What type of Closed List are you using? Because if you are following DIT and a daily closed list - then your day should go to plan 99% of the time. If you don't clear the list for more than three days you stop and re-evaluate your commitments. Because the list is cleared daily order or sequence has no bearing, above that of a personal preference.
I am not saying new features should be judged based on whether they adhere to a system. But there does need to be, I think, separation between preference and systems with regards to feature requests. Only so that it is clear we are talking about something somebody would find useful, against addressing a particular lack of a feature included within an established system. All I think is we need to do is define our terms and state preference over system, if that is the case. Because when things like GTD, DIT and Closed Lists are mentioned with things like ordered lists. It has me wondering if people have somehow misinterpreted the meaning behind the terms. As from a 'system' perspective ordered lists have no bearing. All the best Steve ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: Stephen <[email protected]> To: MyLifeOrganized <[email protected]> Received: 17/03/2009 19:32:58 Subject: [MLO] Re: Prioritizing Items ToDo Today - Suggestions Wanted >Okay, let's be clear then. I don't think new features >should be >judged based on whether they adhere strictly to >some expert's system. >I just want what will work for me, and so far MLO has >brought me >closest to that, using kind of a mix between GTD and >DIT. I don't >agree that closed lists must be unordered (how often >does your day >goes as planned?), and it appears that I'm not alone. >On Mar 17, 4:27 am, "Steve Wynn" ><[email protected]> >wrote: >> A 'Today' goal has been requested a number of >times, though to me this isn't really what >> most people are after I don't think. What we are >talking about in this instance is an easy >> way to flag items for today - so to an extent it >would make more sense I think to have >> some type of flags which then have no bearing on >priority. But could be filtered on within >> the ToDo list. A Today goal would somehow need >to link into the priority algorithm to be >> effective and would require a super+super boost >to jump to the top of a priority ordered >> list, if weekly goals existed. User defined filtered >flags would seem to me to be a better >> option as they could work in conjunction with the >established priority ordering. If they >> were user defined you could have a Today flag, >Follow-up, Pending etc. The most important >> thing would be the ability to create a filtered list >based on a flag. >Yes, having a flag system would help. We can largely >accomplish that >in the desktop version (not as well in the mobile >version, at least as >far as editing the list goes) by using a category, >setting a shortcut >to it, and setting up views to show items that are or >aren't in that >category. Using the weekly goal gives some ordering >to that list, >along the lines of "this item absolutely has to be >done today" vs "I'd >like to do this today if possibe" - sort of an A/B >categorization. >Although having a "daily goal" would make a lot >more sense here, >because using weekly for that means you can't have >weekly goals... >Using urgency/priority to try to just work well >because: >A) as has been mentioned, it's usually impossible to >get the task >exactly where you want it. >B) priority/urgency are affected by the outline >structure (e.g. if you >have organization nodes like "Projects", the pri/sev >of those nodes I >think affect the pri/sev of the children - there should >really be a >"neutral" pri/sev), >C) It's a real pain to set pri/urg by changing sliders. >Requires >going to the mouse (difficult esp on laptops). It's a >lot easier to >press a single key such as "w" for "weekly". Shortcuts >for pri/urg >might help here. It was a nice idea, but most of the >time I find it's >too much - usually simple A/B/C priority would >suffice. The only >reason >D) We're trying to set the ordering of a list by >changing something >that only indirectly affects that ordering. I really just >want to >drag/drop to set relative priorities between the items >in this list >only. >So, having a flagging system would be nice, having >daily goals would >be nice, and having a manual ordered mode that >can be turned on/off >for a specific view would be really nice. >On Mar 17, 4:27 am, "Steve Wynn" ><[email protected]> >wrote: >> I am not trying to be pedantic but the principle of >the Closed list is being somewhat lost. Operating a >Closed list means once it is defined no new items are >added, unless same day urgent and these get added >under a line to distinguish them from the planned >workload. >> >> Order and priority/sequence are not a factor, that >to an extent is one of the major points with regards >to the Closed List concept. The list is self contained >and the order you do things has no relevance or >bearing. With a daily Closed List you aim to >complete the items on the list each day - which is >the whole reason order/priority are not a concern. >> >> Order/priority is only a concern if you don't plan >to clear the contents of the defined Closed List. >Which sort of goes against the principle of the list, >that being clearing the list is your objective for >today. >> >> Now overall if people want to order lists, fair >enough. But for most of the system's MLO addresses >order isn't a significant factor. Hence the reason it >is not already part of the product - I suspect. When >various systems or methods are mentioned that go >against the feature being requested I sort of just see >contradiction which