Get Everything Done

I'm very excited to announce my NEW method for using Mark's Final Version with Clear!

This will dramatically simplify the following:


• Re-entering of repeating tasks
• Re-entering of unfinished and "little and often" tasks
• Re-entering of scrapped preselections

No more cut and paste!

• Keeping the list the same as a paper version of FV (Newest, reentered, and urgent tasks at the end/bottom of the list. Oldest at the top. Working your preselected list in reverse order starting at the end. Useful if you need to switch to or from paper. You don't need to unlearn your habits.)
• "Restoring" a daily checklist or workflow to its previous state (I have a simple solution I use everyday.)
• Tracking and archiving projects, goals, outcomes, results and their milestones, steps, or actions with completion dates

It does all of these with aplomb.

Note: Entering notes, location, descriptors and long tasks is now possible due to unlimited characters in the latest version of Clear. Hooray!


COMING SOON.

Hi Michael,

I only recently started testing your previous method of using FV with Clear. I find it works well, but having the "right" order of the tasks (top to bottom) would be even better. So I hope your post is coming *very* soon!

Yay!

Can't wait to see what you've got up your sleeve, Michael.

How to setup for the new Clear FV method:



STEP 1: EMAIL YOURSELF THE ELEMENTS


Copy and paste the following elements into an email to yourself. Then copy and paste into Clear to match the linked screenshots:

For your lists:

↑

⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷

↺


For your main lists area:

✓

📚



STEP 2. SET UP YOUR MAIN LISTS AREA



Create a main lists area that looks like the following screenshots:

1. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/345611/Photos/Final_Version/IMG_9141.PNG

2. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/345611/Photos/Final_Version/IMG_9142.PNG

3. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/345611/Photos/Final_Version/IMG_9144.PNG



STEP 3. SETUP YOUR LISTS


You work your lists top down at the start of your day.


GRATITUDE

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/345611/Photos/Final_Version/IMG_9155.PNG


DREAMS

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/345611/Photos/Final_Version/IMG_9147.PNG


VALUES

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/345611/Photos/Final_Version/IMG_9148.PNG


EVENTS

This list is empty, so it will be dim.


FV LIST(S)

Paste the repeating task element and chain you emailed yourself into a task box within each FV list. After doing so, swipe the chain element to the right to dim it.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/345611/Photos/Final_Version/IMG_9149.PNG

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/345611/Photos/Final_Version/IMG_9150.PNG


PROJECTS

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/345611/Photos/Final_Version/IMG_9153.PNG


CHECKLISTS…

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/345611/Photos/Final_Version/IMG_9145.PNG

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/345611/Photos/Final_Version/IMG_9146.PNG

Paste the arrow you emailed yourself into a new task box, place the cursor in front of the arrow and tap the spacebar 25 times to place it in the center of the box.



How to migrate an existing Clear method FV list to the new method:

1. Starting at the top of your existing list, swipe right over each task in order from top to bottom.
2. When all existing tasks are dimmed, starting back at the top, repeat step one.

You now have a migrated list, ready for the new method.



In my next post..

The new Clear method.

Uhm… Waiting for the next post, so that all this makes sense… Seems clever and well thought through so far.

Looking forward to it.
Few questions in anticipation to the procedure:
1) Is the third page of list view necessary for everyone? IMG_9144.PNG
2) You have Checklists as a heading, and yet there are items in the list itself? How are you distinguishing these from other routines?

My advice to consider for everyone is to use checklists only for responsibilities that are completed together, like "Closing Duties at Shop" That list might include Batching out CC machine, counting register, filling out totals form, putting total form and cash into envelope and into safe, setting alarm, turning down heat, etc.

But I would refrain from using checklists to pre-batch or pre-select what I would call single-item routines. A list such as
"Cleaning the House: Mop, Dust Throw Pillows, Scrub toilet, Polish Silver, Dust, Clear Sink, Do Laundry" will get you snagged unless you are tracking the work of an employed housekeeper (but a shared Ready list is really a separate discussion.). These are a combination of daily and less-frequent chores, things that take awhile, and things that might take a big family a number of steps. These I would put in separately within what you have as CHECKLISTS simply to repopulate the FV without typing them up each time.

