Get Everything Done

For what it's worth, here's how I have been teaching Mark's Final Version to others. It only takes a couple minutes.

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Start with a list-maker. Tell them you have learned an outstanding but very simple way to manage a list of things to do. Point to the list they have on their desk (know any list makers that don't have at least one?). Tell them to dot the first one. Then ask yourself "What do I want to do before I do that?", and scan down the list. If you find one, dot it. Then ask the same question about the new dotted item, and scan down the list from that point on. When you don't find anything you want to do before you do the last dot, stop.

Now work on the dotted items in reverse order. If something comes up, add it to the end of the list. If it's really, really urgent, dot it and work on it first. Either way, keep working on the dots in reverse order until they are crossed off. Once you have finished your dotted list, dot the first open item on the list, ask yourself "What do I want to do before I do that?", and repeat the process.

One last note: to cross something off in Mark's systems, you just have to work on it for a while. Maybe you will finish it in that mini-session, and maybe not. When you are ready to move on to something else, if you have finished that item, cross it off. If you haven't, cross it off and then re-write it on the bottom of your list. Trust me, it works really well.

Add any new items to the bottom of the list - projects, tasks, big, little, urgent, sometime. The system will sort them out with the dots and the "work on for a while" rules. Don't be fooled by its simplicity. Try it and see. It works for any list. If you don't like it, then just ignore the dots and you have the same list you had when you started. It's completely risk-free.

Thanks for this Scott. I plan on teaching FV to my staff shortly, your advice is a great help.