Resisting email @actions - suggestions?

[Ambar]

I have been using GTD for upwards of six months and have found it to be a godsend for keeping track of what I've committed to.

However, I'm still having trouble with email management and I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions.

In short, I'm in high tech and I get a lot of email. I dutifully clean out my Inbox and put actionable stuff into @actions... and then I resist looking at that poor little folder for all I'm worth.

My intuition is that just because a particular piece of email needs acting on, does not mean that the email itself constitutes a "Next Action". (I have one message sitting there right now, for which the next action is "write report of jamspam meeting", for which I have 3 closely written pages of notes and a huge amount of resistance!) So perhaps the answer is to actually process the emails, put a Next Action on some list (and optionally, a project in Projects) and file the emails as supporting material.

How do others handle this problem? I hate feeling this stuck with an otherwise marvelous system.

Cheers,

Ambar
http://ambarconsulting.com/

 

[Mercedes]

Ambar, personally I have separated mails that are to read and file with a different priority than the rest of the actions.

So I know that in actions remains actions that need be done with more urgency, than read e-newsletters.

I also have some trouble with the regular reviews (all the list, and actions too).

Put yourself small challenges each week.

E.g.: this week I will look at my actions folder once.

Regards
MERCEDES :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

Have you considered dragging the mails straight into the task list? (Works best if you keep the list grouped by category, so you can drag a mail straight to @pc, @read, @phone, @agenda or whatever). You can then bang in an action in the subject line, possibly a contact if relevant, and "alt s".

This is for Outlook. the only thing to watch is that attachments won't come across automatically. And you do still need to erase or refile the message.

I find that I work better from a single list, rather than a folder of emails, a task list and ....

YMMV

Regards,

FBA

 

[Anonymous]

emails

If you use Outlook, one solution is to right click the email and drag and drop it to your Task list (use the move option). This makes the Email disappear from your Inbox and appear in your Task List as a Task for with the Email embeded (you can click on it and reply normally when you want to do that later).

I then put all the Emails I need to deal with onto my @Email list in Tasks. Emails I just need to read I drop into a @Review email folder that I attend to when I have time.

The advantage of putting your actionable Emails into the Task List in this way is that the result is having your Task List work as the one-and-only dashboard of work you have to do in discretionary time. With the exception of hard-dated tasks which are on the calendar, everything else is on the Task List. There is no where else you have to look to see all the upcoming work.

Scot

 

[CosmoGTD]

! Antiavoidance (Antiresistance)

My comment here is NOT GTD per se, but just my own view.

Avoidance, Resistance, Procrastination, is a very real problem. GTD puts forward the idea to transform the way the Next Action is written, as a way to deal with this. I think this is very sophisticated. Its actually a form of Cognitive Therapy, in a sense.
BUT, for those of us who actually have a PROBLEM with Avoidance from time to time, i think we need MORE.
What i have done in Outlook is create a Category called....

! Antiavoidance (Antiprocrastination or Overdue, etc)

This is where things go that are BEHIND.
So for instance, IF that report SHOULD have actually been submitted last week, i would put it in this area. And the bottom line is that i strive to keep this area EMPTY.
When i first did this, i had over 20 things in it, some small, some big. And then you "simply" do a Behavioral Technique from REBT, called FORCING. You just FORCE yourself to do that action, and the resistence will melt away usually. (people have written entire BOOKS about that last sentence! See "Overcoming Procrastination" by Albert Ellis)

When i first did this, the ANXIETY was huge, but i knew enough to hang in there, and i actually pulled several all-nighters, to CATCH-UP.
I will contine to use this method for things that slip through the cracks. Our mind can play tricks with us, and we can engage in Cognitive Avoidance, and even avoid Thinking about things we are resisting. Eveyone has things in this area.
From:
-re-appeal a certain personal tax ruling
-write huge report
-call nutty relative
-etc

There are just certain things in life that are HARD, or PAINFUL, and many folks can even have a Phobic response to them, and it just "slips out of their mind", or even as you have said, you just "forget" to look at a list.
I MAKE myself look at this (!Antiavoidance) every morning, and many other times as well, and then FORCE yourself into Action, and transform the Cognitions at the same time.
This is from CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and also REBT - Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy.

