. Like Jacqueline I will sometimes switch to the forum part way through a task if I feel I am slowing down but don't feel I reached the end of the "as long as I feel like" period. It helps me refocus somehow, and often coincides with a "make coffee" task :-) I also check the forum in the morning and late evening - advantages of working from home. Not sure I dare post my stats at present or I would panic even more people - but I am feeling so much more in control despite literally hundreds of things to do.
I had an email today in respect of a problem with our apartment lease asking for an approx time of when certain things were dealt with. In the past I would have considered it a real problem to locate the relevant info and it would probably have sat in my inbox for way too long, eventually becoming part of a backlog. As it was I was able to find information and correspondence (from 2003) to support the case, and scan and email it back almost by return. So - no new backlog :-)
This is where AF is really making a difference - clearing current stuff, clearing backlog, and creating the right environment to action immediately rather than allow backlogs to build......
I actually find posting on the forum a great way to really think about how AF works and also to maintain momentum. Like Jacqueline I will sometimes switch to the forum part way through a task if I feel I am slowing down but don't feel I reached the end of the "as long as I feel like" period. It helps me refocus somehow, and often coincides with a "make coffee" task :-) I also check the forum in the morning and late evening - advantages of working from home. Not sure I dare post my stats at present or I would panic even more people - but I am feeling so much more in control despite literally hundreds of things to do.
I had an email today in respect of a problem with our apartment lease asking for an approx time of when certain things were dealt with. In the past I would have considered it a real problem to locate the relevant info and it would probably have sat in my inbox for way too long, eventually becoming part of a backlog. As it was I was able to find information and correspondence (from 2003) to support the case, and scan and email it back almost by return. So - no new backlog :-)
This is where AF is really making a difference - clearing current stuff, clearing backlog, and creating the right environment to action immediately rather than allow backlogs to build......
April 1, 2009 at 0:19 |
Christine B
Christine B
Status update - work book
Not finished entering email projects into AF book comprising about 10 small projects.
Totals - 4/8 vs. (3/18)
Total pages: 8 (6)
Complete pages: 1 (0)
Dismissed tasks: 11 (1)
Open items on active pages:
1 - complete
2 - 2 (5)
3 - 3 (10)
4 - 4 (9)
5 - 3 (12)
6 - 7 (10)
7 - 5 (n/a)
8 - all open - 5 items
Not finished entering email projects into AF book comprising about 10 small projects.
Totals - 4/8 vs. (3/18)
Total pages: 8 (6)
Complete pages: 1 (0)
Dismissed tasks: 11 (1)
Open items on active pages:
1 - complete
2 - 2 (5)
3 - 3 (10)
4 - 4 (9)
5 - 3 (12)
6 - 7 (10)
7 - 5 (n/a)
8 - all open - 5 items
April 8, 2009 at 19:40 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
Currently on Page 71 - 38 lines to a page.
Total no of items to date - 2692
Completed - 2210
% Completed - 82.10%
1st 25 Pages
No of Items - 950
Completed - 894
% Completed - 94.11%
1st 50 Pages
No of Items - 1900
Completed - 1652
% Completed - 86.95%
No of Active Pages - 54
No of Open Items - 482
Total no of items to date - 2692
Completed - 2210
% Completed - 82.10%
1st 25 Pages
No of Items - 950
Completed - 894
% Completed - 94.11%
1st 50 Pages
No of Items - 1900
Completed - 1652
% Completed - 86.95%
No of Active Pages - 54
No of Open Items - 482
April 8, 2009 at 23:21 |
Christine B
Christine B
Currently on Page 74 - 38 lines to a page.
Total no of items to date - 2801
Completed - 2301
% Completed - 82.15%
1st 25 Pages
No of Items - 950
Completed - 908
% Completed - 95.58%
1st 50 Pages
No of Items - 1900
Completed - 1666
% Completed - 87.68%
No of Active Pages - 54
No of Open Items - 500
Total no of items to date - 2801
Completed - 2301
% Completed - 82.15%
1st 25 Pages
No of Items - 950
Completed - 908
% Completed - 95.58%
1st 50 Pages
No of Items - 1900
Completed - 1666
% Completed - 87.68%
No of Active Pages - 54
No of Open Items - 500
April 16, 2009 at 10:27 |
Christine B
Christine B
Work book
Totals - 4/17 vs. (4/8, 3/18)
Total pages: 9 (8, 6)
Complete pages: 6 (1, 0)
Dismissed tasks: 17 (11, 1)
Open items on active pages:
1 - complete
2 - 0 (2, 5) complete
3 - 0 (3, 10) complete
4 - 2 (4, 9) ***
5 - 0 (3, 12) - complete
6 - 0 (7, 10) - complete
7 - 0 (5 (n/a)) - complete
8 - 15 (n/a - partial page)
9 - 16 (n/a)
*** assistant sick all week or these 2 o/s would be done, seems pointless to dismiss and re-enter
As with at home, now that I'm caught up and totally current, it's boring - time to start improving the systems around here, go on holidays, or request to work part time. Or all three.