That is why, if I sense where you are going with this, I already think I'm going with ROUTINES in my heading here; the lists to follow then are implied as checklists. And I'm already wondering if I can squeeze your list view into a single page if I personally don't have dedicated checklists but only one-off routines.

3)What are you doing with other forms of unsequenced checklists, like weekly groceries?
4)What if you have a dozen wish-lists and "someday" categories and hundreds of reference items (wines to try, books to read, subway map, Karate kata, javascript attributes)? How do they feed the FV system? Do you need this 3rd screen view to track them all? I'd rather know that it all fits in one view and that my workflow wasn't blocked anywhere than to have all my materials in list view. Is this reference section optional as well while still allowing your method to work?

Which leads me to the additional implication, which is that I'd rather take your initial advice of phrasing a task on a single line space such that I can scan and preselect my list very easily (for further clarity, leading the phrase with an object or completion criteria rather than an action) rather than take notes in the multiline capacity.

And I'll be curious to know if adding things to the bottom of the FV on the fly is going to be as smooth as feeding it from the top.

5) Although the consensus is that gratitudes more greatly influence our perspective when they are written down, I prefer to see "Counting my Blessings" as a moment in the day and something that evolves and changes like a prayer. So the way I see it, they can be incorporated into a "Morning Pages" journaling session (if you're really dedicated to writing them down), or with some give and take to the writing commitment, with a "few minutes of breathing" (which even works on the public transit), "giving thanks" at the dinner table, what have you. The additional benefits of this on-the-spot approach is that

it fits in just like any other FV activity (one that I particularly look forward to),
is always appropriate for selection,
it always pertains to the hustle and bustle that you need to address and fortifies you before the onslaught
it reminds you that even the current emotional tone will pass and to embrace the moment
you can use the same session to emphasize and rephrase with optimism something that happened that day,
project a non-threatening scenario or a positive outcome, and
your Gratitudes List doesn't turn into a pre-assigned affirmation list that ultimately becomes huge and disappointing.

I wanted to get this out there so you know that I'm on board, want work it, and to give us all a chance to clarify which customizations were safe before inadvertently breaking anything.

The new Clear method:


QUICK REFERENCE:

TASKS
• New tasks entered in lowercase at the end or bottom of your FV list by tapping in the black or dimmed area.

PROJECTS
• New projects are first entered in UPPERCASE to your FV list
• When a project is pre-selected, sent to your chain, and is ready to be worked on, simply copy the task, switch to your Projects list, paste in the project name as a new task at the bottom and add tasks to the project with three periods in front of each ...project task 1, etc.

PROJECT TASK COMPLETION
• For minimalists: Swipe left to delete completed project tasks.
• For archivers: Tap the completed project task, tap the spacebar, enter DONE, tap the spacebar and enter the date, like 12/21/2012.

PRE-SELECTION
• Swipe right over the first task at the top of your list. This is the oldest task. Continue down the list asking yourself, "What do I want to do before (the previous task)?".

ACTIVATING YOUR CHAIN
• When your pre-selection is complete, beginning at the end, or bottom of your list, swipe right over the bottom-most task (which will be your dimmed chain element) and continue up the dimmed tasks swiping right over each, in order. Your chain is now active.

TASK COMPLETION
• Swipe left to delete a finished task.
• Swipe right to dim a repeating or unfinished task

ADDING NEW TASKS TO THE END OF YOUR MAIN LIST WITH AN ACTIVE CHAIN
• Tap in the black or dimmed area at the end of your list (below the chain). After adding the new task, swipe it right to dim it.

ADDING A NEW URGENT TASK TO YOUR CHAIN
• Tap in the black or dimmed area at the end of your list (below the chain). After adding the new task, leave it.

ADDING AN URGENT TASK TO YOUR CHAIN FROM YOUR MAIN LIST
• Swipe right over any task in your list (even your chain) to send the urgent task to the head of your chain. Swipe right over the task to activate it.

