Get Everything Done

Hi Mark,

As mentioned here and as I too saw on Twitter, you stated that you were tired of experimenting and were staying with Autofocus. So does this mean the new system you were experimenting with is now not going forward? Actually, I am hoping that is the case because I am still finding AF to be THE BEST system ever!

Could you provide an update where you are with this?

Mark, I do hope you are well.

Best wishes,
-David

Mark

The expectation of an imminent change to the system has kept me logging onto the site far more frequently in the last month than before!

If you are not going to announce a new system, is it worth at least tweaking your instructions to cover the issue of tasks that need to be done before one can be sure of next reaching the last page? A lot of people have made suggestions as to such tweaks; will any receive "official" endorsement?

Best wishes

If you have a system that works for you, why do you need a system with "official blessing"? I'm confused. (But then that is the normal state for me, it seems ;-)

What always strikes me as strange is that no one seems to want to follow the rules .. they have to change everything. Then everyone wants new "blessed rules". Am I the only one who thinks this strange?

I have to confess, I have had absolutely no curiosity about the pending "new" system. This works. Something else may work better ... but in the absence of that something else, this STILL works for me ;-)

Thanks for the update, Mark.

I, too, have found that items with short-term deadlines (not exactly URGENT but also not able to languish on the list for days or weeks at a time) do get completed in a timely manner, and without a feeling of panic. Yes, there are periods of days or even weeks when I have to devote most of my time to putting out fires (teaching summer school - and entire term in 5 weeks - has been one of those times and boy has everything else suffered for it). During those times I continue to add to the list and I make a point to read through the whole list once per day, but I focus on the things with the looming deadlines. And when things calm back down, I simply go back to letting the book guide my work.

Thanks Mark. Now for a review of, and rededication to, the rules. I know I'm not dismissing as I should. I also believe I spend too much time on individual tasks and don't cycle thru the whole list quickly enough.

Say your boss tells you to do an agenda for a meeting tomorrow at 4:30. The task isn't urgent so you put it down on the AF list. Between now and the meeting you don't make it to the end of the AF list. So you fail to deliver the agenda. If that happens many times you lose faith in your system and fall back to old habits.

I think that AF does need a hack to deal with tasks to be done in the next day or so. Either the index card or the morning read thru the list. Or does AF deal with this am I missing something?

Man,

>>> Say your boss tells you to do an agenda for a meeting tomorrow at 4:30. The task isn't urgent so you put it down on the AF list. Between now and the meeting you don't make it to the end of the AF list. So you fail to deliver the agenda. If that happens many times you lose faith in your system and fall back to old habits.

I think that AF does need a hack to deal with tasks to be done in the next day or so. Either the index card or the morning read thru the list. Or does AF deal with this am I missing something? <<<

That is what most of us do now. Is something else needed?

Mike

You say "that is what most of us do now". Is that the case? If it is the case then don't the instructions for AF need modification?

In this situation I figure you have two options, both of which remain true to "pure" AF, and which one you take depends on knowing yourself and how quickly you generally tend to move through your AF list.

1) If you know that you can move through your list quickly enough, just put it on the list and trust that it will get done. It is perfectly in the spirit of AF to move quickly through the list, touching just one item per page, in order to get to something on a much-later page that you know has an upcoming deadline. (In fact, I did just this today - plowed through getting a bunch of small quick tasks on early pages done and dismissing a couple of pages - because I had a bunch of time-sensitive tasks on later pages.) This hinges on having a pretty good sense of the contents of your list, which may depend on the length of your list. I have a relatively small list - 4.5 pages - and could probably name 90% of the tasks on the list without looking at it. Knowing my list that well, I also am aware that there are items on the last 2-3 pages that do have pressing deadlines, and can work the list with that in mind.

2) Treat it as a "must be done now" item and just DO it. Alternatively, but in the same spirit, treat it as a calendar item - put it on your calendar for some time before the meeting, and when that reminder comes up, do the task then and there.

Mike, clearly some people don't find that AF works for them in all situations and they're still looking for solutions and help. I'm still curious about how the new system worked - just for the sake of curiousity though.

