Tom Peters and the To-Do List

[awebber]

From the Tom Peters Blog -

The Single Most Important Thing
YOU'LL DO THIS MORNING ...

I just read a comment about "roadmaps" and "process maps" and "project management software"—which helps us move from Abstract Strategy to Concrete Action. I am not opposed to "process maps," and certainly acknowledge that you need some damn good PM software to direct Boston's Big Dig. But I want to focus on something "simpler"—and far more important—THE ONE TOOL WHICH WILL MAKE OR BREAK YOUR CAREER.

Namely the ... To-Do List.

I rarely "guarantee" ... but in this case I guarantee that the most important thing you'll do today is to spend some quality time (normally I hate that phrase) on Carefully & "Strategically" Constructing your To-Do List.

Consider these Four Cardinal Principals: (1) Time is more important than money. (It is the only truly constrained resource.) (2) You = Your Calendar. (You are What You Spend Your Time On as much as ... you are what you eat.) (3) "To-Don'ts" are as important, or more important, than "To-Dos." (What's not on the list is perhaps more important than what is.) (4) Your To-Do List must never be more than 4 items long. (Okay, you can have an "errands list" that includes replenishing the stock of toilet paper and such—but the Big Yo Mamma To-Do List must ... MUST ... never run beyond four.)

The To-Do List ... is who you are today! This morning (long ago, I'm still in India, 9.5 time zones from EDT) I woke up, as usual, "with a hundred things to do"—every damn one of them important. But also as usual I meditated for 10 minutes to calm my dream-induced frenzy (malaria pills), and then spent 15 quiet minutes on my list. Many of my "crucial" "priorities" are not in fact consistent with my dreams for the next six months. They must mercilessly be edited out of my day—now. Some stuff that's unavoidable is crap that I, like you, must do for "political reasons." (There's always a backside or two to kiss. Welcome to Life 101.) But figuring where I want to spend a crucial 3-hour block that's "open" from 7AM to 10AM is all-important. So, I made my choices and made my list. (Three items.) It sat and sits dead-center on my Windows desk-top. (Sometimes I ink it on my right hand—I'm left handed.)

Of course my day did not go according to plan! For heaven's sake, whose does? But, still, I did zealously hold on to 2.5 of those crucial 3 hours for the project that matters to me most. And the bigger point is that the Process of early meditation-TD List construction subconsciously guided my day in the hours that followed.

So you're welcome to "process map" until you're blue in the face, or whatever. Just don't screw up the To-Do List. It really is "all you have"!

This can be found at http://www.tompeters.com/entries.php?note=006635.php

 

[ext555]

I think he's referring to more of a project list "what projects do I need to work on today ? "

Only 4 Next actions completed in one whole work day wouldn't be very productiive :wink:

 

[CosmoGTD]

I think DA knows about 10,000x more about this than Tom Peters.

Just a personal comment here.
Tom Peters is a war veteran, and i think being in a war, has turned life into a "war" for the guy, and now everything seems so extreme, dramatic, and overly-intense. Even the tone of his blog entry makes ME feel anxiety!! Of course, that's his "intense style" which helps to attract attention in the media as well.

In my view, DA ideas are much better than this.
Relaxed productivity is much better to me, than making life into a daily war with yourself.

Coz

 

[ext555]

Definitely agree with you about the intensity push from TP . :wink:
He does have a lot of good things to say either way .

A while back he was making the statement "you are your projects list " somehow that's changed to to-do list now --but I think he's still referring to projects.

Personally, I'd never look to someone like TP for productivity advice.

 

[Anonymous]

I like the blog

I think TP is right in a sense and I think I will try to use his approach. I have 106 todos and I dont find it all that helpful to differentiate between projects and na's. If I pick out 4 or less of the most important items and make myself work on them I will be more productive than if I just try to have mind like water and see what happens.
I think it is always a battle with self. For me, is all about doing what I'd rather not. Staying on task.

 

[CosmoGTD]

Re: I like the blog

Do you actually see DA as saying that? I do not see him saying that anywhere.

You get that sense of calm by precisely handling ALL of your commitments. So what DA is preaching has nothing to do with "seeing what happens".
Its the exact opposite.
Because you know ALL of your Projects, and ALL of your NA's and commitments are in your trusted system, then you don't need to go through the Tom Peters manic-angst (I have a HUNDRED MUST do things to do today!!!) every morning.

If you only have a list of a few things to do today, what happens to all of that other "stuff" in the back of your mind that is CAUSING all of the background anxiety?
What Peters talks about here can be handled with ONE of DA's ideas, and that is "date specific task".

I hate to be a psychologist here, but i do see Peter's war trauma in his work. Its as if life is a battlefield to him. I have read all of his books, and it took me quite a while to realize why his writings made me feel anxious. He is always saying "the sky is falling", and is too melodramatic for my taste. (I do think that part of this is also a writing/speaking style to attract media attention).

So what if the sky is falling again? DA's system can handle all of that stuff, so you don't need to go through Tom Peters Morning Hangover Angst routine. ALL of that has already been processed.
In this case, to me anyway, Peter's advice is the opposite of helpful. Its just a reflection of his own beliefs, which act as a filter and a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Coz

If I pick out 4 or less of the most important items and make myself work on them I will be more productive than if I just try to have mind like water and see what happens.

