FV and FVP Forum > Having Issues With Burning Out with FVP
Yes that's the trouble which also happened to me with MF systems. Thet are so adictive that it is easy to spend more hours than what is necessary for doing stuff. This is the reason why I regularly clean the list for focusing on what really matters to me. Instead I would possibly work day and night . For me the key point is not doing more but doing what is absolutly necessary to succeed in our aims or targets.
May 26, 2015 at 8:04 |
Jupiter
Jupiter
I am not doing FVP, but I have this problem with any system that works well! One thing that works for me is to sprinkle a few fun or relaxing activities into the list, like reading, play a game, go for walk, nap -- you get the idea. For things that could end up taking hours, I put the maximum number of minutes in brackets after the "task", such as "Read Jack Reacher (20)", and set a timer.
Also, remember that if the system is working so well that you are burning out, it is likely that you are getting more done than you normally would, so you can afford the breaks and leisure time. My aim is to work enough to get everything done that I *need* to get done, and no more (it doesn't always work, of course). The idea is to work effectively every day, not work like crazy for a couple of days and then need a couple of weeks to recover.
Also, remember that if the system is working so well that you are burning out, it is likely that you are getting more done than you normally would, so you can afford the breaks and leisure time. My aim is to work enough to get everything done that I *need* to get done, and no more (it doesn't always work, of course). The idea is to work effectively every day, not work like crazy for a couple of days and then need a couple of weeks to recover.
May 26, 2015 at 9:32 |
Wooba
Wooba
Ryan Freckleton:
<< have noticed a feeling of discontent and "burn out" the last two days at the end of the day. >>
If it's happening at the end of the day, then the remedy is as soon as you start to feel it to stop working on the list and take a break from it until the next morning.
<< have noticed a feeling of discontent and "burn out" the last two days at the end of the day. >>
If it's happening at the end of the day, then the remedy is as soon as you start to feel it to stop working on the list and take a break from it until the next morning.
May 26, 2015 at 9:57 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
This system I believe is the optimal system to achieve flow and to work on the right task.
But, I also have struggled the last two days to know when I am now done for the day.
Normally I will write down 4 or 5 things I want to do the day and if that is done, then I am good. Anything done on top of this is a bonus.
I do however believe that with this system I will and are achieving more..I just do not get the closure feeling at the end of the day.
Any thoughts?
But, I also have struggled the last two days to know when I am now done for the day.
Normally I will write down 4 or 5 things I want to do the day and if that is done, then I am good. Anything done on top of this is a bonus.
I do however believe that with this system I will and are achieving more..I just do not get the closure feeling at the end of the day.
Any thoughts?
May 26, 2015 at 10:09 |
Nico
Nico
Nico:
<< Normally I will write down 4 or 5 things I want to do the day and if that is done, then I am good. >>
So the question at the end of the day is did FVP enable you to do the 4 or 5 things?
<< Normally I will write down 4 or 5 things I want to do the day and if that is done, then I am good. >>
So the question at the end of the day is did FVP enable you to do the 4 or 5 things?
May 26, 2015 at 10:45 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Mark: Yes...maybe 6 or more, but I guess it is my own mental issue to decide when I am done for the day and walk away from the work.
May 26, 2015 at 10:59 |
Nico
Nico
Nico:
The easiest way is to have a definite stopping time beyond which you do not work.
The easiest way is to have a definite stopping time beyond which you do not work.
May 26, 2015 at 11:23 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
This a great question and a potentially serious problem for those of us who are workaholics! I'm wondering if there is some way to "close" the FVP list. The idea of a closed list is one of Mark's most brilliant contributions to time management, as far as I'm concerned. For example, I used the closed list idea with processing emails. I take every email from yesterday and put them in a special folder called "today." This is a closed list of emails, basically all of yesterday's emails. Then, I have a special task in FVP called "process emails". When I do that task, I process every email in that "today" file, usually about 25-30 in my ballywick. Meanwhile, I don't look at any other email. That was very liberating when I first started doing this a month ago, and surprisingly efficient. I respond to every email within a day. My inbox is not empty, but it only has today's emails.
I think the ultimate goal of a closed list is that I'm doing a days worth of work every day, no more, no less. My contribution to the discussion around burnout: if you're doing more than a days work regularly, you may have too many commitments?
I think the ultimate goal of a closed list is that I'm doing a days worth of work every day, no more, no less. My contribution to the discussion around burnout: if you're doing more than a days work regularly, you may have too many commitments?
May 26, 2015 at 14:24 |
Paul MacNeil
Paul MacNeil
Paul MacNeil:
As I wrote in reply to Seraphim on another thread, the FVP list works on a quite different principle to a closed list system like Do It Tomorrow:
-------------------
"Remember that DIT and FVP work on completely different premises.
"DIT is designed to keep you completely up-to-date with your work and to end every day with everything done. To achieve that you have to be very restrictive about what you put on your list.
"FVP on the other hand aims to give you the optimum path through a long list of things which you may or may not really want or need to do. That implies that some things on the list (possibly quite a lot of things) may never get done. The success of the system is measured by what you do do, not by what you don't do."
-------------------
FVP can certainly be used in conjunction with closed lists. For instance when I got back from holiday last week I put all the emails which had arrived while I had been away in a Backlog folder and had two tasks "Email" for new emails, and "Backlog" for old emails. It only took me a couple of days to clear them completely.
You might try one or both of the suggestions I made to Seraphim to give a sense of closure to the day:
1. At the beginning of the day write down a short list (4 or 5 items) of the things you most want to achieve during the day. At the end of the day did you achieve them using FVP?
