Super Easy to Do List With Auto Focus
I’ve used pen and paper for most of my organization and to-do lists for the past six months . During this time, I experimented with different analog systems and tried what I came up with myself in order to figure out which suits me best.
As I experiment, I am always on the lookout for new ideas or systems that might be better suited to my workflow. I recently stumbled upon an analog system that is too simple, but quite smart in some way.
This post was originally posted on Exist.io .
Autofocus system
This system is called autofocus because it eliminates deadlines and priorities, allowing you to work on what you are focusing on at any time.
Obviously, you still have deadlines to be aware of, so you’ll need to use something else to keep track of them. Once I explain autofocus, I’ll show you how I’m using it right now along with the weekly planner and the Bullet Journal’s daily pages.
One list
Autofocus uses only one current task list. You can use something like TaskPaper for this , but it is for pen and paper.
The list initially works like a brain dump. Just write down everything you can think of and what you need to do. If you use more than one page in your notebook, that’s okay. Just go on with the list.
Using autofocus
When it’s time to work, you rely on your innate senses and intelligence. This system was designed to get around the problem that using your pure mind to work only on what you have to do makes you constantly struggle to get motivated, but working only on what you want to do is important but boring tasks are never done. Done.
Here’s how to use autofocus: First, quickly go through the to-do list from top to bottom without intending to do anything on the to-do list. Then read the assignments one more time, one at a time, until one rushes at you. You will probably feel that some tasks are drawn to your feelings because that is what you want to do, and some to your mind because you know you have to do them. But when you feel that both your mind and your motivation are pulling you towards a certain task, you need to work on it.
This is your autofocus in action.
Refreshing the autofocus list
So you have selected a task. You have to work on it. Another important part of this system is that you only work on a task as long as you like it. (If you need more discipline to do something, you can try completing at least one Pomodoro session before stopping.)
When you have enough, if you haven’t completed the task yet, cross it out and write it again at the end of the autofocus list.
Each time you work on a problem, it is crossed out and overwritten at the bottom of the list. Until you finally finish the task, cross it out and rewrite it.
This system is designed so that you are always busy with important work, getting rid of large tasks or tasks that become annoying after a while.
Tracking the AF list
When the entire page in your notebook is crossed out, put an X in the top corner to indicate that there are no more unfinished tasks on that page.
If there are no pending pages in front of this page, circle an X. This way, you will always know that pages with an X in the corner do not require your attention, and if there is a circle around an X, no earlier pages need your attention either.
How do I use autofocus
As I mentioned, autofocus has some limitations. It’s useless for urgent tasks or deadline management. But it’s great for big day-to-day tasks like side projects, or things that might otherwise be overlooked, like errands or small administrative tasks.
I am currently trying Autofocus in combination with a couple of other approaches. I am using Midori Traveler’s Notebook with multiple notepad inserts . In a couple of them, I keep track of my deadlines and my daily to-do lists.
I have a separate blank paper insert with a grid where I keep my autofocus list. I put my laptop bookmark at the end of the current autofocus list, which is very convenient – in a minute you will understand why.
In my autofocus list, I number every task I add. I also numbered all the pages in this notebook insert.
Whenever I plan to work on something on my autofocus list, I use the Strikethru numbering method to add it to my daily page. So 12.17 would be problem number 17 on page 12. This saves me from having to rewrite tasks and allows me to write long tasks on my autofocus list without cluttering my daily task lists (especially useful for programming tasks where I need to include a lot of detail.) …
Having my bookmark on the current page of the autofocus list makes it quick and easy to open my list and see what the task is 12.17. Without a bookmark, I have to flip through the pages a lot to understand what I have to work on.
Using the numbering method also makes it clear when a task came from my autofocus list, so I know to cross it out and rewrite it at the bottom after some work on it.
It seems like the autofocus system is meant to be used as a single productivity system, but I like a little more structure in my planning. I need somewhere to keep track of my deadlines, and I love to plan my days with a schedule so I don’t miss out on a task.
As part of a larger system, I’ve found the AF list to be handy for small tasks that I’ve been putting off for a long time and mini-projects that I haven’t gotten around to yet. I was surprised to have gone through about half of my autofocus list since I first wrote it, so for now I’ll stick with it and hope I can continue like this.