I just don't think that there is such a time management system of "one size fits all". What's wrong with following the 'spirit of the law' rather than the 'letter of the law'? I feel that in using Simon's AF condensed, I'm following the spirit rather than the letter of AF, and it's tremendously effective *for me* - but might not be to someone else. I just want to have a system that I feel more motivated to continue working with after I feel like giving up for the day.

Man of Kent, maybe you should redefine what you consider "urgent" and 'to be done/started now' - my definition of urgent is probably anything due within the next week (at least to make a start).

In the scenario above I would have started on that job immediately as soon as I got back to my desk (and worked on it < 5 minutes). I would have done this because:

1) the BOSS asked for it = elevated urgency;
2) I could send an email off to the other meeting attendees requesting agenda items and save myself from having to dream them up; and
3) if I'm the one to be dreaming up the items, I can at least set up the structure and let my subconscious mind go to work on it in the background while I'm working on other stuff.

You could also work on your more urgent stuff in a time block or two at an appropriate time of the day and use AF the rest of the time.

As someone who takes weeks to get through his AF list, I would endorse Sarah's second option of scheduling the task in your diary with a reminder.

Regards,

Derek.

Mark,

Even if you've decided to drop the "AutoFocus 2" system, I'm sure I'm not the only one here who is still intrigued to know what amendments you made...if you are okay with sharing them.

>>> You say "that is what most of us do now". Is that the case? If it is the case then don't the instructions for AF need modification? <<<

No. I don't find any need to have someone sanction what I do. Why would you feel it necessary to hold off doing what works until someone writes it down? Suppose Mark decides to keep his instructions as is ... as he has indicated he will. Does that mean that you can't do anything else?

Jacqueline,

>>> Mike, clearly some people don't find that AF works for them in all situations and they're still looking for solutions and help. <<<

But the solution is there. The problem seems to be that some people feel stuck if someone does not give them "official" permission to take action. I've long been bewildered by that. I know people who are afraid to go into business until they get some kind of certificate ... from a person who never got any certificate himself. Very odd.

>>> I'm still curious about how the new system worked - just for the sake of curiousity though. <<<

I find myself not in the least curious. I do what works for me and this (with my own modifications) is the best I've found.

>>> I just don't think that there is such a time management system of "one size fits all". What's wrong with following the 'spirit of the law' rather than the 'letter of the law'? I feel that in using Simon's AF condensed, I'm following the spirit rather than the letter of AF, and it's tremendously effective *for me* - but might not be to someone else. I just want to have a system that I feel more motivated to continue working with after I feel like giving up for the day. <<<

Exactly what I do ... I modify as seems necessary.

I'm always interested to hear new ideas. Some have shared further ideas for AF which are useful to others.

The new system Mark was trying may not be helpful to him, but could be useful to others in some way.

Also sharing it gives the opportunity someone to address the shortcomings.

Mike seems to be in a majority of 1 ;)

@ Man
"Say your boss tells you to do an agenda for a meeting tomorrow at 4:30. The task isn't urgent so you put it down on the AF list. "

I wouldnt do like this but first put it on my agenda.
Then report on AF if I hve to work on it such as
@WORK/ prepare the meeting do this and that //PROJECT/ (Wed. 12 -4Pm )

In fact i realise that i report on OF LIST only things i decided to work on. Short term or medium term but future item are on my agenda or on my OmniFocus tickler ;)

The other things to do non active task are often on my project list.

Hi Smiley,

When ever I find people agreeing with me, I review my premises and logic to see where I MUST have gone wrong ;-)

Derek:

<< As someone who takes weeks to get through his AF list... >>

To take weeks to get through the AF list is completely contrary to the spirit of AF. The whole idea is to move quite rapidly through the list so that you get a good mixture of tasks. If you are going to take weeks to move through the list you might just as well deal with your tasks on a First In First Out basis and forget about AF altogether.

I would recommend that you look at why you are taking weeks. Is it because you are not prepared to dismiss tasks, or because you haven't grasped the principle of "little and often", or what?

"Now" is easy.

"When the list tells you" is easy.

I think MOK's situation is more like a DIT "Same Day" task. But Autofocus doesn't have a line.

(I still haven't got my copy back from my son so I could be wrong. Maybe I should just buy another - what would you advise, Mark?)

