Time Blocking as the Next "Decision Making" Criteria?

[mcogilvie]

Right now, I have separate contexts of @computer, @tablet/phone, @email and @web. This tends to put larger, harder, important actions mostly in @computer and a few in @tablet/phone. I prefer to work on these for 1-2 hours, then take a break, do some @email and/or @web, then turn to something large again. I separate email from web because @email often has important, time-sensitive actions, @web not so much. It’s not perfect, but works for me.

 

[ivanjay205]

Right now, I have separate contexts of @computer, @tablet/phone, @email and @web. This tends to put larger, harder, important actions mostly in @computer and a few in @tablet/phone. I prefer to work on these for 1-2 hours, then take a break, do some @email and/or @web, then turn to something large again. I separate email from web because @email often has important, time-sensitive actions, @web not so much. It’s not perfect, but works for me.

Do you nest them under computer so you can select computer and have them all selected? If possible in your tool? Or keep them all isolated?

I originally had them spread out into lots of different contexts, pulled them back into one because some were confusing. For example Email could really be Email or Teams (MSFT) but maybe just calling it Email/Teams is the way to go and trying to split out again a bit.

My other struggle is tablet/phone could be done on the laptop. But there are also only some things I have to do on a laptop and cannot do on my phone

 

[mcogilvie]

Do you nest them under computer so you can select computer and have them all selected? If possible in your tool? Or keep them all isolated?

I originally had them spread out into lots of different contexts, pulled them back into one because some were confusing. For example Email could really be Email or Teams (MSFT) but maybe just calling it Email/Teams is the way to go and trying to split out again a bit.

My other struggle is tablet/phone could be done on the laptop. But there are also only some things I have to do on a laptop and cannot do on my phone

I went through lots of iterations of thinky-thinky on these kind of issues, trying one thing and then another. At some point, I realized I was too [euphemisms ON] doggone busy to mess around with this kind of stuff [euphemisms OFF]. So there are four separate contexts. What‘s important is that I look at them all often. I will move next actions from one list to another, but I try to sneak in small tasks all day, and it all needs to get done. Email is a category I throw an action into, not the final judgement on where a soul spends eternity. (Although I’m pretty sure I’ve visited the inner ring of email hell. The guy I went with only spoke Latin. Weird.)

 

[Longstreet]

Sounds like a good approach. A while ago I found I needed to split my @computer list with the addition of an @creative writing subset. Though it's at the computer as well, it's a psychologically different context. I did that because I found myself resisting my @computer list because it mixed up admin/business things with the creative writing--and that was just too much for me to process. Helps to sort the lists in such a way they become more attractive than repulsive.

I wanted to add here what I do. My list manager is Nirvanahq. Here is the link: https://nirvanahq.com/

This wonderful system allows me to add the time necessary to complete a next action AND the energy. So I have one @computer list. Upon accessing that, if I am in the morning, have time available, and I am cognitively fresh, and I don't have a time block for a specific project, I can access the high-energy actions from this @computer list. These are typically creative writing, data analyses, project design, scientific article reading online, etc. My admin actions are also on my @computer list but are almost always in the low energy category. A very large admin task may be medium energy. So again, I can access these energy states within my @computer list. It works very well for me.

 

[ivanjay205]

I went through lots of iterations of thinky-thinky on these kind of issues, trying one thing and then another. At some point, I realized I was too [euphemisms ON] doggone busy to mess around with this kind of stuff [euphemisms OFF]. So there are four separate contexts. What‘s important is that I look at them all often. I will move next actions from one list to another, but I try to sneak in small tasks all day, and it all needs to get done. Email is a category I throw an action into, not the final judgement on where a soul spends eternity. (Although I’m pretty sure I’ve visited the inner ring of email hell. The guy I went with only spoke Latin. Weird.)

Lol I can relate this all to well. For me procrastinating from doing work is going back to play with the system more lol. I do find that since I simplified it a bit it helps me a lot. Less decision making on where to start to look at my list.

 

[ivanjay205]

I wanted to add here what I do. My list manager is Nirvanahq. Here is the link: https://nirvanahq.com/

This wonderful system allows me to add the time necessary to complete a next action AND the energy. So I have one @computer list. Upon accessing that, if I am in the morning, have time available, and I am cognitively fresh, and I don't have a time block for a specific project, I can access the high-energy actions from this @computer list. These are typically creative writing, data analyses, project design, scientific article reading online, etc. My admin actions are also on my @computer list but are almost always in the low energy category. A very large admin task may be medium energy. So again, I can access these energy states within my @computer list. It works very well for me.

I have looked at a few times and for some reason I always default back to Omnifocus. For a few reasons, there mobile app is so great. I find it really great. I used to love widgets on my ipad but those no longer work for some reason so not sure about that one. I do like how much simpler nirvana is in some ways. But at the same time I like the customization in OF but I might be better off without it just to keep me moving along with things.

