Discussion Forum > Brain performance and to-do lists
Chris - thanks for posting! There is some good stuff here.
It prompted me to think about "focus" and "goals". I like what she said, that we need to avoid distraction and stay focused -- otherwise we can expend a lot of our neurological energy and end up drained.
But I wonder if the only way to combat distraction and stay focused is to generate a list of goals -- the "list of five tasks" that she recommended.
Goals and committed task lists like this have always seemed to me a kind of "push" system. Especially SMART goals. I mean, we are told that to accomplish anything, we must create a very clear picture of it in our minds, and then drive toward it with unrelenting focus. I agree this can work, but it also comes with a raft of negative side effects, such as defining a goal too specifically and too early, with no room for experimentation and learning. The strong focus on execution can come at a cost of building something that nobody needs or wants -- especially in creative work.
But maybe more importantly, the process of writing out SMART goals tends to engage only our left-brain systems of logic and language, and doesn't engage our intuitive and creative right-brain systems enough. This leads to soulless goals that are very clearly defined but are overspecified with "oughts" that miss the whole deeper reason for the goal -- the "wants" that we can really only explain intuitively.
I find the process of writing out my top 5 tasks for the day (as Nicola recommended) to be very similar to writing out SMART goals. Choosing FIVE (and no other) tasks that I COMMIT to get done that day (avoiding other things) -- this alone engages the left-brain "ought" mechanism and completely disrupts the flow of my intuition. In fact it almost always creates a sense of CONFLICT with my intuition.
However, I do agree that we need some method to stay focused and avoid distractions. But writing out a list of commitments each day isn't the only possible way to do this.
I think the RTM process I've been describing is the best method I've found yet to do that.
http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2795362
It is much more "pull" oriented, rather than "push" oriented. I mean, the list of Unfinished tasks just automatically pulls me in. And I already know this is the most important stuff I need to work on. There is no need to define it anew every morning.
And when I have completed some things and freed up some mental bandwidth, I automatically activate some complex new task and pull it into Unfinished -- again, this is all Pull oriented, engaging both my intuition and logic to decide where I should focus next, even if the new task is poorly defined so far. Maybe it is not SMART at all -- just a general direction. That's OK. It's the thing that is pulling at me, so I pull it in and start engaging with it. Whatever SMART attributes are needed emerge naturally through the process of working on it.
If I am away from my list for a day or two and my intuition needs a refresher, then I can just do a mind dump onto my New list at the start of the day, before beginning my usual process of reviewing and acting on the Unfinished list. This tends to restart the intuitive engagement and keeps things flowing.
It's the FLOW and the FOCUS that matters most, I think.
I'm not objecting to Nicola's overall methods and advice -- most of it seems pretty standard and useful. I just had this reaction to the idea of creating a new list of five things every day. That just rubbed me the wrong way, and I think I could finally articulate why that kind of approach has always bothered me.
#RTM
It prompted me to think about "focus" and "goals". I like what she said, that we need to avoid distraction and stay focused -- otherwise we can expend a lot of our neurological energy and end up drained.
But I wonder if the only way to combat distraction and stay focused is to generate a list of goals -- the "list of five tasks" that she recommended.
Goals and committed task lists like this have always seemed to me a kind of "push" system. Especially SMART goals. I mean, we are told that to accomplish anything, we must create a very clear picture of it in our minds, and then drive toward it with unrelenting focus. I agree this can work, but it also comes with a raft of negative side effects, such as defining a goal too specifically and too early, with no room for experimentation and learning. The strong focus on execution can come at a cost of building something that nobody needs or wants -- especially in creative work.
But maybe more importantly, the process of writing out SMART goals tends to engage only our left-brain systems of logic and language, and doesn't engage our intuitive and creative right-brain systems enough. This leads to soulless goals that are very clearly defined but are overspecified with "oughts" that miss the whole deeper reason for the goal -- the "wants" that we can really only explain intuitively.
I find the process of writing out my top 5 tasks for the day (as Nicola recommended) to be very similar to writing out SMART goals. Choosing FIVE (and no other) tasks that I COMMIT to get done that day (avoiding other things) -- this alone engages the left-brain "ought" mechanism and completely disrupts the flow of my intuition. In fact it almost always creates a sense of CONFLICT with my intuition.
However, I do agree that we need some method to stay focused and avoid distractions. But writing out a list of commitments each day isn't the only possible way to do this.
I think the RTM process I've been describing is the best method I've found yet to do that.
http://markforster.squarespace.com/forum/post/2795362
It is much more "pull" oriented, rather than "push" oriented. I mean, the list of Unfinished tasks just automatically pulls me in. And I already know this is the most important stuff I need to work on. There is no need to define it anew every morning.
And when I have completed some things and freed up some mental bandwidth, I automatically activate some complex new task and pull it into Unfinished -- again, this is all Pull oriented, engaging both my intuition and logic to decide where I should focus next, even if the new task is poorly defined so far. Maybe it is not SMART at all -- just a general direction. That's OK. It's the thing that is pulling at me, so I pull it in and start engaging with it. Whatever SMART attributes are needed emerge naturally through the process of working on it.