COMPLETING A CHAIN AND RESETTING THE LIST
• When all the tasks in your chain have either been deleted or dimmed, swipe right over the chain element to complete the chain. Then, starting at the bottom-most dimmed task, swipe right over each until you reach the chain element, leaving it dimmed. You have now completed your chain and reset your list by sending, in perfect FV sequence, all your new, repeating, and unfinished tasks to the end of your list. Voila! It's magic, I know.

SCRAPPING A PRE-SELECTION
Starting at the bottom-most task in your chain, swipe right over each, in order, until you reach the chain element, swipe right over it too. The starting at the bottom again, repeat the process until you reach the chain and leave it dimmed. It's just like re-writing your scrapped pre-selection at the end of your list, in proper order.



A day in the life:


8 am: Wake up. Open my morning checklist, which I do in a specific order. I decide to add a new task between two other items by pinching my fingers open between them and creating a new task. I do my tasks in order, from bottom to top. I begin by swiping right over the dimmed arrow element at the bottom, activating it. I complete the first task, tap and hold the arrow element, and move it up past the completed task. When I reach the end of my checklist, the top, I swipe right over the arrow to send it to the bottom ready for the next day.

9 am: Starting at the top of my main list area, I work my way down through each list, in order, like a funnel. I open my Gratitude list. This is to motivate you and get you excited and seeing possibilities you may have overlooked. This list contains things I'm grateful for and resources available to me that are easy to forget I have access to. This list opens your eyes. Gratitude is essential to your happiness and fulfillment.

9:01 am: I open my Dreams list. This list continues to build on the momentum begun with my Gratitude list. It contains slightly to completely unrealistic goals. Fun and inspiring. Like: "Night-tracking tigers with villagers in Sumatra."

9:02 am: Open my Values list. I read my top ten values. My goals, projects, dreams and tasks are viewed through the lens of my values so there is no internal conflict. If my goal is "Night-tracking tigers with villagers in Sumatra." and my top value is "Safety and Security", I need to change my values or change my goal.

9:03 am: I see the dimmed Events list and know to check my Calendar for any events to add to my FV list.

9:04 am: I open my FV list. Let's pretend my list is empty of tasks. I set my theme to "Graphite". I have tested all the themes and this one is the best combination of visual clarity in varying lighting conditions and low-strain on my eyes.

I keep the status bar at the top on so I can see the time. This helps me judge the time available when I build a chain of tasks.

At the top of my list is the title of my list. I title the top of every list as it's easy to lose track of what list I'm in. If I forget, I tap the top of the screen and see the title. It also helps me remember that the top is the start of my FV list, just like on paper.

Just below the list title is the repeating task element. When I open my FV list I first tap twice on the repeating element task, choose "select all", and then choose "copy". Now whenever I enter a new task or come across an existing task that will repeat, I simply paste it at the end of the task. This way I know immediately to never delete these tasks and instead swipe them to the right when they are complete. I don't have to think about it each time.

Just below the repeating task element is the chain element. I tested lines, dashes, blank tasks, bullets, and titles to separate the chain of pre-selected tasks from the rest of the list. This chain element has proven to be an instant, memorable visual-separator. Looks just like a bicycle chain. Unless I have an active chain, this chain element remains dimmed. Simply swipe it to the right to dim it. When you first paste the chain element into your list, be sure to place the cursor in front of the chain element and tap the spacebar twice to make the task box slightly bigger, creating additional visual separation of your main list from your pre-selected chain of tasks.

I enter new tasks at the end or bottom of my list. Just like on paper. I simply tap anywhere in the black, even on the dimmed chain element or dimmed tasks.

So…

I have a title at the top, a repeating task element, and a dimmed chain element below that.

I add five tasks — in lowercase — by tapping in the black at the bottom of the list. My oldest task is task 1. Because task 4 will repeat, I paste the repeating task element at the end of that task. I am ready to do my pre-selection.