Totals - 4/17 vs. (4/8, 3/18)
Total pages: 9 (8, 6)
Complete pages: 6 (1, 0)
Dismissed tasks: 17 (11, 1)
Open items on active pages:
1 - complete
2 - 0 (2, 5) complete
3 - 0 (3, 10) complete
4 - 2 (4, 9) ***
5 - 0 (3, 12) - complete
6 - 0 (7, 10) - complete
7 - 0 (5 (n/a)) - complete
8 - 15 (n/a - partial page)
9 - 16 (n/a)
*** assistant sick all week or these 2 o/s would be done, seems pointless to dismiss and re-enter
As with at home, now that I'm caught up and totally current, it's boring - time to start improving the systems around here, go on holidays, or request to work part time. Or all three.
April 17, 2009 at 18:59 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
Since I separated my personal and work pages, here's where I'm at.
Work:
16 pages - 2 active, 3 dismissed, 11 closed. Approx. 440 entries, 17 still open. ~96% complete. New pages are added every 5-7 days, and tend to stay open 10-14 days.
A month ago I had 11 pages total and was at ~77% complete.
Two active pages is TOO FEW. I don't need more to do, I just need to break down some of the bigger projects down into more discrete tasks, and cycle some dismissed items back in.
Personal:
25 pages - 4 active, 1 dismissed, 20 closed. Approx. 700 entries, 30 still open. ~96% complete. New pages added every 4-6 days, and tend to stay open about 14 days. A month ago I had 15 pages and was at ~78% complete.
Work:
16 pages - 2 active, 3 dismissed, 11 closed. Approx. 440 entries, 17 still open. ~96% complete. New pages are added every 5-7 days, and tend to stay open 10-14 days.
A month ago I had 11 pages total and was at ~77% complete.
Two active pages is TOO FEW. I don't need more to do, I just need to break down some of the bigger projects down into more discrete tasks, and cycle some dismissed items back in.
Personal:
25 pages - 4 active, 1 dismissed, 20 closed. Approx. 700 entries, 30 still open. ~96% complete. New pages added every 4-6 days, and tend to stay open about 14 days. A month ago I had 15 pages and was at ~78% complete.
April 18, 2009 at 3:05 |
Sarah
Sarah
Sarah, interesting that your stats are remarkably similar to mine. Unlike you, I like working on the big projects at work and not breaking them down though. :-)
April 18, 2009 at 3:12 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
Today, Apr 21 vs (March 31, March 25, March 19) above, I'm at - home book:
Now: 35 total pages (27, 26, 25) before
Now: 11 active pages (3, 5, 20) before
Now: 184 dismissed (179, 179, 124) before
Complete pages are #'s 1-24 (1-24, 1-21) and active are 25-35 (25-27, 22-26)
Total open items: 149 (45, 43)
Reason for growth - I added my consulting client projects onto the home list (~ 2 pages), spring yard projects / getting motorhome ready for camping season, a bathroom renovation, and more enjoyable things (movies to watch, crafts, etc.).
Now: 35 total pages (27, 26, 25) before
Now: 11 active pages (3, 5, 20) before
Now: 184 dismissed (179, 179, 124) before
Complete pages are #'s 1-24 (1-24, 1-21) and active are 25-35 (25-27, 22-26)
Total open items: 149 (45, 43)
Reason for growth - I added my consulting client projects onto the home list (~ 2 pages), spring yard projects / getting motorhome ready for camping season, a bathroom renovation, and more enjoyable things (movies to watch, crafts, etc.).
April 21, 2009 at 15:57 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
Comparison with last post on 16 April
Currently on Page 80 (74) - 38 lines to a page.
Total no of items to date - 3014 (2801)
Completed - 2580 (2301)
% Completed - 86.60% (82.15%)
1st 25 Pages
No of Items - 950
Completed - 938 (908)
% Completed - 98.74% (95.58%)
1st 50 Pages
No of Items - 1900
Completed - 1742 (1666)
% Completed - 91.68% (87.68%)
1st 75 Pages
No of Items - 2850
Completed - 2499
% Completed - 87.68%
No of Active Pages - 55 (54)
No of Open Items - 434 (500)
Currently on Page 80 (74) - 38 lines to a page.