This (! Antiavoidance) category is not to be abused or overused. You don't put things in there that you would LIKE to do, just that ONE thing, or a FEW things that are REAL problems. And then you basically go overtime to get caught up.
Ideally, one would not need to do this, but to err is human, and we are wired up by Evolution to AVOID things that could be PAINFUL, so we need to ACT against this impulse.
I think GTD could well use a much more detailed treatment of serious Avoidance and Procrastination, but perhaps that is beyond the scope of his book.
His approach seems to be to transform how the Next Action is written, which really means refining how you are Thinking about this Next Action, and the Project, which is the same Approach as CBT, and REBT.
Its just that sometimes peoples Avoidance and Procrastination can get SERIOUSLY out of control, and needs a multi-modal treatment.

Coz

 

[andmor]

AntiAvoidance - Micro NA

So true, Coz!

One coach has formulated a micro-management of the Next Action paradigm as an anti-avoidance strategy. He calls it: "I'll just get the file." If all you have committed to do is "just get the file", it's an easy win. You might then say: "while I have this file out...", then you might "just open the file" and maybe "just write that memo", etc. Each step is a bonus win compared with what you originally intended - momentum is a wonderful thing!

Andrew

 

[CosmoGTD]

Penalties - Rewards

What I also like about Albert Ellis and REBT, is he gives OUTRAGEOUS things to do as Rewards-Penalties.
For instance:

STIFF PENALTY:
If you don't do what you say you want to do by the time you said you were going to do it...
-you burn a $100.00 bill
-or send a cheque to a Cause you despise. (give it to a friend to mail if you don't give him the report by Fri at 9pm)
-clean the garage for 2 hours
-smell a vile smelling substance
-can't shower until its done
etc.

Now, you have to actually DO THIS for it to work. I have burnt one $20.00 bill, and that was enough! It just makes obvious the Costs of Procrastination. Your BRAIN understands very quickly.

REWARD:
Also, after you complete it, you can reward yourself in a healthy way. (movie, socializing, party, dinner, make love, etc)

Sometimes, with Difficult Cases, you need to act outrageously to get yourself unstuck.
There are DOZENS of amazing Behavioral-Cognitive techniques to handle this.
Coz

 

[helenjc]

Cosmo
Thanks for this antiavoidance category idea - I think it might work with me - it's not putting a 'date' on the things but it's certainly bringing them to the top of the list in my face - and I think that some items could go straight on there - for instance this call I've got to make to a client who hasn't paid me and hasn't answered my recent emails - YUK!!!
Instead of on to @calls - I"ve put it straight onto antiavoidance and I've given myself to the end of the day to make this call - ...

I guess the trick is again not to use this category as a dumping ground like my inbox!!!

regards Helen

 

[Anonymous]

Coincidentally, I was just listening to DA's section on email handling from the CDs. He doesn't appear to work directly from the @action folder in email as his next actions. He states that he drags the email to the folder but also enters next actions in an action list. Perhaps, part of the avoidance/procrastination is because you still haven't broken the email that requires action into actions and it's really a project. Hence, an email that requires a phone call for research, setting a meeting, etc ought to be broken down more on a separate list.
I also have found the 'just get the file out' suggestion helpful.
My.02
Buena suerte.

 

[Ambar]

I don't use Outlook, but that's a clever trick for those who do.

I think Guest put it best -- stop trying to use the email @Actions list as a working list. Keep that email grouped together for reference, but put the actions on the main action list.

FWIW, I use Eudora on my Mac, along with Life Balance (see http://www.llamagraphics.com), which I think is the bee's knees as an action tool. Belated thanks to whoever posted about it here first -- I'm very glad to have heard of it.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions!

Cheers,

Ambar

 

[CosmoGTD]

Antiprocrastination Project?

All this talk of Procrastination, has gotten me to think a bit more about it. It really CAN be a serious problem for many people, in many different ways.

Also, this must not become a *dumping ground* for tasks. I see it as a very specialized tool for things that our mind has an active and strong RESISTANCE to doing.

Everyone has these areas, that go WAY beyond any type of normal avoidance. I have seen it in many people, in a Professional, or a Personal area, sometimes to an extreme and outrageous degree. (it is along the continuum to a phobic response).
For instance, someone with a real problem in this area, might use GTD to make massive lists of hundreds of actions, and keep making these massive lists, as a way of avoiding actions that could lead to Rejection, or some type of Pain!
:wink:
I have seen many comments along this line already, and have been guilty of this myself at times.
So one can create an Antiprocrastination Project, containing all of our notes, strategies, and tricks on this subject, and a VERY VERY clear, VERY short list of 1 or 3 things, then FORCE ourselves to complete these actions TODAY, and not allow them to stretch into tommorrow. Period.
I know what i am saying here has little to do with GTD, and GTD provides its own solution to Procrastination.
But honestly, i think if one did controlled follow-up studies of those using GTD, and other methods, you would see MASSIVE avoidance and procrastination. Its a fundamental facet of Human Nature, the desire to take the path of least resistance.