Starting at the top of my list, just like on paper, I swipe right over the first, oldest task, task 1. The task shoots to the end of my list. I continue down my list asking myself, "What do I want to do before task 1?". When I come to a task I wish to do before task 1, I swipe right over the task to send it to the end of my list. Now I'm ready to activate my chain and start my work.

Starting at the end of my list, beginning with the dimmed chain, I swipe right over each dimmed task, in order, from the bottom up until everything is illuminated again. I now have an active chain and I work my tasks in reverse order starting at from the bottom, just like paper.

I complete task 4. I see that task 4 repeats, so I swipe it to the right to dim it. A new task occurs to me that I want to do tomorrow. I tap in the black at the bottom of my list to create a new task. I then *swipe that task right to dim it*.

Just then a task in my main list becomes urgent. I scroll up the list and swipe that task to the right. It shoots to the end of my list, I return to the end of my list and swipe that urgent task to the right to activate it. It's now at the head of my chain ready to be actioned.

To create a new urgent task for your chain, simply tap in the black at the end of your list and leave the task active.

I've now worked my way to the last task in my chain, task 1. I don't have time to finish it now and need to move on to other things, so I will leave it unfinished and send it the end of my main list. I swipe it to the right to dim it.

My chain is complete, I now swipe the chain element right to complete the chain. It's now time to reset the list and send the repeating, unfinished, and new tasks to the end of the list in proper FV order. Your last actioned or entered task will be at the end of the list. Perfectly ordered, every time.

To reset the list, beginning at the very bottom dimmed task, swipe right over each, from bottom to top, until you reach the dimmed chain element, then stop. Leave the chain element dimmed. This is for two reasons. It shows you have no active chain and more importantly allows you to add new tasks and have them entered at the end of your list.

With that said, there is a little trick you can use if you'd like.

Let's say you want to know what the latest tasks are that you entered since your last chain, or you want to at any point rattle off an instant chain of new urgent tasks and immediately start them, or a grocery list. Instead of resetting your list and leaving the chain element dimmed, *re-activate it*. Now as you add new tasks at the end of your list, the chain element will divide them from the rest of the list. When you're ready to do your pre-selection and create a new chain, simply swipe the chain element to the right to send it to the end of your list and start your preselection.

Let's move on to projects.

I enter projects like tasks, but I enter them in UPPERCASE. Tasks are entered in lowercase. This separate casing is for three reasons:

1. Your projects stand out in your main list as projects
2. You project names are now setup to be visual headers in your projects list
3. Lowercase makes for speedy entry of tasks instead of trying to capitalize each task, and scanning a list of tasks that start in lowercase is easier on your eyes as they aren't distracted by casing until you see a Project

You don't do projects. You do its tasks. And you enter those tasks in the Projects list.

Let's say I enter PROJECT X in my FV list. I do my pre-selection and PROJECT X is added to my chain. When I come to that task in my chain, I copy that project name, switch to the Projects list, and paste it in as a new task. Then I begin adding tasks to the project. It could be that this is the only action I want to take on PROJECT X, simply entering tasks for it in the Project list. In this case, however, I'm going to take some action on the project's tasks. So I enter each project task below the project name and add three periods before each task ...task 1, as a form of bullet and visual separator in the list. I tested bullets, dashes and tapping the spacebar a few times in front of each task, but found that three periods works best. They do two things:

1. Provide further visual separation of tasks from project
2. If you ever want to copy a task from the Project list and paste it to the end of your FV list, the three periods show you the task is attached to a project

I can get started on any project task if there is no specific order they must be done in, in which case I simply drag that task to the top of that project's list and I get started on the task. If the tasks must be done in a specific order, I simply drag them into the proper sequence from top to bottom. To add new tasks to a project I pinch my thumb and index fingers open between any two tasks.

I separate projects from one another by adding a blank task or two between them. Simply create a new task, tap the spacebar once in the new task, and close by tapping below it.

When you complete a project task, you have two options for two styles of working.

First, The Archiver.

They want to see progress on their project in the form of completed, perhaps dated tasks. Simply tap on a completed project task, tap the space bar, enter DONE, tap the spacebar again and enter the current date in whatever form you want, like: 12/21/2012. You now have a scrollable list of projects with their current and dated completed tasks.

