FV and FVP Forum > What's easier than X?
You don't find yourself watching a lot of funny cat videos on Youtube then?
October 1, 2015 at 13:29 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Apart from the danger of funny cat videos, "What's easer than...?" does actually make quite a bit of sense. Strangely enough it's often the easy tasks that get neglected. What could be easier than putting something away when we've finished with it? Or washing up the cup when we've finished drinking the coffee? Yet loads of people live in squalor just because they don't do those easy things.
One of the secrets of being well-organized is to make everything as easy as possible. It's difficult to put something away if you don't know where it's supposed to go. It's difficult to wash up the coffee-cup if you've run out of washing-up liquid. The same principle can be extended to virtually anything.
In fact I suspect that consistent attention to what's easiest could result in most of one's work falling under the "easy" tag.
Maybe I'll write a book about it!
One of the secrets of being well-organized is to make everything as easy as possible. It's difficult to put something away if you don't know where it's supposed to go. It's difficult to wash up the coffee-cup if you've run out of washing-up liquid. The same principle can be extended to virtually anything.
In fact I suspect that consistent attention to what's easiest could result in most of one's work falling under the "easy" tag.
Maybe I'll write a book about it!
October 1, 2015 at 16:17 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Cat videos or the equivalent do come up! The funny part was that I didn't really find them easiest when something more important was on my mind. You can't really enjoy stuff like that unless your mind is at peace. So, yeah, I found there was easier stuff than watching cat videos!
Of course, the question I'm using right now is "What should be worked on before X?", so read into that what you'd like. I do have "change question" as one of my tasks, so I may use it again.
Of course, the question I'm using right now is "What should be worked on before X?", so read into that what you'd like. I do have "change question" as one of my tasks, so I may use it again.
October 1, 2015 at 18:32 |
Jesse
Jesse
I've been using the "easier" question today to see how it panned out, and I must say I am rather impressed by it. Of course in one day I haven't got to the really difficult stuff, but nevertheless I have done quite a lot of things which for one reason or another I hadn't got round to before. The common denominator between many of them was that they were things which build up if you don't pay them regular attention.
I'm interested to know what your reasons for changing the question again were so I can see whether they apply to me as well.
I'm interested to know what your reasons for changing the question again were so I can see whether they apply to me as well.
October 1, 2015 at 23:48 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
I was using question-less for the while, but I noticed that I kept having resistance to the list because there were so many options available to me. In other words, "standing-out" can subconsciously be any question and that seemed to take a toll on my willpower.
I switched to "what do I want more than X", and this worked ok at first, but then I had to qualify what I wanted. There were times in which I really couldn't answer what I wanted. In those moments I didn't know or I didn't want anything. That led to the easier question, which led to "what will take less time than X" (even less qualifying, as I wouldn't have to figure out what easier meant in certain circumstances).
So, the question evolves for me, but I'm trying to find a middle ground between ease of answering the question and satisfaction or stillness of mind. It's not easy, no pun intended.
My best solution is to put all my weird question variants into my FVP list myself and just let the algorithm take care of it. The only way I can keep track of it is to use Andrea's web app, since it records the question easily.
Sorry to be long-winded!
I switched to "what do I want more than X", and this worked ok at first, but then I had to qualify what I wanted. There were times in which I really couldn't answer what I wanted. In those moments I didn't know or I didn't want anything. That led to the easier question, which led to "what will take less time than X" (even less qualifying, as I wouldn't have to figure out what easier meant in certain circumstances).
So, the question evolves for me, but I'm trying to find a middle ground between ease of answering the question and satisfaction or stillness of mind. It's not easy, no pun intended.
My best solution is to put all my weird question variants into my FVP list myself and just let the algorithm take care of it. The only way I can keep track of it is to use Andrea's web app, since it records the question easily.
Sorry to be long-winded!
October 3, 2015 at 1:24 |
Jesse
Jesse
Jesse:
Thanks for the answer, but you didn't say specifically why you stopped using "What's easier than x?", which is what I was interested in.
<< I switched to "what do I want more than X", and this worked ok at first, but then I had to qualify what I wanted. >>
I think in the instructions I stressed that it's important not to define what you mean by "want". Otherwise this becomes an intellectual exercise rather than an intuitive one.
Thanks for the answer, but you didn't say specifically why you stopped using "What's easier than x?", which is what I was interested in.