Many folks even jump from one organizing *system* to the next, as a way of AVOIDING taking action! I have been there!
:wink:
This is a very tricky subject in my view, not to be handled glibly, or superficially. But there are lots of strategies to master it.
Just a few more thoughts on this subject.

Coz

 

[remyc88]

Interesting Topic

Regarding procrastination, CosmoGTD hit the nail on the head when saying "many folks even jump from one organizing *system* to the next, as a way of AVOIDING taking action! I have been there! "

If we begin with the notion that procrastination is not the basic "problem" but rather an attempted "cure" for fears, self-doubts, and dislike of work, then it is obvious that most procrastinators will have to focus on the real problems--underlying fears, attitudes and irrational ideas--in order to overcome the procrastinating behavior. After accepting this idea, the next step is to figure out what the "real" underlying problem is for you. Start by asking, "Am I a relaxed or a tense procrastinator?" Tense procrastinators suffer from strong, sometimes mean, internal critics; relaxed procrastinators have bamboozled their self-critic by denying reality. From this point, each procrastinator must deal with his/her own unique emotions, skills, thoughts, and unconscious motives.

View the rest here:
http://mentalhelp.net/psyhelp/chap4/chap4r.htm

 

[CosmoGTD]

thx!

Thx a lot for that link! Psychological Self-Help is an excellent treatise, and that chapter gave a lot of good references, and suggestions. He refers to the book i mentioned above.
Procrastination can be mastered, no question.
Coz

 

[DStaub11]

Thanks for bringing this up! I've noticed that procrastination due to anxiety is what holds up the whole GTD process for me. My problem is that I'm afraid to do my weekly review or even, sometimes, to look at my next action lists--because I'll see things that I should already have done. I've been wanting to post and see if anyone had GTD tricks to get themselves around this kind of behavior (besides general anxiety-management, which I'm working on). I love the "Antiavoidance" list idea and am going to try it.

Does anyone else resist the weekly review because of anxiety? How have you worked on this?

Do Mi

 

[CosmoGTD]

Cognitive Avoidance

Also keep an eye on when we avoid looking at things nonconsciously, or unconsciously, if you will.
You'll notice this when things just "slip your mind", or if you "just ran out of time", or if "something else came up".
Cognitive Avoidance is really a tricky and a fascinating subject.

It can also be found when we decide that a certain list structure "isn't good enough", and we reorganize more lists, mainly as a way of AVOIDING doing what we have already decided we wanted to do!
What i am mentioning here, for my own and others benefit, is that we can AVOID doing what we say that we want to do, but we can also unconsciously avoid doing things, without even realizing it, or only realizing it after the fact. And this can keep recurring repeatedly, in a circular fashion. All of us have this BLIND SPOT.

Sometimes our lists can actually enable this!
We might say, "well i want to connect more with my relatives, so i will make this list of calls with their names on it".
Then guess what?
We feel better about making this list with the INTENT to take action in an area, but the days-weeks go by, and the calls don't get made. Or we make make the first round of calls, but do we follow-up regularly over time, or do we slide back into our old unconscious habits which created the trouble in the first place?

In this way the lists CAN work in a negative way, as you FEEL you are doing something, but you really are not.
So of course a list is better than pure denial, but i am still working on the best method to translate some of these good intentions, in VERY SPECIFIC AREAS, into the Behavior, and then following up this behavior over time, REPEATEDLY.

I hope i am being clear here. I am not talking about things that we have no resistance to. These just get done. I am talking about TOUGH STUFF. As in,

"i need to call my brother, and then discuss with him his alcoholism, and try to figure out a way to persuade him to get into treatment before he damages his childrens lives"

or, dealing with things like Rejection, Prospecting over time, difficult personal issues, debt issues, quitting smoking, drinking, marriage problems, etc.
The danger might be that huge lists could take the place of clutter!
I would be VERY interested to see of there are others who continue to find themselves avoiding things, over time, even using the GTD methodology. Change the details if you want for privacy concerns, but my gut tells me this is a huge problem, in any system of Self Management.