Finally, The Minimalist.

Swipe left to delete what you complete!


EXAMPLE WORKFLOW:


NEWLY ENTERED TASKS

FV LIST
task 1
task 2
task 3
task 4 ↺
task 5

⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷ (Dimmed)
Tap here in the black or even on the dimmed chain element


PRE-SELECTION

FV LIST
task 2
task 5
-t-a-s-k-4-↺-
-t-a-s-k-3-
-t-a-s-k-1-

⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷ (Dimmed)


ACTIVATING THE CHAIN

FV LIST
task 2
task 5
-t-a-s-k-4-↺- Swipe right #4
-t-a-s-k-3- Swipe right #3
-t-a-s-k-1- Swipe right #2

⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷ (Dimmed) Swipe right #1


ACTIVE CHAIN, READY FOR ACTION

FV LIST
task 2
task 5

⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷
task 1
task 3
task 4 ↺


COMPLETING A CHAIN

FV LIST
task 2
task 5

⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷⊷
-t-a-s-k-1- -------------------------------------------------------------------> swipe right to dim unfinished
task 3 <------------------------------------------------------------------- swipe left to delete completed
-t-a-s-k-4-↺- -------------------------------------------------------------------> swipe right to dim repeating

Tap here in the black to add a new task at any time while a chain is active, then immediately swipe it right to dim unless you want it added to your chain. If a task becomes urgent anywhere in your list, simply swipe it right, it shoots to the end of your list and the beginning of your chain, swipe it right a second time to activate it.



That's it! Go to it.

James:


"Is the third page of list view necessary for everyone? IMG_9144.PNG"

… No. Those are optional. Everything above the "Checklists" area is part of the new Clear method.


"You have Checklists as a heading, and yet there are items in the list itself?"

… Ah. I keep a blank task in any "empty" heading list to make sure the title stands out, but then it occurred to me to count how many checklists I have under that heading and add a blank task for each in the heading list. Now I see how many checklists I have at a glance. Each time I add a new checklist I add a new blank task in the "Checklists" heading list. I like that it gives those little numbers beside the heading a purpose. I get distracted seeing "1" task in the heading list and wonder, "Hmm. What's in there? Oh, never mind it's just a blank task to make sure the heading is highlighted."


"My advice to consider for everyone is to use checklists only for responsibilities that are completed together, like "Closing Duties at Shop" That list might include Batching out CC machine, counting register, filling out totals form, putting total form and cash into envelope and into safe, setting alarm, turning down heat, etc."

… Yes.


That is why, if I sense where you are going with this, I already think I'm going with ROUTINES in my heading here…

… Yes. I only think of checklists as routines and workflows. No random tasks go in my checklists.


"And I'm already wondering if I can squeeze your list view into a single page if I personally don't have dedicated checklists."

... Yes. For this method you only need 6 lists. Gratitude, Dreams, Values, Events (just a dimmed heading list), an FV list and a Projects list.


"What are you doing with other forms of un-sequenced checklists, like weekly groceries?"

… Since I only buy groceries for me, and I have a minimalist diet, I enter items as they occur to me in my FV list. When I'm ready to shop I simply do a pre-selection from the top of my list, swiping right on any wanted grocery item and sending it to the bottom. I then activate the chain using the new method and head to the market. When my shop is complete, I reset the list sending all the grocery items to the end of the list, grouped together, eventually most of the grocery items form a large block which is easy to spot or skip over in the list. Voila. If I had a large list, I would simply create a special checklist for groceries use the arrow element from the routine checklists. You could also swipe each task to the right when complete. Then, when you revisit the list to do your next shop, scan the dimmed list and reactivate any wanted items. Or, if you didn't mind, you could simply re-activate every item in the checklist after completing your shop. That's tedious though unless you have only a few page-scrolls worth of items in your list. I think Clear's developers will come through on this one and design the ability to swipe right on a list to complete all items, and a second swipe to the right to reset the checklist to it's "locked" order.


