Get Everything Done

Hi, i just found this website a month ago and found lot of treasure. Thank you very much

Recently, read and do research on FVP. And I want to ask is it better to use FVP with pen and paper or with application?

And if you use application, what would you recommend nowdays?

Thanks again

Hai, Seraphim. Thanks for the information.

Maybe anyone else could share what application you use for FVP?

I use digital, not least because my laptop takes up pretty well all of my workspace, but also so that I can maintain the list when I'm out and about.
If you decide on digital, I am a big fan of Gina Trapani's todo.txt:

http://todotxt.org/

It is deliberately free from bells and whistles and has just enough features to maintain many of Mark's systems.
There are versions for all major platforms, and you can keep them all in sync via Dropbox.

Windows: http://benrhughes.github.io/todotxt.net/
ios: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/swiftodo-for-todo-txt/id1073798440
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.mpcjanssen.todotxtholo

You can mark tasks to be done by increasing the priority, and filter out non-selected tasks so you can focus on tasks selected to be done. You can also archive completed tasks out of the way at any time, so that completed tasks don't distract during selection.

One of my takeaways from GTD is the concept of contexts and todo.txt caters for these well.

I don't use FVP myself. I find that my psychological readiness to do a task is too fickle! But I think you can quickly adapt the file to suit many of Mark's system's.

Hope this helps.

I think Alan has mentioned Dynalist as his electronic tool; Workflowy is similar. I'm playing with Dynalist now as it as iOS, Mac, and web versions, which is helpful since I use a locked-down Windows laptop at work (so web version there), and Mac and iOS at home.

I think if you search the FVP forum you'll see references to Evernote also. I tend to favor Evernote. You could have a notebook with individual notes as the tasks, but I favor a long bulleted list in a single note. To 'dot' a task, I'd add a checkbox to the item or boldface it.

That said, I'm still just writing things down in my notebook for now. It's helpful to not have too many implementation decisions to make when you're trying out a new system. It's easy to get lost with the above software tools as your mind tries to over-optimize the system before it's even gotten the hang of how the system works!

I've tried it all, and always go back to paper. Digital advantages are the easy entry, adding notes and hyperlinks and filtering. The main disadvantage for me is the reviewing. My eyes glaze over on a long digital list and breaking it up into pages or sections don't help.

My solution is a paper notebook and liberal use of index cards, for daily planning, reference material,, ticker items and project tasks. I will put the notebook page # on the card if appropriate and an "IC" next to any item on my notebook that has an associated index card.

My other paper tip (which I have used for years), is that if it relates to an email, put part of the email subject line in quotes. Search works so well in email that a few words is usually all I need to include.

[My eyes glaze over on a long digital list and breaking it up into pages or sections don't help.]

My experience is exactly the same! Tried many digital mediums. My brain switches off at a long digital list. I have gone back to paper with a 30-day commitment to stick to FVP.

On my paper list, I'm adding the date at the beginning of each day so that I get a sense of movement of time since the task was entered.

I like the index card idea. I work in a small team so I do need to place file notes in a central location accessible to all. As such, I am using OneNote shared notebook for that purpose.

So in my case, the project notes are digital but the task list is paper, which may point to the digital list where necessary.

I like digital, but I also don't like long digital lists, which is why I tend to create my own tools that present one or two tasks to me, according to the underlying algorithm. My old FVP web app for example is here: http://www.andreasmaurer.net/public/apps/fvp/v2/

Maybe I should re-visit FVP and create a new version.

The way I see this could work is having the whole list on one scrollable page. Actioned tasks are crossed out but remain in the list until the list is purged by the user. The first unactioned item is automatically preselected for the user and highlighted. The user scans down the list until another item stands out. He preselects it by putting a dot or a mark and immediately all items between this one and the previously dotted item are hidden into a collapsed group (similar to how rows are grouped in Excel under a plus sign). The user can reveal or hide any items at any time by clicking plus signs as well as expand/collapse them all. As the user scrolls the page, the preselected items get "frozen" at the top so that the whole chain is always visible.

I think this can work with original FVP, question-less FVP and Fast FVP.

I used paper notebooks for a number of years but being a nerd, I started missing some of the little things that digital provides, like search or copy and paste. And while writing a task out by hand has certain advantages that cannot be replaced by digital, the opposite is also true to some extent. It probably comes down to the matter of personal preference and convenience perhaps.

Maybe I should also mention that I've created an app for Mac and iPhone. There are people who have used it for a while with different methods, FVP most often, simple scanning also but it should work with any long-list method. Basic version is free.

Mac: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/dalo-lite/id1451463160?mt=12

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/dalo-task-manager/id1261366220

Mladen,

That app looks fantastic! I’ve been wanting someone to make just this very thing for ages. I’m very excited to use it.

I'm happy to reply that, a month later, I'm using Dalo with very good success using the FVP method. I have it on four devices: a MacBook Pro (home), an iMac (work), iPad, and iPhone. The syncing works well, and it has some great features like being able to deselect all (I usually start a new chain at the beginning of the day), jump to last selected, last completed. If you're using any of Mark's methods and want an electronic solution, Dalo is terrific.

Christopher E.
I discovered Dalo a few days back and have been using it since. I have to agree with you, it seems to work very well and does pretty good job of FVP in the pocket (on iPhone). The sync works well to my iPad.
I also like the 'For Later' function that holds off dumping an item on your visible task list until date X. This can help when I know that a task is not possible until a few days/week time and helps keep the list under control. There are a few small rough edges here and there but overall its great. I do hope the developer keeps it going ... It is at a very reasonable price so there is no real reason not to try it.
In very many ways I still prefer to use pen and paper for that interaction with physical feedback, BUT having a synced FVP platform always on me that works this well is IMO a no brainer.
Dalo is indeed terrific!

Mladen,

Interesting app. Hoping for a web-based or Android version in the future.

Thanks to this thread I learned about Dalo - and I agree, it’s great and for me a game-changer

I use mac and iOS and use an app called "Things 3". I did use paper for a while and found it very fruitful, but the main reason I use digital is because I need start dates, deadline dates and the ability to place tasks inside a project. This could be managed on paper, but that causes too much friction in terms of execution.

Svsmailus,
How do you set up Things for FVP? do you use today for dots?
Any thoughts would be helpful.