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I've also forgotten why it has disappeared into obscurity.
Reading the rules, it's a no-list system using the FVP algorithm. I think it must be the only FVP system which isn't based on a long-list.
I must have a try at it again to see what the problems were. But I won't do that until the Lent Challenge is finished. Not long now!
1. That it's a good idea at the beginning of the day to start your list with the three or four most important tasks or projects that you want to do that day, making sure that you write them down in the reverse order that you want to do them. That then gives you a framework for the day.
2. Following on from that, you can use a project title to generate tasks related to that project.
So the list is rather more useful than just a few tasks scribbled on a bit of paper. You can use it to plan the major work subjects of the day and systematically work through what needs to be done for each of these subjects. While at the same time you can be getting minor unrelated tasks out of the way as they arise.
This seems like a very interesting way to approach no-list, whereas what I am starting to conclude that GIRKIR is too good at balancing action over a wide range of items rather than letting me keep control of distractions and little sources of annoyance while putting the majority of my output into a few key, critical elements. I still have a few days to see if I can work that out with GIRKIR, though.
Long-time lurker, first time poster here. I’ve been on a Mark-Forster journey these past several months. I started with Autofocus, then really enjoyed Final Version Perfected, and now I’m trying No-List FVP.
(Thanks Mark, by the way, for everything you’ve shared here and in your books — I’ve found them valuable and transformative.)
But I agree with you Aaron, there never was a post-mortem on No-List FVP; I’d greatly appreciate hearing other people’s perspectives and if there are any problems they encountered using it. After about 10 days, I’m finding it a useful system. But it's so unlike everything else I’ve tried (I’ve used long-list systems for as long as I can remember) that it’s hard to assess it properly.
The main things that stand out to me about NL-FVP so far are:
- A feeling of "noise reduction"; less important tasks recede into the background, and my mind naturally goes to the big-picture important priorities. For better or worse, I feel unhurried and focused
- I haven't quite worked out the reminder system yet
- I feel more grounded in the present moment, instead of thinking about the long-list of tasks I haven't done
- I bias slightly more to doing tasks right away, because I don't have a list to put them on to return to later
All no-list systems tend to be focused and "noise reducing" IME, over long list systems. In this respect, coupled with competent use of your calendar to ensure that you don't forget anything, they can have a truly calming effect, while still maintaining a satisfying degree of intensity and direction/purpose. The requirement, though, is making sure that you have yourself organized sufficiently that you can afford this luxury. If you're living life by putting out fires all the time, no-list will respond to this, but it might not help reduce stress that much if you feel pulled to bigger items and can't get to them.
I think it's much easier to remain in flow with no-list systems.
Both the predictive no-list and NL-FVP I think didn't get much of a post-mortem simply because I think they worked well, but weren't "fascinating" enough to warrant to much further discussion. In that respect, they might have been too effective. :-)
Sometimes, it's hard to have a system that literally seems to disappear into the background, because that gamification and extra work is a part of what we use at times to motivate our minds or distract us just enough from the work at hand. I think NL-FVP and Predicting Your Day (especially the latter), tended to be so minimalist that you really did end up just doing the work, and I honestly think that sometimes wasn't what people were looking for (myself included). Systems that introduce some level of psychological barrier between yourself and your work might have some added value here, depending on where one is in life.
I also observe that it is easy to forget to keep proper form with it - something that Mark has written is important.
Evaluating systems is difficult! It feels like it relies on a subjective assessment. That's no bad thing, I just observe that there's little objective assessment possible.
My main issue with NL-FVP is that it felt like I couldn't access the wisdom of my past self. If I'd done thinking in the past about the best way to attack a problem, or the best set of actions to accomplish something, I had to either hold that in my head or write it down somewhere and trust my present self to remember to work on it. NL-FVP felt like it severed this connection.
Also, I work in senior management, so there are lots of requests, meetings, deadlines, and so on. If I was working by myself or under few deadlines, I think NL-FVP could work well. But long-list systems seem to deal better with my work situation. Also, NL-FVP often forced me to work instantly on any incoming request, no matter whether that was the right time to get to them; with long-list systems, I can transfer incoming requests to the long list and trust that I'll get to the request at the right time.
After switching off NL-VP, I tried FVP with a change to the formula. After pre-selecting my list, I would ask myself, "Is there anything I want to do before this last pre-selected task?" Essentially this is FVP but with the NL-FVP question tacked on. I had mixed results, but that might be because I wasn't completely disciplined with that approach. It was essentially an attempt to get the best of no-list and long-list. I will probably revisit that approach, because I do think there's something to be said for it. I do still employ a no-list approach on occasion when I feel like I need to cut through the noise.
I'm currently trying Re: Zero!
Perhaps these uses could be called a dynamic list - but I use a no-list for preparing a meal, packing to go somewhere, preparing for a meeting. The items on these lists are short-term, will be completed soon, and so don't belong on the long list. The FVP is useful when I need to do the items in a particular order; also if I need to do everything on the list. Sometimes I write the no-list on a separate piece of paper, such as a 5 by 8 index card, or loose leaf paper; other times I put it at the end of the long list if I think the items will be done again.
Another alternative of course is not to use a list at all.