"What if you have a dozen wish-lists and "someday" categories and hundreds of reference items (wines to try, books to read, subway map, Karate kata, javascript attributes)? How do they feed the FV system"?

… I was tracking many reference lists like "...to read", with important actionable items like, "Read this book", "Watch that film", "Listen to this album", etc. but have decided against that. Instead, *if it's important*, I pour it into my FV list and also have a task there that says "review reference list x" for catching things I may wish to do in the future. Keep your reference lists in Clear, a notebook, or Evernote. Anything that's urgent or important *right now*, or soon, goes in your FV list.


"Do you need this 3rd screen view to track them all?"

… No.


"Is this reference section optional as well while still allowing your method to work?"

… Yes.


"I'd rather take your initial advice of phrasing a task on a single line space...rather than take notes in the multiline capacity."

… Certainly. Though the extra room, *for me*, far outweighs the slight loss in scanning speed.


"And I'll be curious to know if adding things to the bottom of the FV on the fly is going to be as smooth as feeding it from the top."

… It's smoother. You will basically be living at the end of your list exactly as before at the top. Except now, when you add a new task, it's a simple tap at the bottom. No more accidentally pulling the new task box down too far at the top and going into the main lists area and less movement for your wrist and index finger. You also get to have the title of your list at the top.


"Although the consensus is that gratitudes more greatly influence our perspective when they are written down, I prefer to see "Counting my Blessings" as a moment in the day and something that evolves and changes like a prayer. So the way I see it, they can be incorporated into a "Morning Pages" journaling session (if you're really dedicated to writing them down), or with some give and take to the writing commitment, with a "few minutes of breathing" (which even works on the public transit), "giving thanks" at the dinner table, what have you."

… The point behind the quick scan of your Gratitude list is to:

A. Motivate you by reminding you of your resources
B. Start your first thoughts of the day positively
C. Appreciate what you have and find fulfillment in that
D. Propel you with some excitement into your Dreams list, and then from your Dreams list to your Events list, and straight into your FV list where you should feel slightly better about taking action on those tasks now that you know the resources you have at your fingertips and the good things you have in your life. The science behind gratitude is strong, so strong, it's the top of the funnel.


"I wanted to...clarify which customizations were safe before inadvertently breaking anything."

… Just remember to pre-select, activate your chain, complete your items, and reset your list correctly. Have fun! It's fun.

Two slight variations for those who enjoy using the heat map to visualize their FV list with color.

First, the theme that inspired me to create the new Clear method:

"Lucky Clover"

I call this the Banana Map.

Using this theme with a long list produces a darker shade of green at the top near your oldest tasks, and a gradually lighter green, turning slightly yellow towards your newest and most urgent tasks. It's also not too bad on the eyes.

Top of list = dark green = not ripe = not likely to be urgent; languishing, resistant
End of list = yellow = ripe = urgent, new


The next one uses the "Heat Map" theme. Simply think of the darker red at the top as your oldest resistant tasks slowing down to a stop and becoming embers in the fire, and your newest orange tasks near the bottom as being a bright flame.

Top of list = dark red = embers in the fire, stopping = not likely to be urgent; languishing, resistant
End of list = orange = bright flame = new, urgent

Thank you, Michael, for many excellent ideas. I have learned quite a lot from your system.

For my taste and needs there are too many elements that are not FV related though, so I took out the main ideas and set up my FV list in Clear. If anyone is interested I might try to put together short and concise guidelines for setting up a FV list only in Clear (which is really a most excellent app for Mark Forster's Final Version). Your would you like to do that, Michael? Thanks again for taking the time to share your system!

This is all very cool, Michael. I think there's too much in the way of non-FV stuff for me to adopt it, but I did steal your chain and repeating icons.

David:

"...there are too many elements that are not FV related though..."

... I agree. I thought it best to show the new method within my current workflow. However, the new method did get lost in my workflow description, and it's really quite simple when standing on its own. I am writing a simplified version of the instructions and will post a video as well.

Zack:

"I think there's too much in the way of non-FV stuff..."

... Agreed. I should have divided my workflow description from the new Clear method instructions.