My gut feel is that if, like me, you're not getting through the list several times a day, you're doing something wrong.

Thanks, Mark,

<<not really a tweak - just a sensible precaution!>>

Interesting concept...

So for "Must do today" stuff, you wall off a buffer of time in case you don't get to it. If you need the buffer, it becomes non-discretionary and AF has to wait, just like with any other non discretionary time.

Yes, I know I'm thinking too hard. It's just the way I am. Sorry.

A little stunned that this concept is so hard to grasp. If you have to do something at a certain:
* day
* time
* month
Place it on your calendar. Everyone from Covey to Allen support this process. When you wake up in the AM, you check your calendar BEFORE your AF list.

Avrum, one of my problems with the calendar method is that it doesn't take into account and leave you a buffer for the "stuff happens" on the day you've got that item scheduled.

Working ahead does leave you that buffer of time - which AF handles very well.

I don't think my life / work is so different from other people's - in fact, my work is probably more deadline driven than most, yet I have *not one thing* on my calendar with respect to deadlines. The 'working to deadline' mentality contributes to a lot of stress. People will play around, working on 'not urgent, not important' stuff and then get into panic mode at the last minute, having to stay late or failing to deliver by the deadline.

Use your calendar to warn you in advance of a hard deadline for a task on your AF list. The amount of advance notice would depend on the expected duration of the task.

As Avrum said, this is a fundamental lesson from many productivity methods. Ultimately, the lists of tasks (whether AF pages, GTD lists, FranklinCovey ABC/123) are reminders of things to be done. Decide when you want to be reminded of them -- whenever you get around to it (i.e. on the last AF page), or on a specific day in your calendar.

Avrum,

I think we are talking about things with a deadline: they can be done at any time before then.

Mark,

Because I know that am quite capable of getting my head down into some juicy task and forgetting all about it until too late. So I'd:

a) worry about it and get distracted while I struggle on with priority work
b) drop the important stuff and do the agenda as soon as I was asked or
c) make a note in my diary to make sure I didn't forget.

c is the "wall off" option which I thought you suggested as a sensible precaution.

Mark, you're right. I think I read the "DO" part of 'do at a certain time', and got confused. I thought it was referring to work, not an appointment. Sorry Avrum. :-)

Reminds me of the story of the blind men and the elephant (and Mike vs. Mark on goals), where we view reality differently based on our perspective.

I think Will is right about his example of the agenda for tomorrow's meeting. It does not need to be done "now". But it does need to be done before he can be sure of getting to the end of his list. The rules should be amended to cover this situation, which arises often.

Exactly what the rules say on this issue is another matter. A large number of different fixes have been suggested. It may even be that the rules should not prescribe any particular solution so long as they at least made suggestions as to how the problem could be overcome.

Hi James,

One last try then I'll let it go ...

>>> The rules should be amended to cover this situation, which arises often. <<<

Why is it that you need rules? You know the answer now and so you can move forward. Why insist that there be rules for this, that, and the other? Much of life is about encountering a road block and working out how to get around it. In the long run, we build a body of experience to help us in the next encounter ... but we don't really need rules for everything.

>>> Exactly what the rules say on this issue is another matter. A large number of different fixes have been suggested. It may even be that the rules should not prescribe any particular solution <<<

And that is my point. Different people have different methods so how does one come up with a rule? The first thing I'd likely do is ditch whatever rule you gave me and work out my own solution. My way of solving a problem will seldom be the same as yours.

>>> so long as they at least made suggestions as to how the problem could be overcome. <<<

There you go again ;-) Seriously, don't you see the flaw in that? It might not even be a PROBLEM for me. My way of working and my other tools might result in my never encountering the problem you do. Should everyone's possible problem be put into the AF description ... along with every conceivable solution? The "description" would turn into a new "book".

Maybe to reduce it to absurdity might make my point better. Should AF have these rules:

- What size book I should write in?
- What kind of pen?
- How many times a day to look at the list?

Those are individual choices we make to allow us to work the way we do best. If they were dictated, we would ignore them right out of the gate. This is a lot of the reason GTD rubbed some of us the wrong way. What if I want to use hanging files? What if I want to hand letter my folder labels? In what way does the use of hanging files or hand lettering detract from the usefulness of GTD? Yet there it is ... a "rule" which has no bearing on the functioning of the system bundled in with the things that do. A bad idea.

