FV and FVP Forum > Managing Projects with FVP-Q
Seraphim,
Thank you for your help on this. I use Evernote and TheBrain instead of OneNote but the concept is the same. I'll be using your idea of "Project A - what's next?" as my placeholders. Then, when it's time to work on Project A, I'll get out of Toodledo/Outlook (where I keep my FVP list) and just work on the project in TheBrain. Evernote is only used as a staging area since it is so easy to get stuff into it from just about anywhere. I then move the important stuff into the appropriate thoughts in TheBrain.
I find I have a much better chance of really focusing on my projects when Toodledo/Outlook are not too close at hand. Working on projects in TheBrain helps "my brain" think more effectively and thoughtfully.
Thank you again for your insights and I look forward to others' input.
Thank you for your help on this. I use Evernote and TheBrain instead of OneNote but the concept is the same. I'll be using your idea of "Project A - what's next?" as my placeholders. Then, when it's time to work on Project A, I'll get out of Toodledo/Outlook (where I keep my FVP list) and just work on the project in TheBrain. Evernote is only used as a staging area since it is so easy to get stuff into it from just about anywhere. I then move the important stuff into the appropriate thoughts in TheBrain.
I find I have a much better chance of really focusing on my projects when Toodledo/Outlook are not too close at hand. Working on projects in TheBrain helps "my brain" think more effectively and thoughtfully.
Thank you again for your insights and I look forward to others' input.
August 1, 2015 at 21:52 |
tomcal
tomcal
I'm not in favor of the letters FVP-Q because I like to think of the method as "Mark's Final Version Perfected - No Question!" (Pun intended). So writing -Q makes me think it's the questioning version.
As for work projects, I'm presently using a single OneNote section. Page 1 is my work log where I write what I do and notes and thinking. All the other pages are FVP items. I typically have projects as just a single page with subtasks listed as necessary, but more often it's merely a rough description and details are elaborated on my Work log as I work. Writing in outline style with checkboxes is effective for me.
As for work projects, I'm presently using a single OneNote section. Page 1 is my work log where I write what I do and notes and thinking. All the other pages are FVP items. I typically have projects as just a single page with subtasks listed as necessary, but more often it's merely a rough description and details are elaborated on my Work log as I work. Writing in outline style with checkboxes is effective for me.
August 2, 2015 at 2:24 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Alan, are you saying that your FVP list consists of all the pages in a single OneNote section? Or is this just where you put your project notes and tasks?
August 2, 2015 at 16:23 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Alan - Also, regarding the name, I don't really like the FVP-Q acronym either. The "-Q" is intended to mean "minus Q" = questioness, but I can see how it is ambiguous and confusing. Maybe FVP-SO is better (FVP using the "Stand Out" method rather than the "Question" method).
I liked "AFP" (AutoFocus Perfected) the best, since this method feels more like AutoFocus to me than Final Version, as Mark pointed out somewhere. But that name didn't get any traction.
I don't think I've seen one of Mark's systems go so long without an acronym appearing as the de facto standard name. This one just doesn't want to settle. :-)
I liked "AFP" (AutoFocus Perfected) the best, since this method feels more like AutoFocus to me than Final Version, as Mark pointed out somewhere. But that name didn't get any traction.
I don't think I've seen one of Mark's systems go so long without an acronym appearing as the de facto standard name. This one just doesn't want to settle. :-)
August 2, 2015 at 16:26 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Seraphim:
<< This one just doesn't want to settle. >>
Maybe that's because I feel it's still a work in progress.
I've just reminded myself of the reason why I chose the original question "What do I want to do more than x?" It was because I strongly felt that life is too short to fill it with stuff we don't want to do". Having read the message from my daughter http://markforster.squarespace.com/blog/2015/7/23/a-message-from-marks-daughter-anna.html , you will realize why I have become so keen on that!
I think that No Question FVP does have an underlying question, but that question is "What do I feel like doing more than x?" and that is a very different question. To see the difference consider the sentence: "I want to lose weight, but I feel like having a large slice of chocolate cake."
This became an issue yesterday when I realized that I had ended the day not having done the two things I most wanted to do.
So I'm going back to the original question.
<< This one just doesn't want to settle. >>
Maybe that's because I feel it's still a work in progress.
I've just reminded myself of the reason why I chose the original question "What do I want to do more than x?" It was because I strongly felt that life is too short to fill it with stuff we don't want to do". Having read the message from my daughter http://markforster.squarespace.com/blog/2015/7/23/a-message-from-marks-daughter-anna.html , you will realize why I have become so keen on that!
I think that No Question FVP does have an underlying question, but that question is "What do I feel like doing more than x?" and that is a very different question. To see the difference consider the sentence: "I want to lose weight, but I feel like having a large slice of chocolate cake."
This became an issue yesterday when I realized that I had ended the day not having done the two things I most wanted to do.
So I'm going back to the original question.
August 2, 2015 at 16:58 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
I agree that "-Q" isn't right for the acronym if the "-" is seen as a hyphen rather than a minus sign. (I hadn't thought of that! Most of the abbreviations don't have hyphens in them...) My only objection to "AFP" is that AF is page-oriented and FVP isn't. That seems like a significant distinction. FVPSO is okay with me...
...anyway, all I can add about projects is that I have three different ways of dealing with them:
1. For some projects, no matter how complicated they are, it's enough for me to go with "work on Project X" and treat it like a recurring task. (These are usually projects at work where there's a project manager reminding me of my "next action," or else they're the kinds of things where the next step is obvious.) If I am confident that I don't need to list the details, then I don't!
2. Conversely, for some projects, no matter how simple they are, I have to write out every single step. In fact, I just wrote in another thread about a simple task that became a five-step "project" because I had been dragging my feet over not knowing how to proceed. Because it was just five little steps, I added them all to my list at once, and they were done in an hour. But I still had to slice it all up like a project to get it done. It was worth that small effort.
