Challenges with paper system

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Linsi Deyo

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I've found that I prefer using a paper system to keep organized. I got some tips a few months ago from this group that were very helpful. However I find myself still falling into the habit of writing a list for today. I have the ongoing list, but as predicted, I don't check it much because I have a new list for today, that I tend to make in the morning. I think there are at least two issues going on that stop me from successfully using the system. I suppose the more important issue is that in the paper system I switch back and forth on the pages, and I like to see one list in front of me. the other issue is that I like to write down some very simple everyday things I like to do, for example, water my plants. It seems redundant to write those simple things down day after day, yet I like to remind myself of those tasks just to make sure they happen. thanks for any suggestions. Linsi
 
There is nothing wrong with creating a "Today" list if that is the way you work. What I suggest is that you create this list either the evening before or first thing in the morning and you throw it away at the end of the day regardless of what got done. You can do this because everything on this list is copied from your complete Next Action list!

For this to really work, you need to review your complete list as you are making your "Today" list so that you have a glance at all your commitments. And because you are pulling actions from your Next Action list there is no danger in losing anything - if life throws you a curve ball that day and you end up not getting those things done well that's life and you've still got them all captured.

You do want to avoid just moving the list from day to day. It is way too easy to grow numb to it and to forget to look at your Next Action list.

For daily habits (like watering plants) I suggest a checklist. This can be moved from day to day until you've instilled the habit and no longer need it.
 
I think writing a list 'for today' causes you to make time and effort estimates that don't occur if the items just sit on a list made a few days earlier. I find those time and effort estimates useful and in fact, making those estimates is almost like removing the blocks from in front of the wheels of a wagon on a downhill slope -- the wagon just starts to roll :)
 
I make a daily list quite often. I get the list from my larger lists, so I'm really just picking and choosing what I'd like to get done. I don't use paper--but the daily list IS a paper list. I just like not having to re-think next actions all day long.
 
Linsi Deyo said:
.. the other issue is that I like to write down some very simple everyday things I like to do, for example, water my plants. It seems redundant to write those simple things down day after day, yet I like to remind myself of those tasks just to make sure they happen. thanks for any suggestions. Linsi
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Do you use a bound book or a ring binder e.g. Filofax? If a bound book, you can try a Post-It style note list that is moved along day-to-day -- basically a daily/routine task list. You can even draw a simple grid with days of the week and check it off so you can see your progress over the week. Write a new list when you do your weekly review to prepare for the next week.

If using a ring binder, you can do a similar list but cut slits in the holes so you can easily move it day to day. Also play with the paper size/dimension -- some people like the half width size so they can still see the days of the week (if using weekly agenda pages); I preferred full-width but shorter pages so the top half of my daily sheets are still visible but I still have enough width on the task list for my NA.
When I was using 1-page-per-day diary, I stuck a Post-It list on the page marker.

As for the flipping pages to see your list --- I assume you have separate NA lists by contexts or some sort of running list of actions but you find yourself still making up a separate daily list. Then pretty soon your running lists are not current and you find yourself not trusting them? As several already mentioned, nothing wrong with doing a daily list -- or if you use a large planner size, consider a weekly list (less re-writing). I did weekly list but you can adapt the idea to daily list:
1) I go through my action lists and pick the ones I need/want to get done this week (actually, I pick the project I want to work on this week first then the action but you get the point) and copy them onto the Weekly List. I keep it simple and just have a list; some people split them into Must-do and If Time columns.
2) I place a dash in front of all the actions in their respective lists to denote that they were selected to be done. Again, many version of this -- you can note the date that you select it etc.. for me, keep it simple with a dash.
3) At the weekly review, if the action was done, I add | down the dash (--) to make a +
4) During the week, if there were new actions added to the list and not done, I transfer that to the appropriate lists.
5) I discard the old weekly list when I draw up the new one during weekly reviews.

You can have a lot of variations on this theme but you need to make sure you use the weekly/daily lists only as satellites to your main lists so you do not rely on them (and end up not updating your main lists). I force myself to do that by trashing the weekly lists. When I start keeping the satellite lists (usually because I skipped a weekly review), I know I am heading for troubles.

Hope that gave you some ideas :)
 
Linsi, I know what you mean about writing it down again. Writing refreshes memory. And I agree with those above who have said it is important to do this afresh every time, not let the list roll over to another day. I practice, what I do, using computer apps rather than paper, is I star the selected items (mark them as "focused" rather than rewrite them), but I review my next and waiting for actions carefully every day and redo the starring from scratch. I very seldom leave a starred item from one day to the next.
 
Wow, I found several answers to my post Challenges with Paper system. I had forgotten my user name, and had trouble logging in for a week. Today I figured out my user name and was surprised to see all the responses. I've read them all quickly, and see right away a problem: I was letting my main action lists slide because I had actions on a daily list and actions on the main action lists. I started ignoring the main action lists and "remembering" what to do, or looking at yesterday's daily action list. First step, let go of daily action list at the end of each day and rely on main action lists as the "grand memory". I will start this practice right away and take more time to read and consider all the responses
I received. I thank each responder for your generosity of time!
 
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