Michael:
>... I agree. I thought it best to show the new method within my current workflow. However, the new method did get lost in my workflow description, and it's really quite simple when standing on its own. I am writing a simplified version of the instructions and will post a video as well.

Great idea, Michael. Your Clear method is genius and I'm looking forward to your simplified instructions. I hope that many iPhone users will see the potential of using FV with Clear for iPhone. The automatic reordering and re-entering of tasks is brilliant, it couldn't be any simpler.

My current workflow looks like this:

1. FV list in Clear
2. Scheduled todos (due or start on a certain date = tickler file) in Things (Mac app)
3. Recurring todos in Things as well

I work mainly from my FV list in clear. I have a simple morning routine in which I check recurring todos (I keep a reminder to check Things in my FV list) and enter todos from my tickler file into the FV list.

I try to keep it as simple as possible. This method works great so far. I look forward to Mark's next newsletters, as I am curious to know how he handles scheduled and recurring todos. I see that recurring todos can be entered in your FV list (which I do with some of those items), but if you have a lot of recurring todos, they would clutter the FV list too much IMO. I guess my use of Things corresponds a bit to your checklists.

David:


"...I have a simple morning routine in which I check recurring todos [in Things]..."

... I'll try this for checklists. Thanks for the idea!


"...and enter todos from my [Things] tickler file into the FV list."

... I currently do this with the iOS version of iCal. Three questions:


• Is it easier and as reliable to enter future todos in Things rather than iCal?

• Are you eliminating redundancy by using Things for future reminders as well as checklists, as iCal and Things overlap for reminders?

• Do you also use Things for scheduling events with a specific time and day?

Michael:
"...and enter todos from my [Things] tickler file into the FV list."
... I currently do this with the iOS version of iCal. Three questions:
• Is it easier and as reliable to enter future todos in Things rather than iCal?
• Are you eliminating redundancy by using Things for future reminders as well as checklists, as iCal and Things overlap for reminders?
• Do you also use Things for scheduling events with a specific time and day?

1. I'd say it's faster, yes, on both Things Mac and iOS. I keep the calendar reserved for events, no todos in there.
2. I don't use iCal for reminders. If I need a time-specific reminder (which isn't the case very often) I use "Due" on the iPhone
3. No, see 1. and 2. :)

No complaints here, just quietly setting things up.

To the skeptics, I'll argue that this is strict FV. Like Allen's comments on the Paradigm of Importance, I would anticipate that Dreams Lists and the like only serve to raise the bar on the thoroughness of your collection process, and puts more healthy pressure on you to get real work accomplished. And your handling the project lists seems consistent with the FV algorithm as far as I understand it.

Okay, for some clarifications on the instructions, you might also try Skitch if a screen cast is getting too complicated.
Here's one I'd like to know:
"I separate projects from one another by adding a blank task or two between them. Simply create a new task, tap the spacebar once in the new task, and close by tapping below it."

By this do you mean that all your Action lists for Personal projects, for example, all fall under one Clear list? That is, one list has Project Headings, which in CAPITAL CASE, are the flags traveling through FiVe, and the corresponding Header in your projects list is then followed by the next steps for that project, then below those steps you create space and a new HEADER for other Personal Projects that came up in the course of your working the FV system?

Also, doesn't it stand to reason that if you're incorporating the SuperSelf program into your generating process that the stage Goal Generating list, having made it through your values process, would already serve as headers for the FV? So do we need a SuperSelf Action list of our Goals thrown in there? In other words, in creating a Goals list with the SuperSelf program (which in the way this is set up) aren't we just using another method to define our project headings?

Before I proceed, I'd like to offer a modification in terms: Goals ARE aspirations and dreams. I have no problem throwing Goals in with my dreams list. Things like Stop Global Warming or Lets Win the War on Terror have been popular political rallying cries and pie in the sky Goals. But while they can appear more like dreams, they can also remain legitimate causes worth committing. What SuperSelf is calling Goals, I would call Objectives. Therefore my project headings are phrased with a measurable results criteria, or output, in the pursuit of an intended outcome. Being unrealistic doesn't disqualify goals. Not having operational objectives illegitimizes goals. Typically this means localizing ones motives for the goal, or bringing specificity with things like a time, options, or resource constraint. It is this process of finding target objectives that are operational which needs to work in the funnel. By the Action plan, (or what I'd suggest could go straight into the FV if you kept the demarkation that this was a step in a project. Maybe identifying it as such doesn't even matter for the system to work?)

