areas of focus?

[Ambar]

Recently read David's new book. One of the most provocative essays for me discussed areas of focus, and gave a partial list, ending with some questions to apply to each area. I found this much more thought-provoking (resulted in several new projects!) than the "memory jogger" list printed in GTD, or the list of "project verbs" on the website here.

My question is, has anyone compiled a list of areas of focus? If you have thought about this issue, would you be willing to post your own areas?

 

[Siva]

Areas of focus

Ambar,

This may not exactly be the answer you are looking for, and I haven't yet read David's new book.

After reading several of your emails recommending lifbalance software, I wanted to see if I can use the lifebalance software. But before I did that, I read the 'lifebalance' book by Richard and Linda Eyre to see what they have to say. And they talk about the three areas (of focus if you will) that need to be balanced, and into which everything else falls. So I divide my desired outcomes into the three areas: work, family and self (not much different from Covey's roles - small world!) and make sure that I work on atleast one outcome each from these three areas in a day - leading to the balance. I realize that the lifebalance software goes about it slightly differently.

Siva

 

[Steve Pavlina]

Here are the ones I use, in no particular order:

• 
  Physical
  Mental
  Financial
  Business
  Social
  Family
  Personal Development
  Fun (Travel, Hobbies, etc)
  Home / Household

In addition to these, I have many sub-areas of focus for my business, such as sales, product development, licensing, customers, web site, technology, etc.

I also used to have a category called Spiritual, but I merged it with the Personal Development category, since my main goals for that category were along the lines of raising my awareness, which overlaps a lot with personal development.

 

[Anonymous]

focus areas

Health (nutrition, exercise, emotional)
Relationships (partner, friends, family, colleagues)
Work (9-5 tech job + p/t paid photo assignments)
Financial (bills, investments, planning, budgets, etc)
Personal (self-development, goals & organization, photography & other project areas)

Those are the main 5 ... sometimes the sub-categories take so much time that they effectively become main categories.

 

[Anonymous]

My List

Areas of Focus
• Work
~ Business plan
Products
SCS
~ Steve
Deadlines
~ Implementations
~ Training
~ Promotion
~ Accounts
Top 25
5x5
~ Funnel
~ Personal Development Goals
Improve job related skills
Acquire collateral competencies
Knowledge (product, etc.)
• Routine
~ Weekly
Weekly update
Funnel
SLIMs
Weekly Review
~ Daily
Link
Plan day
• Home
~ Household
Outside
Inside
~ Cars
Focus
Yukon
~ Purchases
Dishwasher
Polaris
Fence
• School
~ Homework
Next assignment
Final
~ Payment
Next class approval
Reimbursement
• Husband
~ Support
ON
work time fr N
errands
KIDS
make time

 

[cris]

areas of focus?

Which chapter in the new book lists areas of focus?
Are they the same as areas of responsibility?
Mine are (in random order):

Intellectual, Physical, Social, Family, Household, Financial, Work (meaning my job), Hobbies, and Posterity.

I am a software engineer plus have almost all the responsibility for managing our household.

The last area of responsibility (posterity) is the photos, heirlooms, journals, and genealogies that I'm working on to give my descendants a taste of what their ancestors were about. I don't spend all that much time on it but it seems to require its own category.

Cris

 

[cris]

areas of focus?

I noticed my was very much like Steve's above.
I also noticed I don't consider civic duties an area of responsibility. I wish I did (she says as she drags the little idea book out of the left rear trouser pocket).

Cris

 

[Anonymous]

These work well for me:

Family
Health & Fitness
Financial
Leisure
Maintenance

 

[martha]

In my business life, I have three major areas of focus

They are Doing the Business (in other words, things that make money), Getting Business (aka Marketing) and Running the Business.

These three major areas of focus include the following activities:

Doing the Business

a. Producing Goods
b. Producing Services

Getting Business

a. Marketing

Running the Business

a. Accounting/Bookkeeping
b. Administration
c. Legal
d. Office/Business Management

Hope this helps!

 

[Anonymous]

Unless you're running a counterfeiting operation, producing goods (& services) doesn't make money. It generates a reason for other people to give you some of their money.

Craig

 

[Anonymous]

DM's list seems like a real working/thinking/problem solving tool. If I am right about this, I am thinking that it represents a list of areas of focus and embedded within it are general categories of reponsiblities or perhaps main large projects. Anyway, it suggests a different level of analysis and self-guidance than I have been able to accomplish. When I look at this list, I see someone who knows what is active and what is not at the present time, what she is responsible for in each realm. I mention all this because I find that outlining areas of focus is easy but outlining responsibilities seems endless. Most of us I think can readily say these are the things I want to or am supposed to focus on but when it comes to responsibilities that is rather challenging. Any suggestions on how to get there? I have been somehwat casually tracking things I am responsible for in the course of the day and resppnsibilities that I failed to take that resulted in stress, crises or problems.

 

[Anonymous]

List

Alot of my list comes about when I say "oops". Forgot about that again... and I write it down so I'm less likely to oops again.

 

[Anonymous]

Your list

DM--I think that recording the "oops" is a good start and I appreciate your revealing that as a process--it has helped me find some responsibilties that I tend to forget that I have until a stress arises. But, In fact, I think you are doing more than recording the "oops". I suspect that you have a kind of genius-level strategic or mental literacy. If it is not an imposition, I am wondering if you would be willing to reveal the kinds of questions you asked yourself as you made your list.