 

[CosmoGTD]

ok, I just checked out Peter's blog, and it appears his most recent entry was back in July. He is questioning his lifestyle here.
http://www.tompeters.com/toms_world/observations.php

Here's a quote:
"On the surface, my life is a lark, if indeed a trying one, given, for instance, the emotional and physical wear and tear of 200 nights a year on the road, 26 years running. But it felt like no lark just five weeks ago. The work had suddenly (or was it a long accrual?) ceased to be either fun or rewarding, the strain of too much too much was wreaking havoc on health and relationships. (There's more -- not so pretty -- which I have no intention of sharing.)"
-----
well Tom, that was your choice to work on the road 200 nights a year, and drive yourself hoarse like a maniac!! Duh!

Also, Tom needs to examine his own Thinking. Sure, the guy has some great advice and books. But I can see very clear Distortions in his thinking processes, and these lead to those terrible emotions and driven behaviors he is having, and writing in his books, and encouraging others to engage in. I noticed that a number of years ago, and have just ignored that part of his "advice", as its not advice, just his own beliefs.

Now it looks like good old Tom is getting on a New Age Self-Help kick! That old soldier will take that hill by storm, taking no prisoners, as well! :wink:
He states:
"Session after session with psychotherapists. Yoga. Chi Gong. Tai Chi. West African drumming. Visualization. Mind-mapping. Massage. Pilates. Cardio stress tests. Blood analysis. Healing sound therapy".

Tom knows his problem, and he includes this quote (below) in his blog. My psychic prediction is that Tom will learn something very profound....
RELAX SOLDIER. That's an order.

Coz
----
"Little did we understand that by doing the manly thing, girding up our loins, pulling in our guts, pushing out our chests, and constricting our breathing, we forced most feelings into exile in our unconscious."

 

[Cikub]

Cosmo, your observations about Peters' style seem astute and reasonable. I don't understand, however, what's wrong with someone who is tracking all of their open loops--a great many of them, in fact--sitting down at the beginning of their work day and asking themself, "What four things/projects do I really want to move on today?"

C

 

[awebber]

I would not disagree with Cosmo's assessment of TP or the value of DA's approach. I do think though that there is value in TP’s advice if you read between lines and ignore all of the angst in his blog. That value is in taking a few minutes to reconnect with your values, your intermediate and long term goals, and your priorities before deciding what the main tack of your day will be.

I like most people, carry a large list of Next Actions, and for me there is value in a morning review, every morning, to select the two to four primary projects I want/need to work on that day. These 15-30 minutes in the morning allows me the opportunity to process my notes, update my Next Actions, and provide some focus what I want or need to accomplish today by selecting the critical few. At least for me, it is very difficult to evaluate or select those critical few on the fly.

I see the value of DA’s philosophy in keeping a mind like water across the spectrum of my work. I also see the value of focus, what TP, Franklin Covey, and DA even talks about. As one of my Martial Arts instructors once explained to me learning these techniques and philosophies through Black Belt is just the beginning, the real learning and growth comes with personalization that makes it your art. It is the same with managing your time and your life, is it simply a series of moves, or have you made it your art.

 

[CosmoGTD]

Actually, i don't see anything wrong with that at all.
Personally i "cheat" all the time with GTD, and just drop in a handful of "To Do's" as non-time-specific-Do-Today-appts in my Calendar, and even drag them to the next day if not completed!
(shame on me!)
On top of that, obviously each person will figure out what works the best for THEM, and that will be unique to each person.

I am just venting my opinions about Peter's style. I used to be like that, driving myself like a maniac, but i realized that is a self-fulfilling prophecy and a vicious cycle. There is a "puritanical driven streak" in Peter's writing, that i don't care for. (you're in the army now....)

Personally, i think each person should trust their own mind, and come up with a system which works best for THEM, while being open to new ideas.

So i guess what i am saying is that what Peters was saying is really a part of GTD already. Its the list of things that have to be done today that you list in your calendar, and also "making appts with yourself". You can make a 2 hour appt with yourself to work on something, and put it in your calendar.

GTD is a pretty cool system. As DA says, there is more to it than first meets the eye, and most of these other ideas seem to be already contained within it.

"Planning your day" based on your Values happens automatically with GTD if you have done all of the work.

Also, DA has included "relaxed productivity" within it, and if you can achieve some of this, that is worth more than millions of dollars. So what if you can be productive, but destroy your life and your health and your family?
(see Peter's last blog entry)

To me i see DA as having some real intellectual credibility with his system. Its not smoke, mirrors, hype, hidden sales techniques, or psychologically unhealthy.
If i did see serious problems with GTD, i would point them out as well.

The weakest link in GTD in my view, is HOW to get yourself to IMPLEMENT all of it, and overcome Avoidance and Procrastination. Its obvious that most people implement GTD in a very very sloppy way, and miss the reviews, and let the thing fall apart continuously.