Another example that pops into my mind is this. I know one woman, who had a very poor relationship with her father growing up. Now as an adult, she wants to begin to talk things through with him. Now, they get together once or twice, and right BEFORE they get into the real painful issues, they both get "too busy", there is a "snowstorm and they have to cancel", now one person has to move, etc etc etc. It just becomes a series of unconscious excuses to avoid the PAIN that will arise in a genuine emotional interchange. And guess what? The weeks become months become years. It just hurts too much.
The "good intention" of planning on working it out, and then writing it down and "making an effort" to get together, is the VERY MECHANISM which facilitates the avoidance and procrastination! For if nothing was "being planned" then the person would feel GUILT and anxiety over the fact they are not "doing anything" about their problem, but the guilt is assuaged by the alleged "plan", which conveniently never gets executed, with allows the avoidance of the painful stimulus to continue. Do you get me? They DO NOT SEE THIS. They see it as they have the best of intentions, and are TRYING to work it out, but events are conspiring against them.
In this case, having a list and a plan, is in reality making things worse, by allowing a person to feel like they are "doing something" when nothing is really being done.

This is the kind of issue i am talking about. Personal, and Professional.
I think this is very important stuff, at least to me.
Anyone else expererience this, or similar, or contrary?
Coz

 

[Esquire]

Coz: There's no question that just "making the list" doesn't take the place of doing it, but can kinda make us feel like we are doing something. I've been trying to deal with this avoidance through the weekly review. In it, I really press myself on whether I've truly got the project whose NA I'm avoiding completely figured out and appropriately defined. I've found alot of the time, I really still need to do some thinking about the project, or get information elsewhere (talk to colleague, etc). By better identifying these things, I have been able to move some stuff forward.

Do Mi: Remember, just because you don't look at your lists, the anxiety over the time-bombs that might be in there doesn't go away! In fact, if you let it, your mind may be exaggerating the anxiety way beyond what is justified by the actual stuff in the lists.

 

[Electronic Perceptions]

Hi Coz,

I agree... there are many people who will put things onto their lists and feel better about having them there, so they feel comfortable avoiding the actual *doing* of those things due to pain, etc. So the lists just stagnate.

I too, have my demons in this respect. Calls is a good one. I have actively and inactively avoided calling some family for months. I want to talk to them but doing so brings back the pain of my mother's death.

I also battle what I consider to be general procrastination and laziness... but on deeper reflection there are probably things in that group which are better classified as avoidance.

Now, with all that said, my personal feeling is that there is no "system" which will change this for you, me, or anyone else. I feel it is a personal matter of self discipline - actively establishing new habits/thought processes/whatever.

Bills is a good example. There have been times in my life where I avoided paying bills for as long as possible. This was mainly due to the lack of money, and the fear of being completely drained before the bills were fully paid. After a time though, money was no longer an issue... but the *habit* was still there. To fix the problem, I had to actively acknowledge that I had the habit, and wanted to change it. Then I had to actively place the bills into my lists/ticklers, and actively force myself to deal with them as they popped up on the calendar. A little persistance has now changed that habit thankfully, but I still keep them on my tickler lists just to be safe, because I'm afraid I'll fall back into the habit otherwise.

Whether I (or anyone else) puts these types of things into a GTD style list, or some other "system", the actual accomplishment of the task boils down to self.

Some people here have used a list called "antiavoidance". I use "Priority". Same thing in my opinion. One tactic that I like the sound of is "Swallow the Frog". My apologies if this is a mangled version of the phrase, but it comes from a book I've heard about. Sorry too that I don't know the name and author at the moment.

"Swallow the frog" though, basically means to do the thing you dread most -- first thing in the day. Because once you've tackled that most repulsive task, everything else should seem like a walk in the park. Leaving the frog until the end of the day however, creates a subconcious stress and anxiety for the entire day.

I like this concept personally, but guess what? I've been afraid to actually try it completely yet But the concept is sound, and it works. So anyone who has issues of this sort needs to schedule an appointment with themselves. Call it Frog, or Antiavoidance, or Priority, whatever. But schedule the time and force yourself to complete whatever it is you're avoiding. Face the fear and get it over with. Enough times of taking this approach, my guess is the avoidance habits will most likely change.

