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Great TODO List - Motivation Lacking?
Scottw | Feb 12 2007
Greetings. I am new to GTD and have yet to read the book, but I plan on doing that. I have always been a todo list person, and even have it broke out in a fashion that many are recommending. I do have ADHD and am easily distracted, and typically find that things come up, that are not on my todo list, that I make a priority, which are not at all. I tend to procrastinate to no end, and when I have projects (many) with no dead lines, they seem to go and go and go. Based on what I have read, I have taken time to take a new approach to email, keeping updated on news, and trying the various TODO software and web sites available, based on GTD. The problem is, even if I am 100% organized, I have a hard time getting over hurdles, especially larger projects or projects that seem difficult in my head, even if not really. I know that when I really come to an empass and feeling bad about myself and my lack of productivity, I can start nailing out the "little tasks" and get things done, and feel good. But eventually, those little tasks run out and I am left with only big things. I have read that those with ADHD should typically do fun things first, and not-so-fun things later. That is an interesting approach as it addresses the distraction issue, that if you save your dessert for later, your constantly looking forward to that and not focusing in the meal at hand. By eating the dessert first, your less distracting when eating the meal. My problem is, if I take that approach 100%, I will never eat the meal. But the meal is what provides the money to keep life and family functional. How do you approach the todo list and manage tasks that seem to have no real deadline. 5 Comments
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The queer way doing it...Submitted by pasko on February 14, 2007 - 10:57am.
What do you think about splitting your ToDo-List into smaller units - meaning a real small paper with a (sub-)task you can manage without being distracted? Place those task papers at your working room (on a board if you share it with others - otherwise in the whole room). make sure that you place the "really need to be done in any case" papers where you see them for sure -even stick them onto you mouse or keyboard if urgent enough. you will see there will be a whole lot of tasks all around you but you see now a progress with every task which you fulfiled. the only rule you have to follow: under no circumstance remove a placed taskpaper as long as you still think it has to be done.. » POSTED IN:
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