2. Put the date next to each task as you complete it (e.g. 26). That way you can see exactly what you have achieved during the day. You might even want to write the day's finished tasks out as a separate list at the end of the day and ask yourself "Did I spend the day doing the right stuff? If not what should I have been doing instead?"
As I wrote in reply to Seraphim on another thread, the FVP list works on a quite different principle to a closed list system like Do It Tomorrow:
-------------------
"Remember that DIT and FVP work on completely different premises.
"DIT is designed to keep you completely up-to-date with your work and to end every day with everything done. To achieve that you have to be very restrictive about what you put on your list.
"FVP on the other hand aims to give you the optimum path through a long list of things which you may or may not really want or need to do. That implies that some things on the list (possibly quite a lot of things) may never get done. The success of the system is measured by what you do do, not by what you don't do."
-------------------
FVP can certainly be used in conjunction with closed lists. For instance when I got back from holiday last week I put all the emails which had arrived while I had been away in a Backlog folder and had two tasks "Email" for new emails, and "Backlog" for old emails. It only took me a couple of days to clear them completely.
You might try one or both of the suggestions I made to Seraphim to give a sense of closure to the day:
1. At the beginning of the day write down a short list (4 or 5 items) of the things you most want to achieve during the day. At the end of the day did you achieve them using FVP?
2. Put the date next to each task as you complete it (e.g. 26). That way you can see exactly what you have achieved during the day. You might even want to write the day's finished tasks out as a separate list at the end of the day and ask yourself "Did I spend the day doing the right stuff? If not what should I have been doing instead?"
May 26, 2015 at 16:04 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
I always have a "take a break" task on my list, which I re-enter after I take a break. Would having a "stop work for the day" task help, or would it never become the thing you "want" to do most?
May 26, 2015 at 17:05 |
AT
AT
Thanks for all the responses. I currently have many relaxing/fun tasks on my list, including explicit breaks, and sometimes they help, but this is more of a feeling of "being sick of ticking things off of a list" that occurs only at the end of the day.
It's an interesting idea to put the task "finish FVP for the day" as a task, I may try that if Mark's suggestion of just stopping working on FVP as soon as I start feeling burnt out for the day doesn't work well.
The idea of keeping a list of completed tasks also appeals to me. I've also been relatively lenient in my weeding so far, just eliminating things that are no longer relevant or it's obvious that I don't want to do them. I'm hoping that working the process will help make the weeding process easier/more straightforward.
I'm also using the practices from Dreams somewhat, which may be interfering with the FVP method. Anyways, I'm taking today off from FVP and will tackle it again tomorrow after I've given my mind a bit of time to process.
It's an interesting idea to put the task "finish FVP for the day" as a task, I may try that if Mark's suggestion of just stopping working on FVP as soon as I start feeling burnt out for the day doesn't work well.
The idea of keeping a list of completed tasks also appeals to me. I've also been relatively lenient in my weeding so far, just eliminating things that are no longer relevant or it's obvious that I don't want to do them. I'm hoping that working the process will help make the weeding process easier/more straightforward.
I'm also using the practices from Dreams somewhat, which may be interfering with the FVP method. Anyways, I'm taking today off from FVP and will tackle it again tomorrow after I've given my mind a bit of time to process.
May 26, 2015 at 21:13 |
Ryan Freckleton
Ryan Freckleton
So far so good today. I stopped a few hours ago before going on a walk in the forest and am now in "Free mode" just doing what I feel like for the moment. We'll see how the FVP works tomorrow morning when I crack it open again :)
May 28, 2015 at 2:44 |
Ryan Freckleton
Ryan Freckleton
@ Mark
Regarding your suggestions: I have been doing two of the three. Each morning I enter 3 tasks with a star in front of them on my FVP list. I phrase them such that I feel I can reasonably achieve them that day. My daily goal is to at least cross out all my starred tasks. I also use your other suggestion for using FVP in conjunction with closed lists. Your example indicated working on "email" and "backlog email" upon retuning from holiday. I've currently got "Yesterday's Email" and "Email Backlog" on my FVP list. I learned that from DIT.
Both methods have been working well for me. But I'm really interested in trying your other suggestion - dating each completed task. Pure brilliance! Turn your FVP list into a Done List with minimal additional effort! Especially combined with the starred tasks, I can read backward and see how well I've been meeting my daily goals! I'm starting now, and I can't wait to see how it turns out over the next few days!
Thanks again!
Regarding your suggestions: I have been doing two of the three. Each morning I enter 3 tasks with a star in front of them on my FVP list. I phrase them such that I feel I can reasonably achieve them that day. My daily goal is to at least cross out all my starred tasks. I also use your other suggestion for using FVP in conjunction with closed lists. Your example indicated working on "email" and "backlog email" upon retuning from holiday. I've currently got "Yesterday's Email" and "Email Backlog" on my FVP list. I learned that from DIT.
Both methods have been working well for me. But I'm really interested in trying your other suggestion - dating each completed task. Pure brilliance! Turn your FVP list into a Done List with minimal additional effort! Especially combined with the starred tasks, I can read backward and see how well I've been meeting my daily goals! I'm starting now, and I can't wait to see how it turns out over the next few days!
Thanks again!
June 3, 2015 at 16:05 |
Miracle
Miracle
I guess I'm mostly reflecting on what I need to do to reduce/eliminate burnout. Some ideas that come to mind are:
1. Have working hours/working limit for the FVP list.
2. Make sure to have one day away from the list a week, at least if not more.
3. Take more breaks when I feel like it, returning to the list later.
Any other ideas for solutions or things to investigate would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Ryan