Total no of items to date - 3014 (2801)
Completed - 2580 (2301)
% Completed - 86.60% (82.15%)
1st 25 Pages
No of Items - 950
Completed - 938 (908)
% Completed - 98.74% (95.58%)
1st 50 Pages
No of Items - 1900
Completed - 1742 (1666)
% Completed - 91.68% (87.68%)
1st 75 Pages
No of Items - 2850
Completed - 2499
% Completed - 87.68%
No of Active Pages - 55 (54)
No of Open Items - 434 (500)
April 28, 2009 at 20:24 |
Christine B
Christine B
I'm curious to know how much I can get through in one motivated weekend with AF, so here's my stats at the start of the day (home). Starting at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
14 active pages #'s 26-40 - active & (already dsimissed/deleted) tasks per page:
26 - 1 (1)
27 - 7 (1)
28 - 4 (2)
29 - 3 (0)
30 - 9 (1)
31 - 16 (0)
32 - 15 (1)
33 - 14 (0)
34 - 17 (0)
35 - 13 (0)
36 - 13 (0)
37 - 17(0)
38 - 22 (0)
39 - 26 (0)
40 - 10 - partial page with 13 items, 3 completed
Only downside is, I have a visit to one of those kids play centres on page 31 ! Should be interesting anyway... to me at least (or any other accounting / finance types out there.)
14 active pages #'s 26-40 - active & (already dsimissed/deleted) tasks per page:
26 - 1 (1)
27 - 7 (1)
28 - 4 (2)
29 - 3 (0)
30 - 9 (1)
31 - 16 (0)
32 - 15 (1)
33 - 14 (0)
34 - 17 (0)
35 - 13 (0)
36 - 13 (0)
37 - 17(0)
38 - 22 (0)
39 - 26 (0)
40 - 10 - partial page with 13 items, 3 completed
Only downside is, I have a visit to one of those kids play centres on page 31 ! Should be interesting anyway... to me at least (or any other accounting / finance types out there.)
May 2, 2009 at 14:50 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
End of the weekend, Sunday turned out to be time with my son, so I didn't get done as much as planned.
I started at the first active page and worked through.
13 (vs 14 active pages) #'s 29-41 active (vs 26-40) - active & (already dsimissed/deleted) tasks per page:
26 - 0, 1 vs 1 (1)
27 - 0, 3 vs 7 (1)
28 - 0, 2 vs 4 (2)
29 - 1, 0 vs 3 (0) (why am I resisting playing the piano???)
30 - 4, 2 vs 9 (1)
31 - 12, 0 vs 16 (0)
32 - 13, 0 vs 15 (1) (undismissed)
33 - 13, 0 vs 14 (0)
34 - 16, 0 vs 17 (0)
35 - 13, 0 vs 13 (0) - location specific items I couldn't do on this page
36 - 9, 0 vs 13 (0)
37 - 16, 0 vs 17(0)
38 - 22, 0 vs 22 (0) - again, location specific
39 - 22, 0 vs 26 (0)
40 - 21, 0 - 8 completed vs 10 - partial page with 13 items, 3 completed
41 - 24 items, all not completed
Darn, I added as many items as I did. Inputting a backlog isn't fun.
I don't know why, but even though I worked on many other items, I have a problem with crossing them off as worked on when I haven't finished the job. I'm afraid that if they are moved to a more recent page, I won't get that urge to complete like I do when they are lingering at the beginning of the active pages.
I started at the first active page and worked through.
13 (vs 14 active pages) #'s 29-41 active (vs 26-40) - active & (already dsimissed/deleted) tasks per page:
26 - 0, 1 vs 1 (1)
27 - 0, 3 vs 7 (1)
28 - 0, 2 vs 4 (2)
29 - 1, 0 vs 3 (0) (why am I resisting playing the piano???)
30 - 4, 2 vs 9 (1)
31 - 12, 0 vs 16 (0)
32 - 13, 0 vs 15 (1) (undismissed)
33 - 13, 0 vs 14 (0)
34 - 16, 0 vs 17 (0)
35 - 13, 0 vs 13 (0) - location specific items I couldn't do on this page
36 - 9, 0 vs 13 (0)
37 - 16, 0 vs 17(0)
38 - 22, 0 vs 22 (0) - again, location specific
39 - 22, 0 vs 26 (0)
40 - 21, 0 - 8 completed vs 10 - partial page with 13 items, 3 completed
41 - 24 items, all not completed
Darn, I added as many items as I did. Inputting a backlog isn't fun.
I don't know why, but even though I worked on many other items, I have a problem with crossing them off as worked on when I haven't finished the job. I'm afraid that if they are moved to a more recent page, I won't get that urge to complete like I do when they are lingering at the beginning of the active pages.
May 4, 2009 at 13:48 |
Jacqueline
Jacqueline
2 Books (Home/Work), both 26 lines per page (list), 70 page spiral bound notebook. I only put tasks on the right, keep left for notes.
Home: Started 2/21/09, 30 pages in 19 days (ave 1.58 pages/day), 1 closed page, 7 full passes, working on 8th pass thru notebook. (ave 2.71 days/pass) On a scale of 1-10, the system is a 10!
Work: Started 2/20/09, 13 pages in 20 days (ave .65 pages/day), 0 closed yet, 3 full passes, working on 4th pass thru notebook (ave 6.67 days/pass) On a scale of 1-10, the system is a 5. I'm hoping to get in a better groove with this. It's harder with work because I have more time deadlines (and more resistance to tasks?).