Discussion Forum > Ocin system
So that is a system with all tasks sorted by urgency.
(Mark said repeatedly and in his "Secrets" book that ordering by urgency alone is a perfectly valid means for task organization. Just saying.)
So, we have a "mechanical" urgency of "do it first" for the MIT. It's basically the same concept as the CI in DIT. It is a productivity booster.
I define productivity as the getting the important things done. So the MIT/CI thing takes care of that.
So after that we have another two stacks of urgency. "Must be done today" and "this week or next week or so."
So then the urgency trickles out with background and someday / maybe…
So it's a system of four or five stacks worked on by urgency. Probably with breaks between them…
Not so bad. I like that system. It's exactly like Michael Linenberger's WN except with a better MIT integration.
Not so bad.
(Mark said repeatedly and in his "Secrets" book that ordering by urgency alone is a perfectly valid means for task organization. Just saying.)
So, we have a "mechanical" urgency of "do it first" for the MIT. It's basically the same concept as the CI in DIT. It is a productivity booster.
I define productivity as the getting the important things done. So the MIT/CI thing takes care of that.
So after that we have another two stacks of urgency. "Must be done today" and "this week or next week or so."
So then the urgency trickles out with background and someday / maybe…
So it's a system of four or five stacks worked on by urgency. Probably with breaks between them…
Not so bad. I like that system. It's exactly like Michael Linenberger's WN except with a better MIT integration.
Not so bad.
October 19, 2021 at 8:05 |
Christopher
Christopher
Nico:
Yes, I agree with Christopher. Not bad!
I particularly like the idea of working on the MIT for 45-90 mins every day without fail. Strangely enough it resonates with michael's concurrent post on looking at a painting for three hours, which I will probably comment on at length.
Yes, I agree with Christopher. Not bad!
I particularly like the idea of working on the MIT for 45-90 mins every day without fail. Strangely enough it resonates with michael's concurrent post on looking at a painting for three hours, which I will probably comment on at length.
October 19, 2021 at 10:34 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Nico:
Well, I have now commented on michael's threat "Deceleration" http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2786386 and you might want to read that before reading this comment.
Here's a question which I don't (yet) know the answer to:
What would happen if you were to sit down with your MIT for 45-90 minutes without any compulsion to be working on it?
The rules would be:
1. You must sit down with your MIT for a minimum of 45 minutes, which can be extended if you wish - but when 90 minutes is up you must leave it and do something else.
2. During this period you do not have to do anything, but anything you do do must be concerned with the MIT.
What I think might happen (and I haven't tried it yet) is a greater understanding and depth of work.
Or perhaps that's what you intended all along?
Well, I have now commented on michael's threat "Deceleration" http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2786386 and you might want to read that before reading this comment.
Here's a question which I don't (yet) know the answer to:
What would happen if you were to sit down with your MIT for 45-90 minutes without any compulsion to be working on it?
The rules would be:
1. You must sit down with your MIT for a minimum of 45 minutes, which can be extended if you wish - but when 90 minutes is up you must leave it and do something else.
2. During this period you do not have to do anything, but anything you do do must be concerned with the MIT.
What I think might happen (and I haven't tried it yet) is a greater understanding and depth of work.
Or perhaps that's what you intended all along?
October 19, 2021 at 11:41 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Hi Mark,
That is exactly what I do. I put on a timer for 90minutes and I can only work on my CI/MIT*.
Sometimes I would do only 45minutes if I know there are a lot of other urgent things I need to attend too.
But the strength I find in this approach is that my CI keeps on moving forward. (Do not break the chain concept from Jerry Seinfeld).
Currently I am on day 33 of a CI and I am about to create something that will save me 4 working days a month every month!
Take note that I need to touch the CI everyday even on weekends else you lose your train of thought and momentum.
I know there may rare days when you have no time. Then in these rare circumstances I just touch the CI to refresh it in my mind.
*CI would be a better description than MIT.
That is exactly what I do. I put on a timer for 90minutes and I can only work on my CI/MIT*.
Sometimes I would do only 45minutes if I know there are a lot of other urgent things I need to attend too.