prompts me to try and clarify >things. >> >> I think perhaps it is becoming increasingly more >important to separate what is a 'system' related >feature to what is an individual preference. If >anything it will stop me weighing in on things !! So >in other words GTD/DIT/AF/Covey operate in this >way - we need this feature because MLO lacks >something concerned with the system being >addressed. Compared to 'I' operate in this way and I >would like this feature. >> >> I am not saying personal preference in any way >should be devalued with regards to system requests. >Just a distinction be made for clarity purposes. >> >> Again these days I think any feature request could >draw strength from looking beyond the initial idea. >For example A1,A2 priority method would provide an >ordered list and may suit Covey users, there is also >Brian Tracy who talks of the virtues of A,B,C priority. > The Now Habit by Dr Neil Fiore deals with focusing >on 'A' priority projects. There is also a priority >method with defined uses, A-Today, B-This Week, C >-This Month. So although it would not be the >preferred method of ordering it has virtues of >appealing to perhaps a broader base, and perhaps >with this type of order drag/drop would also be >easier. >> >> A 'Today' goal has been requested a number of >times, though to me this isn't really what most >people are after I don't think. What we are talking >about in this instance is an easy way to flag items for >today - so to an extent it would make more sense I >think to have some type of flags which then have no >bearing on priority. But could be filtered on within >the ToDo list. A Today goal would somehow need to >link into the priority algorithm to be effective and >would require a super+super boost to jump to the >top of a priority ordered list, if weekly goals existed. >User defined filtered flags would seem to me to be a >better option as they could work in conjunction with >the established priority ordering. If they were user >defined you could have a Today flag, Follow-up, >Pending etc. The most important thing would be >the ability to create a filtered list based on a flag. >> >> All the best >> >> Steve >> >> >> >> ----- Original message ----------------------------- >----------- >> From: Stephen <[email protected]> >> To: MyLifeOrganized ><[email protected]> >> >> Received: 17/03/2009 02:50:11 >> Subject: [MLO] Re: Prioritizing Items ToDo Today - >Suggestions Wanted >> >> >> Personally I think paying too much concern to >list >> >order limits your >> >available options... >> >> >Well, that's nice, but... different people have >> >different styles and >> >personalities. I'm too likely to make poor >decisions if >> >there are a >> >bunch of possibilities and I have constantly >review >> >what to do next. >> >I also tend to get paralyzed when I see a large >list. >> >I'm learning I >> >do better with a closed list for the day. >> >> >I love the way that MLO orders tasks in a >"suggested >> >priority", but I >> >only want to review that list once a week for >weekly >> >goals and once a >> >day for daily goals, and move selected tasks to a >> >closed list. Then I >> >want a view where I can see only what I've >decide to >> >work on for today >> >(whether that's a "must do" or a "want to do" list >is >> >irrelevant). In >> >this mode, I want to be able to easily order tasks >> >within that view >> >(but probably still be able to set priorities that >affect >> >the other >> >views, in case for instance I decide to remove an >> >item from today but >> >still need to do it sometime this week). >> >> >So I think a separate field makes a lot of sense, >plus >> >a separate view >> >or mode where "manual ordering" takes place. I >> >definitely do *not* >> >want to have to manually set "A1" etc, that >would be >> >so much of a pain >> >nobody would do it. Simple drag/drop or even >> >"up/down" ordering is >> >sufficient. A/B/C is optional, but personally I >think >> >adding a "today >> >goal" like so many have suggested would be >much >> >better. These might >> >be things considered "have to do today" and the >> >others are "try to do >> >today." >> >> >I don't want MLO to change to some simpler >scheme, >> >I just want to be >> >able to use the auto-priority system to guide me >in >> >making daily/ >> >weekly decisions. >> >The manual ordering isn't so much about "I have >to do >> >these in this >> >order", but rather a way of prioritizing my time >once >> >rather than >> >having to make that decision multiple times in >the >> >day. >> >> >I currently use a context for personal/business >today >> >tasks, and it >> >sort of works, but having more control on >ordering in >> >that list, and >> >having a "today goal" would add a lot to this >> >scenario. >> >> >Thx, >> >Stephen >> >> >No virus found in this incoming message. >> >Checked by AVG -www.avg.com >> >Version: 8.0.237 / Virus Database: 270.11.15/2004 >- >> >Release Date: 03/16/09 07:04:00- Hide quoted >text - >> >> - Show quoted text - >--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~--- >-~ >You received this message because you are >subscribed to the Google Groups "MyLifeOrganized" >group. >To post to this group, send email to >[email protected] >To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >[email protected] >For more options, visit this group at >http://groups.google.com/group/myLifeOrganized? >hl=en >-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~ >--- >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >Version: 8.0.237 / Virus Database: 270.11.17/2007 - >Release Date: 03/17/09 10:18:00 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MyLifeOrganized" group. 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