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FV and FVP Forum > What if the top item is unimportant?

Hi folks. Just starting trying FV and have a question:

What if the first unactioned item on my list is unimportant, I don't particularly feel like doing it, and it's time consuming? Is it better to just stick to the FV plan and do it anyway, skip it, or something else?

Thanks!
October 14, 2012 at 18:01 | Unregistered Commentersamhandwich
+JMJ+

If it is really unimportant, then delete it or re-write it. That is the same as doing it.

Of course, you can just do away with that problem by using AndreasE's tweak (which I use and I highly endorse) of starting with the task that "stands out" in the first PAGE (rather than starting with the first unactioned task in the whole list): http://markforster.squarespace.com/fv-forum/post/1932921

And grrrrrrr, your log in name makes me hungry...
October 14, 2012 at 18:14 | Registered Commenternuntym
If you want to follow the FV rules, you should do *something* on that top item on the list. But that may just be to "get out the folder" -- you certainly aren't expected to finish it.
October 15, 2012 at 21:16 | Registered CommenterDeven
I agree with Deven.

If the task is unimportant, but I still want to complete it I will make some progress on it, but I will only spend a short time on it e.g. 5 minutes. That way I am moving towards completing it, but it does not impact on the time I want to spend on other tasks.

If you ignore the task or just rewrite it on the bottom several time, you are in away admitting you aren't going to complete it and you may as well remove it.
November 19, 2012 at 13:08 | Unregistered CommenterKate Davis
Um, if it is not important and you don't want to do it? That's called quadrant 4. Get it out of your list and out of your life! You have more interesting and more important things to do.
November 19, 2012 at 14:20 | Registered CommenterAlan Baljeu
I find the best way to handle those "not important enough to spend time on but too important to delete" projects is:

1. Move them all to a separate page.

2. Add up all the time I spend doing important things that can't be put off. This gives me a sense of perspective. Yes, all those other things are important, but the main list is even more important.

3. Pick one of the semi-important projects and put it back on the big list. If I lose interest, replace it with one of the other semi-important projects -- but only have one of them on the big list at a time.

or

3. Add 1 line to big list: Work on a semi-important project. The only time I get to work on any of the projects on that list is when I reach that line. (Well, if the day's over and I'm off-list, I can work on anything I want.)

When I reach that line, I try to pick the same project each time. If I'm burnt out on that project, I pick the one that's closest to being finished, or the one that will give me the most satisfaction for the least time invested.

That lowers temptation. One reminder each time I go through the list rather than many. It also forces me to keep working on one of them until it's done.
November 19, 2012 at 14:34 | Registered CommenterCricket