Re[4]: OT sidetracked sisters

Hello Mike,

Sunday, April 12, 2009, 4:44:02 AM, you wrote:

> I don't even remember that part.  In any case, they had a whole bunch of
> layers on the basic system.  And I liked that they advised NEVER EVER going
> out without blank cards and a pen ... and the advice to never buy clothing
> without pockets  

I forgot about the clothing without pockets thing. (More important to women because they are more likely to have clothes that don't have pockets.)

I just read the book. It says that one of them was working for a place that did ads. Some advertisers put in ads at 1 week or 2 weeks etc.. so the card file was set up so that the advertiser could be called at the appropriate time. The system was already in place at the workplace when she arrived.

> Well, those are different aspects of things.  The weekly review is more for
> planning purposes.  I do that no matter what system I am using.  I have
> always done reviews to keep myself on track with my goals.  In the SHE
> system, it is more about repetitive tasks than it is goals ... though you
> can clearly do a goal review and put tasks on cards and file them according
> to date ... you can also make things one-time or repeating. 

Good points. It would be bad to never do a weekly review. 

Not really needed in the SHE system because it was designed for repetitive, unchanging tasks. (In that way, its not like GTD but that doesn't mean it can't be morphed into more.) They say that you should change it as your needs change.

>  In AF proper,
> there is no review or planning or goals (Mark seems to be anti-planning for
> some oddly bizarre reason   but I don't see AF as a stand alone thing ...
> I use it in conjunction with a calender and planning sessions for goals,
> etc.  In fact, I don't view any of these as "complete systems" ... I use
> them more like tools.  I mix and match to find a combination which works
> best for me.  IOW, *I* am the "system"  

It said on the site that he has written books. My library does not have any of them.

I don't know enough about AF to say, but he might be assuming you are using it in conjunction with other things.


> With respect, you don't really know that.  It is not just a long list, it is
> many short closed lists, to use other terminology.  I can only suggest that
> if you don't try it you will never know.  I know this is a lot like saying
> you can't know if drugs are bad until you take them ... but this really is a
> different thing.  It has to do with how you interact with the items on the
> list by following the flow the list.

I admit I did not read the whole webpage. 

The reason I did not think I could do this system is because it seemed that its main point was to write a list. Then review this list. If the thing appeals to you, do it right then or rewrite it. If it does not appeal to you, then do not rewrite it.

I would have hundreds of items on my list... I would not want to rewrite hundreds of items a day. If I have 10 books I wanted to read.. just because I am not reading it now does not mean I will never read it. I don't want to leave it off the list.. if I do then I would not remember the title or whatever when it was time to read something.

I have read a book called "Time Management For Unmanageable People" by Anne-McGee Cooper. She talks in there about how some people are comfortable with tons of items on their possible to do list while others will freak out if there are more than a few. The person that likes so many things just sees them as "options".. they know they are not going to do them all. They don't expect to do them all. The person who only likes to see a few things freaks at the other person's list because they see everything on that list as a "must do" item. She found out because her partner Duane would get concerned that he could not do all the items she had for him to do. (She had never expected for him to do them all.)

Anyway I am like Anne if you have not already figured that out.

The Sidetracked Sisters talk about a concept of people being naturally organized or not. They call those that are naturally organized BO for "born organized". They were not BO. They had to have cards in their system for every conceivable thing. They had their mom go to one of their seminars. (She is a BO.) They told her that she would not have to make any cards except for things she could not remember to do. They said their mom only had 3 cards at the end.

> That said, do what you think best.  I'm only here to offer my suggestion and
> you can take or leave it based on how sensible I may seem as you read my
> posts.

thanks for the suggestion. I like to learn about new stuff.

>> This list does not allow someone to have a "mind like water" like DA
>> recommends.


> That is a bit of drug induced crap, so far as I'm concerned.     One
> achieves inner peace in so far as one connects with one's inner self.  A
> better TO DO list is not going to get anyone there.  But I suppose it sells
> books.

I agree that some of the DA stuff is fishy.

I agree with the concept that if you put it in a trusted system, then you can be more relaxed because you do not have to feel guilty about not doing something right now instead of what you are doing. For example some people might feel guilty for going to a movie... but if they have it all planned out in their system for here is when I go to the movies and here is when I do A B and C.. then they don't have to feel guilty. They know that other stuff is being taken care of.

> The list is indeed all one needs to do.  If you use the system, you write it
> all down there ... except appointments.

If you wrote down that you wanted to build a deck, but it is now winter.. when you read.. "build a deck" it is not going to "jump out at you." So from how I understand AF, it would be dropped from your list. Meaning when spring or summer comes.. you have to try to remember it so you can add it back to your list.

If you were doing it using the SHE system, you would put a card in your April divider that said "build deck". when it got to april you would see your card.

>> One of the main reasons I want to do stuff electronically is because I do
>> not want to be constantly rewriting my to do list.


> You do not "rewrite the list".  You rewrite tasks that are partially
> completed.  And it is that very action that makes the system work.  And, to
> call it what it is ... four seconds to write two or three words ... not a
> big thing.  And the rewriting itself is a micro-review.  One usually rewords
> the item as it is rewritten because one has learned something by starting
> it.

You'd end up with a list that had a lot of crossed out things on it then. Eventually the page would fill up.

It might be only 4 seconds but that could be a lot depending on how many items you have.

> There are people on the form discussing how they are managing 300 pages of
> 30-50 items per page ... several thousands of items and hundreds added
> and/or done each day.  Others have only a few open pages.  It is not the
> size, it is the nature of the items on the list that has an impact.

Well I guess I don't understand the system then.

> All of that said, I was just giving you a heads up.  I've been down the GtD
> road, and the hardware software road.  Take the advice for what it is ...
> and my advice is surely worth what you paid for it  

thanks

-- 
Brenda