3. For projects that have a lot of steps and are spread out over more than a week or so, I keep the project plan separate and add a few steps at a time to my list as I knock off the previous steps. Putting ALL the tasks on the list at once isn't helpful to me at all, especially if most of the tasks are currently blocked by other tasks. I don't want to see things that I can't work on yet, unless there's only ONE step that I need to do first. More than that makes the project seem overwhelming, and it overwhelms and weakens the list too.
...anyway, all I can add about projects is that I have three different ways of dealing with them:
1. For some projects, no matter how complicated they are, it's enough for me to go with "work on Project X" and treat it like a recurring task. (These are usually projects at work where there's a project manager reminding me of my "next action," or else they're the kinds of things where the next step is obvious.) If I am confident that I don't need to list the details, then I don't!
2. Conversely, for some projects, no matter how simple they are, I have to write out every single step. In fact, I just wrote in another thread about a simple task that became a five-step "project" because I had been dragging my feet over not knowing how to proceed. Because it was just five little steps, I added them all to my list at once, and they were done in an hour. But I still had to slice it all up like a project to get it done. It was worth that small effort.
3. For projects that have a lot of steps and are spread out over more than a week or so, I keep the project plan separate and add a few steps at a time to my list as I knock off the previous steps. Putting ALL the tasks on the list at once isn't helpful to me at all, especially if most of the tasks are currently blocked by other tasks. I don't want to see things that I can't work on yet, unless there's only ONE step that I need to do first. More than that makes the project seem overwhelming, and it overwhelms and weakens the list too.
August 2, 2015 at 20:50 |
JulieBulie
JulieBulie
JulieBulie wrote:
<< Putting ALL the tasks on the list at once isn't helpful to me at all, especially if most of the tasks are currently blocked by other tasks. >>
Yes, that's my experience also. When I do my "what's next?" scan, if I add tasks to my FVP list, they are only tasks that are ready to be actioned, without any dependencies.
Sometimes, however, the thing that needs to be done is "sort out all the steps and dependencies!" So that's what goes onto my list. :-)
<< Putting ALL the tasks on the list at once isn't helpful to me at all, especially if most of the tasks are currently blocked by other tasks. >>
Yes, that's my experience also. When I do my "what's next?" scan, if I add tasks to my FVP list, they are only tasks that are ready to be actioned, without any dependencies.
Sometimes, however, the thing that needs to be done is "sort out all the steps and dependencies!" So that's what goes onto my list. :-)
August 3, 2015 at 5:58 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Seraphim, I'm following an Agile approach to project planning wherein a plan is merely the broadest outline of things needing to be done, with details developed as I work on a part of that outline. I can thus represent a project on a single digital page (in OneNote of course). This only counts the objective and planning aspects of course. Work artifacts and notes not pertaining to the plan are elsewhere.
And FVP consists of a section of pages, some are projects and some are simpler.
For me if "sort out all the steps and dependencies" is what needs doing, that's implicit in just looking at the project plan I have, except I would refrain from going as far as "all" and aim rather for getting enough detail to determine the next step(s).
And FVP consists of a section of pages, some are projects and some are simpler.
For me if "sort out all the steps and dependencies" is what needs doing, that's implicit in just looking at the project plan I have, except I would refrain from going as far as "all" and aim rather for getting enough detail to determine the next step(s).
August 4, 2015 at 2:41 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
<< You mentioned Project A and Project B. Are those references only on your FVP list with the project lists handled separately? Or do you intersperse the project list items throughout your FVP list? >>
Here is how I normally handle it:
1. I keep all my project notes in OneNote (ideas, notes, meeting minutes, lists of tasks, screenshots, emails, etc.). Each project has its own section. I capture stuff all day long in OneNote, shuffling it to the correct section. I just drop stuff at the end of the section, normally. I try to keep that kind of thing quick and easy. I will sort it out later.
2. I keep a task in my FVP-Q list called "Project A - what's next?" (I learned this from Mark). When I take action on this task, I go and review my project notes in OneNote. While there, I make sure it is in order, organized, not a lot of loose ends causing mental drain. I take action on whatever I want. If I find a task there in my notes, and don't want to do it right now, but want to make sure it gets done timely, then I will copy that task over to my FVP-Q list. When I've worked long enough on the project, then I re-enter "Project A - what's next?" on the FVP-Q list, cross out the original entry, and move on.
I try to keep in mind Mark's rule: use as much project management as needed for the project -- no less and no more! Usually just keeping a "what's next?" task in my list is enough. But sometimes that's not enough to draw my attention to critical tasks that need to get done in a timely way, so I will add those tasks into the list so they "stand out" more easily. They are like lures that draw me back into the project. :-)
<< I use Pomodoros often and try to decide up front how many pomodoros I'll do in Project A before returning to my full FVP list. >>
I have an ergonomic timer on my computer that makes me take a break every 30 minutes or so. I have made a rule for myself that I don't continue working on the same project beyond these breaks. Otherwise I tend to get sucked in, and spend all day on one project, while other things don't get any attention at all. I suppose this is similar to the way you use the Pomodoro technique, but I only allow myself this one Pomodoro (or fraction thereof). My only exception to this is when I've defined One Thing that must be done as my main focus -- my "current initiative" in DIT parlance. An example could be a critical lines-down issue on the IT system for which I am the product manager, or getting a major new project off the ground, or finishing a presentation that's due soon, or deliberately taking a break to do some reading or thinking. Then I allow myself as many 30-minute blocks as I need to get it done, even if nothing else gets done.
Does anyone else have ideas, tips, or tricks for managing projects in FVP-Q?