I know Mark has a certain kind of note pad that he likes to use. I'm also sure he has certain chachkas on his desk. Neither of those things interest me at all. They are irrelevant to the efficient use of MY system to manage MY time to reach MY goals. I tear out finished pages others keep them ... what kind of rule would make everyone happy there?

Anyway, I'll desist now. If you really need those rules, talk Mark into it. ;-)

Mike:

I totally agree that you don't need 'rules' to tell you how to run your life or to cover the minutiae of running AF - i.e. each to their own for much of it. The only reason I can see for Mark to add to or change the 'rules' of AF is so that someone coming to the site afresh will be able to read guidelines that are the most up to date and have resolved any major problems that have arisen from the beta testing. Those who have been using it awhile should be able to sort themselves out without any kind of official sanctioning by Mark!

Everyone:

For the record, I stopped using AF quite some time ago. I used to use a similar system ages ago when I was employed (I've been self employed for nigh on ten years now). I didn't dismiss items in quite the same way as AF but I did used to go back through the pages to discover the tasks I was resisting and then either cross them out or force myself to do them to get rid of them from my list. Therefore later AF was good for me while I needed it.

However, now I tend only to write lists as a reminder of specific things. I occasionally use my diary/calendar on my phone for appointments and such like. As I am in the process of developing my painting with the plan to turn full time, I have simplified things down and can mostly do without a list.

As always, it's different strokes for different folks and I only use a list when I need to. I've made a strong commitment to my art now and so that has the focus of my time.

An interesting book I've been using of late is by an American - Steve Chandler. It's "Ten Commitments to Your Success" which has helped me to focus on what I want to achieve and to just get on with it. Simple really! (and out of interest reminds me of some of the ideas in Mark's How to Make Your Dreams Come True book).

However, if I were to ever be employed again (!) or circumstances changed where I had to run many more things at once then I would more than likely use AF. It's just right now I know what I want to get done so I just go ahead and do it without the need for the full AF system. Many things of course don't get done but I'm happy with that for now and will adjust later as I see the need!

The only other curious thing I've noticed since I've been just dipping back into the forum to see how others are getting on with the system is that some people seem to confuse a time management system with a life management system. There always seems to be confusion over projects. I see AF as a tool for task management whereas there are an almost infinite number of ways to manage projects and I guess you just have to pick what suits you and the project. I've always found if I get stuck on something then a bit of research will give me ideas on how to solve the problem but I don't depend on one source to solve everything for me.

And I thought "commitment creep" was just something my exes called me.

Hi Hannah,

>>> I totally agree that you don't need 'rules' to tell you how to run your life or to cover the minutiae of running AF - i.e. each to their own for much of it. The only reason I can see for Mark to add to or change the 'rules' of AF is so that someone coming to the site afresh will be able to read guidelines that are the most up to date and have resolved any major problems that have arisen from the beta testing. Those who have been using it awhile should be able to sort themselves out without any kind of official sanctioning by Mark! <<<

Thinking about it more, I guess what I'm trying to say is:

- We each have different needs and so different solutions will work for us. That implies that the "rules" might have to be minimal to allow us to develop those unique solutions.

- Mark has said that he has no plans to expand or edit his "rules". A number of us have made suggestions in the past and he has responded that he thinks things are fine as they are. So be it.

- Mark disagrees with some of the tweaks that some of us have made so he would not include those in any case, I'm guessing.

- The basic system, as described by Mark, works fine for some people.

As for the rest, I'm with you. Do what works and take from many sources. ;-)

Hi Hannah

Good to see you back. Funnily enough, the Studio is the only place where AutoFocus has been working well for me (perhaps because being there is in itself a kind of focusing).

What I have noticed is that AF has led me to do things which I would otherwise have dismissed almost before they became conscious. I'm very glad I did them, though I suppose they could be regarded as distraction.

I think it frees up the right brain which is good for growth. Project planning with the right side of the brain? :-)

Thank you again for your book recommendations earlier in the forum which I obtained.