But the strength I find in this approach is that my CI keeps on moving forward. (Do not break the chain concept from Jerry Seinfeld).
Currently I am on day 33 of a CI and I am about to create something that will save me 4 working days a month every month!
Take note that I need to touch the CI everyday even on weekends else you lose your train of thought and momentum.
I know there may rare days when you have no time. Then in these rare circumstances I just touch the CI to refresh it in my mind.
*CI would be a better description than MIT.
October 20, 2021 at 7:15 |
Nico
Nico
Nico:
Right! We were thinking alike.
I'm going to try it today on one continuing project which is giving me some concern at the moment. The only change I'm going to make to your procedure is to set the timer for 45 mins, rather than 90. Then when it goes off, I will re-set it for another 45 minutes and if I'm still working on the project I have to stop.
Right! We were thinking alike.
I'm going to try it today on one continuing project which is giving me some concern at the moment. The only change I'm going to make to your procedure is to set the timer for 45 mins, rather than 90. Then when it goes off, I will re-set it for another 45 minutes and if I'm still working on the project I have to stop.
October 20, 2021 at 11:15 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Nico:
Reporting back.
I tried it on my continuing project and it worked very well. Most of my concern about how the project was progressing was removed by the time I had finished.
I did exactly as I said yesterday that I would and finished the compulsory first 45-minute block. Then I set the timer for another 45 minutes. I worked for about 20 minutes into this second block. So in total I worked for a bit over an hour. The second block followed immediately after the first block so there was no rest period in-between.
I sat down at the beginning without any expectation about what would happen, and found that I naturally started working on the project without forcing, in spite of quite a bit of previous resistance to it.
So I think I can say that the experiment worked very well.
I haven't tried out the rest of your system but I don't see any reason why it shouldn't work well.
Reporting back.
I tried it on my continuing project and it worked very well. Most of my concern about how the project was progressing was removed by the time I had finished.
I did exactly as I said yesterday that I would and finished the compulsory first 45-minute block. Then I set the timer for another 45 minutes. I worked for about 20 minutes into this second block. So in total I worked for a bit over an hour. The second block followed immediately after the first block so there was no rest period in-between.
I sat down at the beginning without any expectation about what would happen, and found that I naturally started working on the project without forcing, in spite of quite a bit of previous resistance to it.
So I think I can say that the experiment worked very well.
I haven't tried out the rest of your system but I don't see any reason why it shouldn't work well.
October 21, 2021 at 13:29 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
Great Mark!
I just want to add the following as well:
- I normally work the 45-90 minutes on the CI as soon as I get up when I have the most mental energy. (Brush my teeth and go..not even eating.) After this I will walk and eat.
- I also prefer not to work on it for the rest of the day. I let my unconscious mind figure out other ideas during the day. It also gives your brain a rest as this approach will eat up a lot of mental energy.
- Also, I have found that after about 10 days then I really hit momentum on the CI. It's almost painfully slow at the beginning and then I start making breakthroughs. Progress then almost goes up exponentially.
I just want to add the following as well:
- I normally work the 45-90 minutes on the CI as soon as I get up when I have the most mental energy. (Brush my teeth and go..not even eating.) After this I will walk and eat.
- I also prefer not to work on it for the rest of the day. I let my unconscious mind figure out other ideas during the day. It also gives your brain a rest as this approach will eat up a lot of mental energy.
- Also, I have found that after about 10 days then I really hit momentum on the CI. It's almost painfully slow at the beginning and then I start making breakthroughs. Progress then almost goes up exponentially.
October 22, 2021 at 3:14 |
Nico
Nico
2. Then do everything that absolutely needs to be done today. Be very critical what you consider as a must for today. This normally includes a commitment to another person.
3. Create 4 index cards that includes zombies*, due soon (week or two), background projects list and someday/maybe.
After you have finished 1 and 2 then circle through the 4 index cards in 3.
Created by Nico McDonald (with obvious inspiration from Mark Forster as I am on this group a lot).
*Zombies: Items that you should do, but do not have any clear deadlines. Like fixing an appliance.