Get Everything Done

Interesting that you say that. I have found that I mix up some AF1 with AF4, when it seems right. IOW, right now a lot of urgent things are going on the list. So I tend to hit a page (usually the last or second to last page) and then will loop on that page for a while. I have not yet dismissed a page just because everything is not done, but I do work some pages as pages.

I love this whole business because it is so easy to mix and match.

I had not thought of this in terms of AF1 vs Af4 but I have drifted back to treating each page as a closed list and working my way page by page.

The 'locality of reference' is very comfortable - i.e: each item on the page 'competes' with all the other items on the page for my focus. My 'field of view' is limited to the current page in fornt of me for this moment. I find this more comfortable than thinking of the entire list as one big entity.

I still pop back to the last page very regularly to make sure urgent recent items get attention. I like the page-bounded aspect and just naturally reverted back to that sometime over the last two months when things got even more hectic then usual.

Just hadnt thought of it as a 'return' to AF1-ness.

I am still having great success using the alternating lined and un-lined pages -- the lined pages are perfect for the AF list and keeps my left brain happy -- the un-ruled pages are perfect for mind-mapping and other right-brained methods of sketching out ideas and note-taking. The combination of the two in the one place is a very powerful boost to my creativity and effectiveness.



Paul

Oh really....back to AF1? I must say, Mark, I love your intuitive and exploratory spirit. You have the heart of a scientist, that is for sure!

For the time being, I am staying with AF4 because I still believe it has the best of AF1 with the ability to process urgent items as well.

Keep us posted, Mark. I am very intrigued by what you are doing!

Best wishes,
-David

I no longer use the AF system, but have internalized the AF spirit: intuition, little and often, etc.

Every AM I choose 3-5 Most Important Tasks (MITs) that fall into two categories:
Things that must get done.
Things that are Quad 4 (see Covey) activities.

We'll see how long this lasts ;)

I always park downhill before eating my frog.

avrum wrote:
Things that are Quad 4 (see Covey) activities.

Quadrant 2 may be more productive. ;-)

"Things that are Quad 4 (see Covey) activities.

Quadrant 2 may be more productive. ;-) "

Wait a sec... this could be MY productivity system.

Thanks for the correction.

Mark,

>>> I prefer Quad 4 myself. Not urgent and not important - just the ticket for whiling away a winter's day.<<<

Lately I've detected a certain increase in whimsy in your posts. Retirement must agree with you ;-)

Yup. That is so.

Curious that I should stumble upon this entry today... I'm currently using AF4, and although it seems to me to be the best incarnation since the original AF (AF2 and AF3 never suited me), the last week I've regularly been thinking of switching back to AF1. I feel I've never been more productive and motivated as the first 3 months I used AF. So now that Mark himself is switching back (even if it's for exploratory purposes), I'm even more tempted.

I suppose I'll end the work year on AF4 and decide on my first working day of 2010 whether I switch back to the original or remain in AF4. (This will be one year day for day since I started using AF!).

To me this also illustrates that one's original ideas are often the best...

Madness. Sheer madness.

Sheer madness?? Hmmm....not sure what you mean, Steve. All of the AF versions are outstanding and I am sure there is not one fit for everyone. As for me, I love AF4!

-David