If I am away from my list for a day or two and my intuition needs a refresher, then I can just do a mind dump onto my New list at the start of the day, before beginning my usual process of reviewing and acting on the Unfinished list. This tends to restart the intuitive engagement and keeps things flowing.
It's the FLOW and the FOCUS that matters most, I think.
I'm not objecting to Nicola's overall methods and advice -- most of it seems pretty standard and useful. I just had this reaction to the idea of creating a new list of five things every day. That just rubbed me the wrong way, and I think I could finally articulate why that kind of approach has always bothered me.
#RTM
October 23, 2023 at 22:41 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Seraphim
<<I just had this reaction to the idea of creating a new list of five things every day.>>
I haven't met a productivity system or software (yet) that doesn't grow stale, in time. Interestingly, I've been following a hybrid DWM setup for a couple of months, and my "re-entered projects/tasks" are appx 5 items. Hmm...
<<I just had this reaction to the idea of creating a new list of five things every day.>>
I haven't met a productivity system or software (yet) that doesn't grow stale, in time. Interestingly, I've been following a hybrid DWM setup for a couple of months, and my "re-entered projects/tasks" are appx 5 items. Hmm...
October 24, 2023 at 4:06 |
avrum
avrum
I believe your RTM approach is about right and has some aspects which are similar to the single text file approach I mentioned here a few years back, which I'm still using today. I called it plan.txt, a play on both the noun and verb, and I was too lazy to think of anything better so years later it's still called that.
It contains only those items which I have committed to do. There's a section called "Committed for action" where they go if there's no immediate need to do them. There's another called "Up next" which are those items that I want to get done soon. Items are pulled from the former to the latter as needed.
There's also the text calendar (which someone here generously wrote some code to generate a few years back). That's where items ultimately end up, to be started on a set day. If they're unfinished they're moved to the next available day until they are finished. Finally there's a "Waiting" section to store items which are waiting for someone else to take action.
I keep it open inside the nano text editor and I've created a syntax file which automatically colours various lines and text, making it very easy to see what's going on in a single glance. I was thinking of putting the whole thing on Github for anyone interested. It can be easily tailored to any system if needed, eg GTD or one of the systems here. Just a case of having whatever sections are needed and tweaking the syntax file to support it.
It feels nice to use because, by definition, it contains items that are already committed for action and there is a kanban-like unidirectional flow of items to the calendar, limiting work in progress. Once they're there I'm working on them until they're done, whether that be a small task or something spanning months. The visuals make it easy to see the status of absolutely everything in just a few seconds – it's all right there in one place.
Notes and info related to items can be added beneath them if needed, eg phone numbers, short summary, etc, and there is an information highlight in the syntax file so these stand out. Since it's a plain text file it's cross-platform, there's no application dependency and the syntax highlighting makes it feel like a task manager application in use but without the hassle of a rigid structure. Moving stuff around is just a case of cutting and pasting. Any text editor could be used, ideally one that supports custom syntax highlighting.
RTM and plan.txt both have the pull approach you described. I pull committed items into the calendar and they stay there until done, with any supporting info captured as needed, similar to the page you use in RTM. The work I've committed to doing informs what goes in the text file. The items that end up on a calendar day are those which I want to get done then, so they automatically fall into place as the kind of short list which Louisa describes in her interview.
I think the point she was making there was that a short list of items helps stay focused on them in the face of endless distraction, not that you must choose only five things and nothing else may be done. In plan.txt I can mark an item as active, which colours it green, and this helps clarify what is open and being worked on when things get busy.
It contains only those items which I have committed to do. There's a section called "Committed for action" where they go if there's no immediate need to do them. There's another called "Up next" which are those items that I want to get done soon. Items are pulled from the former to the latter as needed.
There's also the text calendar (which someone here generously wrote some code to generate a few years back). That's where items ultimately end up, to be started on a set day. If they're unfinished they're moved to the next available day until they are finished. Finally there's a "Waiting" section to store items which are waiting for someone else to take action.
I keep it open inside the nano text editor and I've created a syntax file which automatically colours various lines and text, making it very easy to see what's going on in a single glance. I was thinking of putting the whole thing on Github for anyone interested. It can be easily tailored to any system if needed, eg GTD or one of the systems here. Just a case of having whatever sections are needed and tweaking the syntax file to support it.
It feels nice to use because, by definition, it contains items that are already committed for action and there is a kanban-like unidirectional flow of items to the calendar, limiting work in progress. Once they're there I'm working on them until they're done, whether that be a small task or something spanning months. The visuals make it easy to see the status of absolutely everything in just a few seconds – it's all right there in one place.