 

[mcogilvie]

I have looked at a few times and for some reason I always default back to Omnifocus. For a few reasons, there mobile app is so great. I find it really great. I used to love widgets on my ipad but those no longer work for some reason so not sure about that one. I do like how much simpler nirvana is in some ways. But at the same time I like the customization in OF but I might be better off without it just to keep me moving along with things.

OF 4 is slowly marching towards release. Lately the beta is looking good, but I’m still using Things as my “production system” (literally).

 

[rmjb]

I wanted to add here what I do. My list manager is Nirvanahq. Here is the link: https://nirvanahq.com/

This wonderful system allows me to add the time necessary to complete a next action AND the energy. So I have one @computer list. Upon accessing that, if I am in the morning, have time available, and I am cognitively fresh, and I don't have a time block for a specific project, I can access the high-energy actions from this @computer list. These are typically creative writing, data analyses, project design, scientific article reading online, etc. My admin actions are also on my @computer list but are almost always in the low energy category. A very large admin task may be medium energy. So again, I can access these energy states within my @computer list. It works very well for me.

When I used Nirvana I found that there was a lot of cognitive load to add time and energy values to next actions. And, due to my time optimism, that cognitive load was often wrong and wasted.
I tried, at some point, to only put these values on items in my @computer list. But that did not help resolve my time optimism issues.

I like the promise of putting in time and energy expectations, but for me, the value was never realised.

What I have done, is what others have stated before, is to break up my @computer list into sub-contexts where applicable. If I'm going into SAP, let me do all my SAP work one time. It helps to some degree, but my main computer list still repels me, and there are NAs there that may be more than 1 year old at this point.

 

[ivanjay205]

OF 4 is slowly marching towards release. Lately the beta is looking good, but I’m still using Things as my “production system” (literally).

I am of the thought that they barely started the Mac version though? I think the iOS version is pretty much there and I use it successfully. Although recent updates introduced some big issues

 

[ivanjay205]

When I used Nirvana I found that there was a lot of cognitive load to add time and energy values to next actions. And, due to my time optimism, that cognitive load was often wrong and wasted.
I tried, at some point, to only put these values on items in my @computer list. But that did not help resolve my time optimism issues.

I like the promise of putting in time and energy expectations, but for me, the value was never realised.

What I have done, is what others have stated before, is to break up my @computer list into sub-contexts where applicable. If I'm going into SAP, let me do all my SAP work one time. It helps to some degree, but my main computer list still repels me, and there are NAs there that may be more than 1 year old at this point.

Sounds like a similar situation. As to the time I do like the 5 minute items. In between meetings when I have 10 minutes between calls I used to go to my email and procrastinate. Now I sort by 5 minutes and knock off some easy things. Anything beyond that I dont use nor do I use the energy idea or think I would

 

[Tom_Hagen]

I've asked David about this within the last couple of months. Yes, he still decides moment to moment. I also asked him about when he was writing the first three books, if he scheduled time for that on his calendar. He said he didn't.

I am very curious about David's next action, especially granulation: Write a book XYZ? Write Chapter 1 of the book XYZ? To write a book XYZ for an hour / 1000 words?

 

[mcogilvie]

I am very curious about David's next action, especially granulation: Write a book XYZ? Write Chapter 1 of the book XYZ? To write a book XYZ for an hour / 1000 words?

I can tell you what it’s like for me: the apparent granularity changes. Sometimes it’s “Start Chapter 9” and sometimes it’s “Check and revise tricky paragraph.” I don’t go by the clock or word count at all. I’ve written short pieces for journals with maximum word counts. It’s easiest to write more and cut as I approach a final version. I’ve read about writers who didn’t start drinking each day until they had written at least 2000 words.

 

[Tom_Hagen]

I see. "A beautiful forest shone in front of them. They looked at it carefully: the first tree, the second tree, ... the thousandth tree." Well time for Tequila.

 

[Mark Aitken]

@Mark Aitken Some context here: @mcogilvie

@Tom_Hagen 's answer is very similar to the Polish hit lyrics (listen @1'50" of the videoclip):
Pić, jeść, spać – jak Tamagotchi, (Drink, eat, sleep – like Tamagotchi)
Tylko pić, jeść, spać – jak Tamagotchi… (Only drink, eat, sleep – like Tamagotchi)

Recently the words were changed to: (listen @3'50" of the videoclip):
Pić, jeść, grać – jak Iga Świątek, (Drink, eat, play – like Iga Świątek)
Tylko pić, jeść, grać – jak Iga Świątek… (Only drink, eat, play – like Iga Świątek)

Iga Świątek is currently the number one WTA tennis player. And Tamagotchi… was the world's first portable virtual pet…

That helps clear up where that came from, I did wonder! Thank you @TesTeq

 

[Mark Aitken]

That would be a great place to be and ice not been there yet but look forward to it.

If that happened I'll pull work in that's planned for the next week, or I'll spend time reading material that I never get to, or I'll maybe go help someone else, or I'll look at my someday list and pull something from there to ideate.