<< I switched to "what do I want more than X", and this worked ok at first, but then I had to qualify what I wanted. >>
I think in the instructions I stressed that it's important not to define what you mean by "want". Otherwise this becomes an intellectual exercise rather than an intuitive one.
October 3, 2015 at 14:24 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Ha! Oh right. I tried "What would be easier than..." because I was having a harder and harder time returning to my list with the question-less method. So I sat down and just thought of how to make the list fun to use. And then I thought, "How do I make this easy? Well, I couldn't make that the FVP question, could I?" And the the idea of doing that just sounded funny and fun. So I tried it!
October 4, 2015 at 12:04 |
Jesse
Jesse
Geez I just posted that without reading your post accurately. I must be tired. Sorry. "Why did I STOP using the easy question?"
I stopped because I started to feel a sense of dread building up. My list is really long, as it's managed to collect everything from important projects all the way down to movies I want to see or stray thoughts. As I was getting a lot of little easy things done, I kept thinking about the harder bigger projects that I knew I still had to do and I was worried about never getting to them. I didn't want to feel that way, so I went with "What should I work on before..."
I stopped because I started to feel a sense of dread building up. My list is really long, as it's managed to collect everything from important projects all the way down to movies I want to see or stray thoughts. As I was getting a lot of little easy things done, I kept thinking about the harder bigger projects that I knew I still had to do and I was worried about never getting to them. I didn't want to feel that way, so I went with "What should I work on before..."
October 4, 2015 at 12:13 |
Jesse
Jesse
Jesse:
I'm just starting out with a trial run of the "easier" question. I wonder if the same thing will happen to me? I have however started off with a new list as I thought the quickest way to sink it would be to include all the stuff I've accumulated over the last month or so.
I'm just starting out with a trial run of the "easier" question. I wonder if the same thing will happen to me? I have however started off with a new list as I thought the quickest way to sink it would be to include all the stuff I've accumulated over the last month or so.
October 4, 2015 at 23:08 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
I wonder if asking the "easier than" question could be supplemented by an occasional session of asking "what am I resisting more than..." but then only taking the action to break down those hard tasks into easier pieces. No actual working the hard tasks allowed -- just break them down into easier pieces.
Right now I'm essentially asking "what do I need to do to survive today?" as I stumble my way between meetings. LOL! Can't wait for the time off I have scheduled in a couple weeks... I need a good reset of my overall commitments. Maybe I'll try this new question when I come back to work.
Right now I'm essentially asking "what do I need to do to survive today?" as I stumble my way between meetings. LOL! Can't wait for the time off I have scheduled in a couple weeks... I need a good reset of my overall commitments. Maybe I'll try this new question when I come back to work.
October 5, 2015 at 6:12 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Seraphim:
I think you're right about breaking things down. I'd already worked out that the way to increase the priority of something is simply to make it easier, whether by breaking it down or defining it more closely. And of course once one has started something, then it becomes easier to work on it in future.
I think you're right about breaking things down. I'd already worked out that the way to increase the priority of something is simply to make it easier, whether by breaking it down or defining it more closely. And of course once one has started something, then it becomes easier to work on it in future.
October 5, 2015 at 11:21 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
It's been crunch time for me lately, with work and dealing with a death in the family and other things. I noticed that as I'm running around doing all these things, I'm resorting to the questionless method. It's the easiest way for me to keep a level head as I'm running around to and fro, being interrupted constantly. Sometimes I would even forget the question and the questionless method is more intuitive for me. Red alert mode or something. Of course this is when I'm just trying to keep my head above water. When things calm down in my life, I'm hoping to examine things with a little more insight. That's when I end up tinkering with the question.
Trying not to get off-topic here. I don't think I can trust the "easy" question at certain times. I want to, but it hasn't really been tested, so I go questionless, which is what I'm trying to get at. Who knows, though? Tense situations might be the best time for me to put it through it's paces.
Trying not to get off-topic here. I don't think I can trust the "easy" question at certain times. I want to, but it hasn't really been tested, so I go questionless, which is what I'm trying to get at. Who knows, though? Tense situations might be the best time for me to put it through it's paces.
October 5, 2015 at 19:56 |
Jesse
Jesse
Also, I will naturally choose tasks on my list that are better defined, and better worded. The next actions also rise to the top.
Interesting.
DEFINITELY FOR THE FAINT OF HEART, heh.