For me, GTD has been the best method to help me overcome these issues. For others, it might not be. My few cents (And thanks for the great thread!)
Kathy

 

[Anonymous]

Re: GTD scope

Hi Esquire:

Coz: Oh well, I guess I am on my own with this one.
If I may be blunt, this is the greatest weakness, as I see it, in the otherwise original and excellent GTD methodology. This is the lynchpin, and the potential Achilles Heel for the entire system.

Janice: No, I don't think you're on your own. I, for one, struggle with this off & on all the time. I think there's an "art" to applying GTD effectively. I can go along really well for a while, and then (at some point that's imperceptible to me), "cross the line" and suddenly the very action of defining next actions has become a hindrance to my getting things done - it's as if it's enabled me to distance myself from feeling the need to get things done. It's at those times that I find myself casting the lists aside and just jumping into the work - but I never really give up on GTD, because I can see the capabilities... I just figure I need to learn to apply the "art," and hopefully someday I'll master the touch!

Janice

 

[CosmoGTD]

Eat That Frog!

Eat That Frog!
That is a recent book by Brian Tracy.

As far as "system", what i meant to say, was a scientifically tested Psychological System for managing things of this nature.
There are many many theories about this, and most of them directly conflict with eachother!
For my money though, the best seems to be CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, primarily the work of Aaron Beck.
CBT, and its derivatives, give many techniques, as well as a Theory for dealing with things of this nature.
One method is the TIC-TOC method, which stands for Task Interfering Cognition, and turning this into a Task Oriented Cognition.

At this point, no method or theory is 100% viable, as then one gets into issues of Free Will, and fun stuff like that. But there are ideas that are just plain WRONG or totally ineffective.
What happens then is someone TRIES it, and then FAILS, and then they can get caught up in guilt and self-blame, which just makes it worse.
Tony Robbins talked about what was basically Pavlovian Conditioning, which quite franky, is wrong for Humans. Humans are Cognitive in this respect, and what may "appear" to be Behaviorism in humans may not be the case, thus the Cognitive Revolution.
What i am advocating for is a much more fine-grained treatment of a very significant problem. Its not simple, or obvious.
There is a lot of distortion, and frankly hypocrisy from certain "gurus" in this area. This is a great area to write endless books about! They always sell! But that's why i try to look to the Cognitive Scientists, and others who may have more precision and credibility in this area.

David Allen is a sharp guy, and it seems to me he has thought about this, and instead of writing 100 pages on it, just picked the FINAL step one needs to take, and focussed on that, which is great! BUT, in my view, this does not deal adequately with the full ramifications of the issue.
But, on the other hand, each person has to deal with this in their own way, and each person has different standards of what is called Self-Control. I know some folks who are happy as long as they are able to catch most of the stuff that is blowing up in their face!
Whereas others want excessive control, which just breeds frustration.
Perhaps this is why this area seems to be "avoided" in the GTD methodology, as i see it. Its too complex, confusing, and full of false information. Or perhaps my expectations for Self-Control are excessive.
It may seem i am making a mountain out of a molehill, but from my perspective this is the actual core process that needs to be addressed, when one is seeking personal change, and personal growth in areas that have been stagnant, sometimes for years.
Perhaps David Allen will weigh into this at some point with an article on procrastination, Avoidance, Cogntive Avoidance, Denial, Self-Delusion, and how we trick ourselves into not getting what we really want.
I worked briefly in the "Personal Development" industry, and believe me, what often goes on behind the scenes can bear no relation to the particular "gurus" sermon, if you will. There is a huge difference between someone "selling" a technique, and a technique that actually WORKS day to day.
The power to create the future lies in the moment to moment management of our impulses, intentions, and behaviors, emotions, and cognitions.
I personally think at this point that the point of Power is in managing our Cognitions moment to moment.
But this is still a work very much in progress...
Coz

 

[remyc88]

For me, I use a mixed top-down (e.g. Covey) and bottom-up (e.g. GTD) system. I first define my goals in life and the roles that I play. And then based on my goals, I create lists and define all the actions needed (or at least all that I can think of).

Aside from a weekly review, I do a monthly review where I compare the actions that I completed to my goals in life. If I find that I am neglecting certain tasks, I analyze whether these tasks are really relevant to my goals. And if I find that the tasks are relevant, then I analyze whether the goal itself is really important to my life.

Of course, this "idea" can be easily abused. A severe procrastinator (or just someone with very low motivation) could just keep on redefining what their goals are until they are doing virtually nothing and yet justify it by saying, "This is what I want out of life!"