I've not reached that point but I look forward to experimenting and finding out what works and doesn't.

Week 2 so far.

So I ended up stopping this experiment - I found time based contexts to be unworkable and lack clear edges. I spent too much time moving things between these contexts without much rigor of meaning - Finding work and being sure it was in the "right place" felt worthless and I started disliking my lists.

Got some value though. Helped me clear out some things from my "active" contexts back to someday and become more realistic with the work that really has my attention.

I've returned to familiar territory and am happier.

• @reading
• @focus
• @meetingaction
• @agenda
• @quickwin
• @reading
• @waiting
• @someway (split into a few areas of focus)

I prefer the clean edges and the increased speed on my weekly reviews again.

Thought I'd share in case anyone else interested / finds this in the future.

 

[schmeggahead]

enjoying this thread a great deal.

Here's my contexts in my list manager (Apple Reminders) & purpose

@Inbox - my default for any hey Siri remind me of x and where create reminder action in Drafts land.
@Active - these are the first things I want to see when deciding what to do. I might move several NAs here during daily review.
@Calls, @Errands, @Agendas, - you know
@Digital - Things I need a device to handle
@Planning - need a mental state of tactical/strategic
@Focused - need minimal interruptions / deep thought
@Garage - currently do major space work here
@Outdoor - not for rainy or beastly hot days, etc.
@Home - need to be home
@Add to Slipbox - need an archive / data parsing mental state
@Stale - this is a sort of inbox that I can throw things that aren't moving & need reprocessed. I usually work these first when processing IN
@Creative Writing
@noodle on - fun research to enjoy
@Playful - when I need a break from intense work

Then specialized repeating lists:
@Finance - actions I need to actually do to pay bills or verify they are paid by others.
@Medications - actions related to refills repeating at 30 or 90 day intervals. Useful when meeting with doctors also.

@Grocery - so I can capture grocery items until I'm in the kitchen to write them on the paper list - then mark complete.

I'm about to delete and rework a @Home Maintenance list that is epically failing to be attractive to me and I'm ignoring it. Should throw the whole thing into @Stale.

It is pretty cool to see how most of my contexts are working for me now.
Clayton

It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials. - Bruce Lee.

 

[TesTeq]

That helps clear up where that came from, I did wonder! Thank you @TesTeq

@Mark Aitken I must tell you that "shave, eat BREAKFAST, go to sleep" is a quote from one of the best Polish comedies "Co mi zrobisz, jak mnie złapiesz?" ("What Will You Do When You Catch Me?") but you would have to watch this movie to understand the absurd logic of this line.

 

[Mark Aitken]

@Mark Aitken I must tell you that "shave, eat BREAKFAST, go to sleep" is a quote from one of the best Polish comedies "Co mi zrobisz, jak mnie złapiesz?" ("What Will You Do When You Catch Me?") but you would have to watch this movie to understand the absurd logic of this line.

It sounds like Polish comedies and British comedies from the 1970's share an odd sense of humor!

 

[Oogiem]

I am just coming off a 2 week experiment with trying to set time blocks for major projects or to work on specific contexts.

Total failure.

In my world there is far too much going and far too many last minute changes based on a variety of external factors for me to effectively schedule much of anything.

What I am back to is I review, briefly, all my next action lists in the morning. I choose what context to go into at that time and work theere until I can't for some reason.

The quick morning review is critical to making it work. I can see hwat is more important and try to get to it during that day.

I also am adding in my daily Obsidian note the top 3-10 things i really want to work on that day but that is still in the experiment stage. I'm not sure it's helpful.

 

[Wilson Ng]

I'm in the same boat. Working in retail, I do have fairly predictable schedules where I have my slow hours and my rush hours. I never schedule work during rush hour because I'm tending to customers during that time period.

When the slow hours start or if I see a noticeable dip in customer traffic, I'll get to work on the 3 Most Important Tasks (MITs) that I already selected at the beginning of the day.

I have a morning MIT, an early afternoon MIT, and a late afternoon MIT. If I can finish the morning MIT in the morning, I'll try to get to work on the second MIT. Then I'll get to work on the third MIT if possible. If I get interrupted, I make a note of where I am and what I want to do next when I return.

Life is too full of interruptions in my scenario. I can't do defined time blocks where I can say "1 pm - 2 pm" is the time for me to work on admin paperwork. I just focus on work designated for the morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon.

I consider myself lucky if I can get at least 90 minutes of focus time in but I try to shoot for 2-3 hours. I'm happy with one hour of focus time during the Christmas Holiday Shopping season with the increased traffic.

I only choose 3 MITs. Otherwise I'll encounter a game of Tetris on my calendar where I'm shifting too many time blocks. It's easier to shift 3 MITs around instead of a list of 10 things to work on.

My MITs usually consists of a big project I'm working on or a bunch of context-related tasks (admin, email, InDesign work, etc.) that I can batch together to work on.