But that is literally another entire study in and of itself. But even with this, DA gives some good ideas, like changing the way your are languaging the Next Action.
That is a very sophisticated Cognitive Restructuring method.
There is lots of little stuff in GTD like this that is easy to miss.

Coz

Cosmo, your observations about Peters' style seem astute and reasonable. I don't understand, however, what's wrong with someone who is tracking all of their open loops--a great many of them, in fact--sitting down at the beginning of their work day and asking themself, "What four things/projects do I really want to move on today?"

C

 

[Popeye]

TP or DA?? that´s the question...

TP:s or DA:s way to get structure in your life??

sounds like those two guys have a different audience... I mean, if I like DA:s or TP:s way to balance my life... does it really matters??

Which "guide" I prefer to choose, it´s really up to me.. the only thing I care about is that I´m getting some balance and structure in my life.

I want a system that can guide me trough a hectic life with a hectic work. I use DA:s system in a symbiose with LifeBalance (http://www.llamagraphics.com/index.html) and DateBook 5 (http://www.pimlicosoftware.com/).
This is all I need to get a pretty smooth life. (I see these systems as my extra-memory, they wont me to forget any appointments, To-Do:s etc) True lifesavers...

So my personal oppinion are, choose the system and the way that fits your life. Choose the system that you can trust and a system that works for you.

One thing is clear... there are many roads to THE GOAL, the goal is to have a pretty organised life, harmony in your soul... (you know that feeling that comes when you know that you are in control over all your must-do:s, and all other stuff and you are in track..)

My advice to all the GTD:s, llamas, TP:s and all other people that are trying to find a path throug life with a mix of DA and something else that fits just so well for some...

hang on and don´t give up the hard and good job... And if you don´t get a mind like water... don´t give up... you have at least a lot of lists, projects, a lot of NA:s, in a safe system and you won´t forget to do those... and that´s a very good feeling..

"Always aim for the stars... someday maybe you hit the sky..."
//Popeye

 

[severance1970]

After experiencing the power of context-bound Action Lists, the "top priorty" To Do lists that Peters advocates just seems old-fashioned. Productivity gurus have been suggesting ABC and quandrant prioritization methods for years, and they don't work for what should be obvious reasons. If feeding your cat is never an A priority, then you'll never feed your cat. If feeding your cat is on an @Home action list, then you'll address it when you're at home, regardless of priority.

Allen's method just make more sense to me, logistically and philosophically. I find I have much more energy to devote to a higher-priority project when I can clear my agenda of a less important but more actionable project.

But I do like Peters' idea of having a To Don't list. I need to sit with that one for a while.

 

[Mardo]

Tom Peters and To do List

I read Cosmo's post about Tom Peters last blog and read that posting in its entirety. It was interesting, all the more because what TP talks about is Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires. Its a spa with all the treatments and luxury that the word spa invokes and Canyon Ranch certainly charges for it. But it does have a difference. The founder of Canyon Ranch Mel Zuckerman was a real estate developer and was overweight, burned out and had watched his father die of lung cancer. He went to what was then a "fat farm" left and then went to another one and stayed for six weeks. He called his wife to join him. He got healthy and his and his wife went back to Tucson and began Canyon Ranch.It was a risky venture. What he has said is that the luxury and the treatments bring you to Canyon Ranch but what they want to accomplish is a life style change though health, relaxation techniques etc. Their medical and health and healing section is amazing and full of talented people from doctors, physical therapists, psychologists, nutritionists etc etc. I know of several lives that they have changed through medical disagnosis that were missed other places. What Tom Peters said is he had been to Canyon ranch the year before and focused on diet and exercise, losing 40 lbs and altering his blood chemistry. This year, burned out he went back for a more self reflective reasons. Canyon Ranch does have all that neat stuff, African drumming, Yoga, Chi Gong, Meditation walks, etc. Breathing is a class that's offered everyday. A number of breathing techniques are shown in an hour class. Different instructors give it daily so you get different technigues. I use one to go to sleep and another to energize me during my 3pm slump. One of my favorites classes is Morning Stretch. After several mornings in a row of spending 45 stretching your whole body feels different. Its also an incredibly beatiful and quiet place to regroup and plan how you are going to "take it home". which is a big part of what they do. Further on in Tom Peters blog he says" As to my work, I'm re-energized, as I haven't been in a decade. I am wildly excited about getting back on the road, and beginning to put some much deeper meaning into what I do..."
I thought it was a really positive and thoughtful posting.

As to the To Do list of 4 things, when I do a weekly review I do pick a number of tasks, these are usually more time consuming complex drafting or thinking tasks related to a complicated project. I block out an appointment with myself between one and three hours to accomplish that task. At the end of the week those tasks are done or substantially moved forward in away that they would not have been if I hadn't blocked out the time. I think Tom Peter's thing about no more than 4 tasks is that he like David Allen is getting away from the 25 item priortized daily task list. He aims for up to four important things during a set time and the rest of the day does what he does. For GTD followers that's using our context based next actions. The wonderful thing about GTD is that it is flexible and allows for individual variations in what works. A number of people who post here, do the weekly review, have context based task next actions for their projects and still use a short to do list based on a review of their next actions.