learn how to get things done

Until recently, my primary objective was to produce quality right from the beginning. Then – from my former point of view – I sacrificed that, though now getting used to the new objective, I’d say, I dumped it. The new objective is to get something presentable as soon as possible, skipping-over every possible flaw, caring about them by adding a note about them. But, well, skiping to handle them.

If there will be a future version of the thing at hand, then it’s time to deal with the flaws then. – If there’s no future version, then it’d be wasted time anyway to make it perfect in the first place, wouldn’t it?
 

I thing the objective to achieve something presentable as early as possible, works better for me than an objective “get things done”.
 

• I get an insight into the topic at hand
• having something achieved in an area, simply is the better argument
• discussing the topic makes me known as someone competent
• so, the achieved thing is an asset
• I can give a presentation on that topic
  
  • which in turn is another asset
  • giving the presentation extends the range of people recognizing my competence in that field of subject

In a sum, this objective paired with reaping the assets makes me a geek. – Though I never wanted to be one of a group, fulfilling the objective and collecting the resulting goods makes me fit the pattern of being geek: creating stuff, getting it done, being in frontline and give it to the world/present it.

just picked up the (a?) Getting Things Done book – but worst of all possible cases, I didn’t have the time yet to work through it.

Also installed the ThinkingRock application which, I was hinted, complements the book. I didn’t dig into it since its “loud” colors force me look away, go somewhere else. I can’t stand that while I’m trying to browse the menu, tool bar.

After I read so much stuff – speed-read a book on project management, slow-read a section on testing of my too boring Ruby on Rails book – without allowing me the chance to put the learnt – or anything else – to be put into practice, I notice: I tend to ignore the instructions (association), goals set withhere and go for something creative instead. Like going ahead with the Print blogs! goal (linked by that association above) to see how to tackle any technical issues or to get a way to get a survey of how all those other pages concern content representation/or relate to that subject.

Also, it just does not contribute any joy to have accomplished one part of a to list, one huge part as pre-cramming a lot of new content into my mind – by speed-reading it—, and the not getting any kind of recreation. – Hm, maybe I’d need to arrange a officiously looking..feeling praise for/to myself [although, of course, it looks pathetically], just to get the well-feeling needed. – Or it might need just the release, relax demanded by my feeling. Just the time, relaxation to get a play, a toy-around. Letting my thoughts drift. Doing something completely different – or just simply nothing. Release from the urge to make headway in the list, the remainder of it. (After a while the next impulse to tacle something new..anything comes to the surfaces anyways.) – To get that total relaxation might be achievable by putting meetings with friends to my agenda. – These meetings don’t need to be parties (e.g. at my – home or somewhere nearby) but also might consist of just plain walks. – Only condition, for friends, I suppose, is that they learn the date far afore. – And, under that condition, we..I can issue a plain walk, a bicycle tour, a visit to the zoo, having a (late) afternoon of playing frisbee or something of the like.

However, I think should avoid to deny myself the chance to put my hands on what I learned – verify, get a – at least a small – bit of practice on that what I learned..read of.

And, I think, putting such recreational phases to my to do list would get counter-productive: As mentioned above, living by the list just don’t cause any merry joy. It must be something out of the line//order, something kind-of spontaneous. : A just follow the feeling – similarly to what you do when you decide to eat this or that when you get hungry. – I suspect the origins//causes of the needs for to eat this, not that and to do this, not that relate to each other rather closely. Maybe on a similar in-brain process, maybe because of a similar neurological situation in both cases, such as need to set up/place a new neuron or to get it fed or relaxed.

Just as a dinner plan set up three weeks ahead might serve you poorly, I think to put recreational tasks to the agenda might..would serve you bad too.

After having read that project mgmt book, I assume, project management might be a valuable way to follow to get things done more effeciently.

Althought I feel sure the way drafted there is not the only one possible nor the best one, at least not the best one for me – I might find a better one for me—, at least, it is a way. Some kind of manual, of howto, a way to follow. And if it’s for a starter only. – It’s for a starter then. That’s worth a try.

Recently I learned that a too long list of goals demotivates me.

Another chance to become demotivated is the awareness that I cannot shorten an already long list without adding even more goals – split-up goals – to close up with the core goals.
 

Therefore, make sure the list does not grow too large. If you’re after some wishes – such as get a ride in a convertible, i.e. wishes completely irrelated to your life, a solution to keep the list short might be to keep the wish in mind until the list grew rather short at some point in time. – If you add the wish(es) then, the list does not grow out too much.

By giving way to any sudden wish (maybe originated from one thing which didn’t work as I wanted it – a failure -), i notice I loose time by that. Thus the 43 things reminders cumulate – or, in real life, people who want to learn my recent progress.

It’s that part, the one which reminds you you’re not yet done with the thing you liked to, which makes you angry—and breaks ground for sudden wishes.

So, the solution might be, to avoid such sudden wishes to become real. Possibly the hardest temptation.

On the other hand, sudden wishes may originate from minor things you didn’t include to your list – simply to keep your mind free for the important ones. – If you’d put all the less important ones to the list, too, you probably might get frustrated because of (keeping) the awareness of all that many things you shall to, still.
 

Keeping the chance to get the less relevant things done without the need for giving way to sudden wishes, one chance to escape the problem might be to add another 43 things account (dedicated only to one canon of things to be done) and toggling through them to actually get all the things done, of both list.

All in all, my progress is for me, not for any audience. Accordingly, I move on.

Also, I’ve noticed, re-ordering my 43things goals from time to time and to add a description about my progress where I achieved some, makes a positive feedback to me.

I assume, to re-realize my gains support my positive feelings, therefore strengthens my wish to head for the next goals.

Additionally, I keep the headlines of my progress postings short – down to a few keywords, which can recognized within a single glance ‘nd without a need to think about the read. – Also, I avoid to mention negative developments in the headlines—since, because the headlines aim at going into my mind without further notice, bad headlines could make me struggle.

Hence, short headlines, positive headlines.

I think, one important part of getting things done is to permanently get feeded some succes. Maybe, that does not need to be permanently, maybe even continuously would suffice – I don’t know yet. But I assume, the distances between successes needed may grow while I am growing into, become familiar with getting stuff done.

One source of such success may be to put small goals on 43 things and check them out when done. That’s a kind of positive feedback. – But as learned recently, the goal must be small enough that they remain achievable within the time range before your motivation vaporizes. – As said before, maybe those time ranges increase over time, experience.
 

Another thing, I’ve learned recently, is that at least I respond to spoken positive feedback, even when done by myself. – I noticed this when I stood on those eight wheels, recently, first time, and had my hands full with avoiding to crash down to the ground. – But, hey, actually, I did about a kilometer without any major problem. Also, I crossed several streets and traffic junctions. I even managed to get down the (very, very slight) hill without crashing down the moment I had to halt. :)