Discussion Forum > Video Review of Do It Tomorrow
Thanks for the heads-up. Nice to see that old war horse get some love.
IMHO the only one of Mark's 'systems' really suitable for professional use.
IMHO the only one of Mark's 'systems' really suitable for professional use.
October 5, 2023 at 17:11 |
alexw
alexw
I might have to give this another shot. 2 days ago I did a brain dump (it was 2 and then grew to 3 pages) of everything I could think of that I need to work on. So according to this video I could use that as my backlog. I had an idea of starting to put each one on different pages and then putting them in different folders to work on the next step. I can see how I could use the list as a backlog and use the diary to schedule followups and/or continuing to work on various things each day.
October 5, 2023 at 23:03 |
Don R
Don R
This addresses an issue I used to run into, where I would have to go through previous days in my diary and copy everything into tomorrow's list. Looks like I should have put them on a backlog instead.
October 5, 2023 at 23:10 |
Don R
Don R
Don R --
DIT (the book) had so many great ideas for Backlogs and Closed Lists in general. And I agree, this video had a really useful spin on that idea.
DIT was really helpful when I had a single, moderate backlog to clear out. But from time to time, I struggled with multiple backlogs -- for example, after I had gone through a period of being sick or overwhelmed with a particular urgent project and letting everything else fall apart.
Putting ALL the backlogs (email accounts, papers, boxes in the closet, stuff in the garage, junk drawer in the kitchen, etc.) into one big Current Initiative Backlog never worked for me. It would take too long and block my ability to get any other Current Initiatives done.
I think I finally solved this with Results That Matter (at least for myself).
http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2795362
After a long debilitating period where my chronic health issues forced me to take a leave of absence from work and generated backlogs in every area of my life, I really needed a way to work through these one step at a time, while ramping up on a new job and trying to re-establish myself. With RTM, I just "declare a backlog" as soon as I identify the need, and add that item to my New list. E.g., "Clear out the 3000 messages in @SaneLater in my Gmail account". When the backlog task gets activated, it goes onto my Unfinished list. It stays there for awhile, getting repeated attention till finally it is done. Meanwhile, other initiatives can also get appropriate attention.
Right now I have 3 backlogs on my Unfinished List, together with 1-2 large tasks and several medium tasks. They all get repeated attention. Usually one of them finally gets to a tipping point and I can just blast through the last of it and get it done. And this makes (mental) room for the next one.
It feels so good seeing these old backlogs systematically get worked to zero, while my other important initiatives are also getting done in the same way, while the urgent and recurring things also get the attention they need. I've never felt like I was making more focused and reliable progress.
DIT (the book) had so many great ideas for Backlogs and Closed Lists in general. And I agree, this video had a really useful spin on that idea.
DIT was really helpful when I had a single, moderate backlog to clear out. But from time to time, I struggled with multiple backlogs -- for example, after I had gone through a period of being sick or overwhelmed with a particular urgent project and letting everything else fall apart.
Putting ALL the backlogs (email accounts, papers, boxes in the closet, stuff in the garage, junk drawer in the kitchen, etc.) into one big Current Initiative Backlog never worked for me. It would take too long and block my ability to get any other Current Initiatives done.
I think I finally solved this with Results That Matter (at least for myself).
http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2795362
After a long debilitating period where my chronic health issues forced me to take a leave of absence from work and generated backlogs in every area of my life, I really needed a way to work through these one step at a time, while ramping up on a new job and trying to re-establish myself. With RTM, I just "declare a backlog" as soon as I identify the need, and add that item to my New list. E.g., "Clear out the 3000 messages in @SaneLater in my Gmail account". When the backlog task gets activated, it goes onto my Unfinished list. It stays there for awhile, getting repeated attention till finally it is done. Meanwhile, other initiatives can also get appropriate attention.
Right now I have 3 backlogs on my Unfinished List, together with 1-2 large tasks and several medium tasks. They all get repeated attention. Usually one of them finally gets to a tipping point and I can just blast through the last of it and get it done. And this makes (mental) room for the next one.
It feels so good seeing these old backlogs systematically get worked to zero, while my other important initiatives are also getting done in the same way, while the urgent and recurring things also get the attention they need. I've never felt like I was making more focused and reliable progress.
October 7, 2023 at 8:24 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Seraphim,
So I could use my current brain dump as a backlog, put it as one item on the new list, action it and put that backlog as a unfinished item with its own page, and also items that are actioned off that list can also become recurring or unfinished items within RTM. I also happen to have some blank 3-subject notebooks with me so I can get started right away.
That certainly fits in with what I've been thinking about, such as section 1 for collecting everything as I think of it, section 3 for having a separate page for bigger items where I can track and break it down into smaller pieces.
Some things I'd typically want to include in a system is a daily/morning checklist (sounds like that could be handled in the recurring items or I could potentially add it in the "unfinished" area because there's room for the whole list, and that's the section to start the day in), and a calendar to keep track of items (I think a page for a calendar of the current and upcoming month could be kept in the unfinished area as well; do you think so too? Or just use a dedicated calendar separately.)
I've been taking notes on someone else's guide to getting organized (called "Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health" in the "ADHD Module") which talks about prioritizing either by ranking your items by priority or by A, B, C (e.g. today, soon, eventually). I don't think any system here has incorporated that, but now that I think about it, one could put (A) (B) or (C) in front of the name of each task just to guide the decision.
He talks about prioritizing (mentioned in the previous paragraph), calendars, and breaking big tasks into small tasks (which is factored in to RTM section 3). Plus a few miscellaneous items like setting aside "admin time" and using the 2 minute rule to do small things right away without even tracking it.