I'd like to also mention that if we're interested in having all this function, Mark Forster's criteria for filtering from a dreams list, as this is set up, would need to adhere to only one empirical value, and that is that we have COMMITTED to that Objective. Sure you could use these headings, maybe with a "?" at the end, to explore interests before sending them forwards to the projects list or backwards to remain in the Goals list or discarded. But ultimately these systems function or fail based on our having correctly identified our commitments, not our open list of interests.

Therefore, while the FV system is constantly shifting, lists like goals and values, if they budge at all, will move at a glacial/plate tectonic pace (depending on how steadfast you hold the causes in your life). Therefore, I wonder if there really is a place for them in the dynamic area surrounding the FV system? You might as well do this work off line, particularly if the intension or outcome to this stage as I've interpreted it is to answer "have I committed to this goal?" "If so, what do I want to show for it?" Dragging every value that I carry around to get there would compete with my other activities. On the other hand, identifying the few values that I've just been carrying around and which I'm willing to sacrifice in order to make this goal happen and so choose an objective that gets my hands dirty-now that's typically a shorter values list (hopefully for you) and a lot more like life.

So again, is the values list really necessary here? (Particularly if we want to see big picture and little picture all in one place, and don't want to add overhead to the FV system.)

David- what I like about your approach is it addresses the question of how to handle tasks with a start time criteria. But I really think that's a separate topic. Also, if you aren't preselecting the reoccurring Tasks in the same FV process, due to them being relegated and reviewed in a different app, then you're more likely to break this system. If you're only putting check lists in there, then I think you'd be fine.

Also, you need to be careful about why you're scheduling a task. Short of a start date criteria, a necessary location, and the implication that it involves the coordination of other people (even if its a matter of having reserved a practice room with a piano) the calendar is space that represents events. And I like that you're trying a method that uses native functionality to your OS. Good future proofing, and the synchronization will be native as well. It will be interesting to see the methods people create now that tasks are decoupled from calendars in Lion. And soon notes will be decoupled from mail accounts.

@James: Thanks for the tips.

One of the reasons I still use Things is because it contained all my tasks before I started using FV. Most of the recurring tasks are nothing more than a checklist that I can go through quickly. Other recurring tasks have a start day only 3 or 4 months after completion. Where would you put those?

I also like to have my scheduled tasks (e.g. with a future start date) in Things, because most of them don’t belong in my calendar. To give you an example: it’s January and I’m on the phone with my cousin. He wants to invite us for lunch, but sometime in spring, when it’s hotter. So we agree that I give him a call in April to fix a date. I don’t want to keep such a reminder in my calendar. Neither can I put this todo (”call Dan for lunch in May”) in my FV list.

At the moment it still seems to be the best solution for me to keep those todos in Things, although I'd be more than glad to only use one app. But most of the work gets done with FV and Clear.

@Michael: How long until your next post? ;-)

"How long until your next post? ;-)"


... Well, it just made it into my chain. So, now?

David:

Things schedules tasks for specific days only. No time-based scheduling. I was thinking it might schedule future recurring tasks and time-of-day based routine checklists, combining the functionality of iCal for future recurring task reminders and Clear for maintaining daily routine checklists.

I purchased Due and like its "natural language" scheduling of reminders. Thanks for the tip.

I've posted the simplified instructions in a new post linked below. We can continue our workflow discussion here but the instructions are now easy to find at the top of a new post.

http://www.markforster.net/fv-forum/post/1813200

@Michael:
Exactly, Things tasks are day-specific, not time specific, which fits my needs. For the few time-specific reminders I need (and that are not actual events), I use Due. Glad you like it!