Get Everything Done

I didn't find this exact problem on the board, though it pertains to the order of the tasks.
I try to do the system as untweaked as possiblre (just a few days in now), and I do have certain tasks that are recurring, and are only possible during certain times, but the time is not specifiable.

I.e. let's say I have meditation on my FV list (daily task). During perhaps 20-22hrs of the day I can't do it, so I do as the rules say. If it's first during these hours, I move it last.

But then sometime during the day the right time for it arrives (fits with my chores, wife, etc).
Then I guess if I were to consult my list it would become urgent and get dotted and last, i.e. get highest priority.

What I am wondering, hope it's not a silly question, is that since this will occur for maybe more than this task, and daily I will move the order around for these a lot.

Can this be detrimental to the "discipline" of working through the rest of the list in order?
This is sort of a time management psychological question I guess.

Does anyone have a solution, or do you think it'll be just fine. Some tasks get moved out of order regularly, that's just the way the system works...

Thanks.

Perhaps it's against strict FV rules, but any items that I must do in a given day become a part of my first chain for the day. I'll work on the chain in typical fashion, but will carry over daily items to the subsequent chains if I am unable to complete them due to timing. So, in this case, meditation would stay dotted until I do it, but I am constantly reminded throughout the day that it must be done.
I'm curious how others have handled these as well.

>>>>Why not just skip the first task and dot the second? Then, when the chain is complete, you still have the oldest task in its proper place.<<<<

Because during any subsequent scan the item can be picked up. If it's at the bottom of the list it will be the last item in the chain. If it's at the top, it potentially becomes the first item in your next chain (assuming the time is right).

Personally, I wouldn't put such "high priority" items in the list. They get calendared. If something such as prayer or meditation is important to me (and it is!), then I make it a point to set aside time for it. Something may enter the list as it is captured, but if in processing it I determine that it is such a task, it goes to the calendar.

Thanks guys!
Interesting thoughts! I'm hoping not to tweak the system too much.
Hope that Mark has some comments when he's back.

@Zack: I sort of anticipated the calendar note.:-)
In my case I am not able to specify the exact time, and it is not because I do not put enough worth into the activity that I won't schedule it.

I know I will do it, but if I start noting 3-hr blocks in my calendar during which I know I will for instance meditate for 45 minutes, my calendar won't look very nice because of all the overlapping blocks of time :-)

@Mike:

I see. I didn't intend to imply that you *don't* make those things a priority, just letting you know what I do with such things. Sorry if it seemed that way.

If you're using an iPhone, check out the app "Free Time" (http://freetimeapp.com/).

@Zack: No no no. I didn't mean to sound defensive :-)
I just wanted to explainwhy I can't deal with it the calendar way.

I have an android phone, but maybe there are alternatives, will check.

Personally, I handle these kinds of tasks on a calendar if I cannot willingly accept missing an opportunity to do the given task. But if I can willingly allow the task to slide (and either catch up later, or just plain let it slide altogether), I handle it in the same way that Stew does above.

As for which you consider prayer/meditation, well that's personal of course.

You made the comment "Some tasks get moved out of order regularly, that's just the way the system works..." I believe this is true - that's just the way the system works. I'd like to add that moving a task even though you didn't get to work on it may not actually move the task "out of order." The point is that you preselected it because you WANT to do it (you're psychologically ready for it) and you want to do it BEFORE other psychologically ready tasks, giving it a degree of priority.

Personally, I take the stance that the FV system sorts out the tasks you resist so you can "review" them individually in bite sized chunks. For that to happen, you need only keep selecting the psychologically ready tasks and moving them to the "front" of your list, whether you actually work on them or not. Of course you do WANT to work on them, and so you'd make your best effort to do so. And putting them at the "front" of your FV list gives them the opportunity to wind up at the "top" of your preselections, frequently affording you the opportunity to handle them first (or at least sooner rather than later). But the point is that by attempting to work on them you seperate them from those that you resist so that you can deal with them seperately in their own time.

So though I'm not Mark Forster, I make a guess that preselecting and then moving tasks that you did not get to work on doesn't "break" the system. That indeed it's part of what makes the system work, even if it's not the BEST use of the system.

I see the smilie for your messy calendar. Mine's a sight!

I rarely show time blocks. A list with times, in the order I think of them, works well enough. If necessary, I'll do morning/afternoon/afterschool/aftersupper blocks, but not worry about the order of things withing each block.

I use different types of pages for different time frames. Events for next year all go on one page. Events for the next few months need a page per month. Events for this week get a page per week, or more.

If a day or week is busy, I'll spread it out more, or add a page for footnotes. Long-term planning is usually done with pre-printed forms, but on the week level I'm happier with free-form. I've tried several. I just sketch out whichever format will work best for the type of week I'm predicting. Usually that's dates down one side for events and a column for reminders and critical tasks. (Those tasks are now in my FV list, except for deadlines.)

@Miracle:
I am afraid you felt prey to a logical error here.

>> The point is that you preselected it because you WANT to do it (you're psychologically ready for it)

He may have preselected a task because he wants to do it, OR alternatively it was the >> first unactioned task on the list<< as per FV rules and he preselected it as such and not because he wants to do it.

Hey! Thanks for your thoughts and ideas.
I now get that either I do it like I suggested initially or with minor tweaks.
Or I use anoher form of reminder, like an alarm.
The FV list is not so much for reminding of things to do.
Here one would use an alarm, or a second list, perhaps in a tickler file!

As opposed to for instance Linenberger's system where the tasks appear on a day to remind you, right?

So one needs several systems to accomplish this, i.e. Fv, tickler/alarm, etc...
Thanks!