So I could use my current brain dump as a backlog, put it as one item on the new list, action it and put that backlog as a unfinished item with its own page, and also items that are actioned off that list can also become recurring or unfinished items within RTM. I also happen to have some blank 3-subject notebooks with me so I can get started right away.
That certainly fits in with what I've been thinking about, such as section 1 for collecting everything as I think of it, section 3 for having a separate page for bigger items where I can track and break it down into smaller pieces.
Some things I'd typically want to include in a system is a daily/morning checklist (sounds like that could be handled in the recurring items or I could potentially add it in the "unfinished" area because there's room for the whole list, and that's the section to start the day in), and a calendar to keep track of items (I think a page for a calendar of the current and upcoming month could be kept in the unfinished area as well; do you think so too? Or just use a dedicated calendar separately.)
I've been taking notes on someone else's guide to getting organized (called "Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health" in the "ADHD Module") which talks about prioritizing either by ranking your items by priority or by A, B, C (e.g. today, soon, eventually). I don't think any system here has incorporated that, but now that I think about it, one could put (A) (B) or (C) in front of the name of each task just to guide the decision.
He talks about prioritizing (mentioned in the previous paragraph), calendars, and breaking big tasks into small tasks (which is factored in to RTM section 3). Plus a few miscellaneous items like setting aside "admin time" and using the 2 minute rule to do small things right away without even tracking it.
October 7, 2023 at 20:04 |
Don R
Don R
Of course, like Mark says, we should try a system out before trying to change it!
October 7, 2023 at 20:11 |
Don R
Don R
<< So I could use my current brain dump as a backlog, put it as one item on the new list, action it and put that backlog as a unfinished item with its own page, and also items that are actioned off that list can also become recurring or unfinished items within RTM. >>
I suppose that might be a good way to process a general backlog of miscellaneous tasks. I haven’t used it that way myself, but i don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
However, I don’t think I would to make this an ordinary way of processing tasks. Aside from this initial backlog, I would still add new tasks to the New List as per the usual rules, and let the three build up naturally from there.
I suppose that might be a good way to process a general backlog of miscellaneous tasks. I haven’t used it that way myself, but i don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
However, I don’t think I would to make this an ordinary way of processing tasks. Aside from this initial backlog, I would still add new tasks to the New List as per the usual rules, and let the three build up naturally from there.
October 9, 2023 at 3:25 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
<< Some things I'd typically want to include in a system is a daily/morning checklist … >
The Recurring Tasks represent one aspect of my ongoing systems and processes, together with my usual daily schedule, routine habits, recurring meetings, and the like.
To my way of thinking, in an ideal world, all of the recurring things should just take care of themselves automatically. Many of my habitual tasks and behaviors are already like that. For example, my morning routine is like that. I don’t think about when to get up every day, or what exactly to do when I get up. I get up at close to the same time every day, and follow roughly the same routine, pretty much automatically. And this generally works quite well.
When I am trying to establish a new habit as part of my morning routine, I usually need to make a little checklist, and put it on a whiteboard in the hallway. I look at it when I’m going through my morning routine. It helps me work out the kinks in the sequencing of the morning tasks, to make it as easy and natural and efficient as possible. Pretty soon, this all becomes second nature, and I don’t need the checklist anymore.
In the same way, I find some of the items on my RTM recurring list just don’t need to be there anymore. I have started doing them automatically. I don’t need to think about it. I don’t need the list to prompt me to do it. That’s great! To me, that’s the ideal situation. It’s simple and effective. At that point, I just take the item off of my list and let it go on autopilot like this.
So I guess there’s a kind of hierarchy in my daily routines:
⁃ Calendar and schedule
⁃ Unwritten automatic habits
⁃ Checklists
⁃ RTM Recurring Tasks list
If something ever goes wrong with the Recurring Tasks, it’s usually pretty easy to see why — the problem tasks tend to become isolated as the only incomplete tasks remaining on a page. I can think about that task and why I’m resisting getting it done. This usually leads to improvements.
The Recurring Tasks represent one aspect of my ongoing systems and processes, together with my usual daily schedule, routine habits, recurring meetings, and the like.
To my way of thinking, in an ideal world, all of the recurring things should just take care of themselves automatically. Many of my habitual tasks and behaviors are already like that. For example, my morning routine is like that. I don’t think about when to get up every day, or what exactly to do when I get up. I get up at close to the same time every day, and follow roughly the same routine, pretty much automatically. And this generally works quite well.
When I am trying to establish a new habit as part of my morning routine, I usually need to make a little checklist, and put it on a whiteboard in the hallway. I look at it when I’m going through my morning routine. It helps me work out the kinks in the sequencing of the morning tasks, to make it as easy and natural and efficient as possible. Pretty soon, this all becomes second nature, and I don’t need the checklist anymore.
In the same way, I find some of the items on my RTM recurring list just don’t need to be there anymore. I have started doing them automatically. I don’t need to think about it. I don’t need the list to prompt me to do it. That’s great! To me, that’s the ideal situation. It’s simple and effective. At that point, I just take the item off of my list and let it go on autopilot like this.
So I guess there’s a kind of hierarchy in my daily routines:
⁃ Calendar and schedule
⁃ Unwritten automatic habits
⁃ Checklists
⁃ RTM Recurring Tasks list
If something ever goes wrong with the Recurring Tasks, it’s usually pretty easy to see why — the problem tasks tend to become isolated as the only incomplete tasks remaining on a page. I can think about that task and why I’m resisting getting it done. This usually leads to improvements.
October 9, 2023 at 3:48 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Do It Tomorrow - A review of Mark Forster's task management system
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUynh7wBaxM
Worth the 10 minutes!