Notes and info related to items can be added beneath them if needed, eg phone numbers, short summary, etc, and there is an information highlight in the syntax file so these stand out. Since it's a plain text file it's cross-platform, there's no application dependency and the syntax highlighting makes it feel like a task manager application in use but without the hassle of a rigid structure. Moving stuff around is just a case of cutting and pasting. Any text editor could be used, ideally one that supports custom syntax highlighting.
RTM and plan.txt both have the pull approach you described. I pull committed items into the calendar and they stay there until done, with any supporting info captured as needed, similar to the page you use in RTM. The work I've committed to doing informs what goes in the text file. The items that end up on a calendar day are those which I want to get done then, so they automatically fall into place as the kind of short list which Louisa describes in her interview.
I think the point she was making there was that a short list of items helps stay focused on them in the face of endless distraction, not that you must choose only five things and nothing else may be done. In plan.txt I can mark an item as active, which colours it green, and this helps clarify what is open and being worked on when things get busy.
October 24, 2023 at 6:54 |
Chris
Chris
avrum:
<< I haven't met a productivity system or software (yet) that doesn't grow stale, in time. Interestingly, I've been following a hybrid DWM setup for a couple of months, and my "re-entered projects/tasks" are appx 5 items. Hmm... >>
Haha, yes my Unfinished Tasks tends to work best with 4-6 items on it.
Ivy Lee advocated 6 items. http://jamesclear.com/ivy-lee#:~:text=At%20the%20end%20of%20each%20work%20day%2C%20write%20down%20the%20six%20most%20important%20things%20you%20need%20to%20accomplish%20tomorrow.%20Do%20not%20write%20down%20more%20than%20six%20tasks.
My objection wasn't to the number 5 per se. I was more riffing on the value of pre-specified goals vs letting the work emerge naturally.
I know some people work extremely well by writing down their commitments and then driving to get it done as written. They get a lot done and also get a strong sense of accomplishment from it. There are others like me who resist that -- not from stubbornness or laziness, but because it generates a sense of conflict.
<< I haven't met a productivity system or software (yet) that doesn't grow stale, in time. Interestingly, I've been following a hybrid DWM setup for a couple of months, and my "re-entered projects/tasks" are appx 5 items. Hmm... >>
Haha, yes my Unfinished Tasks tends to work best with 4-6 items on it.
Ivy Lee advocated 6 items. http://jamesclear.com/ivy-lee#:~:text=At%20the%20end%20of%20each%20work%20day%2C%20write%20down%20the%20six%20most%20important%20things%20you%20need%20to%20accomplish%20tomorrow.%20Do%20not%20write%20down%20more%20than%20six%20tasks.
My objection wasn't to the number 5 per se. I was more riffing on the value of pre-specified goals vs letting the work emerge naturally.
I know some people work extremely well by writing down their commitments and then driving to get it done as written. They get a lot done and also get a strong sense of accomplishment from it. There are others like me who resist that -- not from stubbornness or laziness, but because it generates a sense of conflict.
October 24, 2023 at 22:02 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
Chris --
Yes, your plan.txt method sounds very similar to RTM. Very interesting! It seems like a simple and effective system -- especially since you've been able to stick with it for so many years.
But there's one part I would like to understand better:
<< It contains only those items which I have committed to do. >>
What do you do with the other stuff that comes across your mind or your desk but you haven't decided yet whether it needs to be done?
Yes, your plan.txt method sounds very similar to RTM. Very interesting! It seems like a simple and effective system -- especially since you've been able to stick with it for so many years.
But there's one part I would like to understand better:
<< It contains only those items which I have committed to do. >>
What do you do with the other stuff that comes across your mind or your desk but you haven't decided yet whether it needs to be done?
October 24, 2023 at 22:05 |
Seraphim
Seraphim
"What do you do with the other stuff that comes across your mind or your desk but you haven't decided yet whether it needs to be done?"
I take a moment to think about and clarify what it is and determine if it equates to something that I am committed to doing. Meaning that which I am deciding now will be done.
If it's something that I am committed to doing then it goes into plan.txt in the most appropriate section (committed for action, up next or on the calendar on a chosen day). It's either a single line item or multiple lines with the next few actions indented below. If it's something that I am not committed to doing yet but want to review in future I add a reminder note to the relevant future calendar day.
If it's some information that I want to keep and not actionable then it goes into whatever information storage is most relevant and not into plan.txt. If it's a someday/maybe with no commitment then I disregard it.
I take a moment to think about and clarify what it is and determine if it equates to something that I am committed to doing. Meaning that which I am deciding now will be done.
If it's something that I am committed to doing then it goes into plan.txt in the most appropriate section (committed for action, up next or on the calendar on a chosen day). It's either a single line item or multiple lines with the next few actions indented below. If it's something that I am not committed to doing yet but want to review in future I add a reminder note to the relevant future calendar day.
If it's some information that I want to keep and not actionable then it goes into whatever information storage is most relevant and not into plan.txt. If it's a someday/maybe with no commitment then I disregard it.
October 25, 2023 at 4:44 |
Chris
Chris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEMe4OjIIC0