Comments on: Projects instead of Goals for Making Things Happen

By: Michael on Effective Collaboration

Michael on Effective Collaboration — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:13:58 +0000

Enterprise Collaboration and Virtual Teams Report (October 2, 2007)

The People Part of Enterprise Collaboration and Virtual Teams Zero Email Friday … Intel is implementing an email free day once a week as a trial with 150 engineers. “In our new pilot, we encourage the members of an organic

By: Anne Z

Anne Z — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:46:24 +0000

I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who finds a more flowing approach works! Being “creatively non-judgmental” is exactly what I seek.

Do I always achieve it? Not at all. Always more work to do.

By: lilalia

lilalia — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:12:45 +0000

Anne, excellent post. I’ve been a project person for years and years. Yet, I usually feel very piqued by my friends’ comments about how I do not set goals in the way that most time management courses suggest.

Your post made me realize that there is definitely a theme to my madness. Project work is somehow creatively non-judgmental; clearing out a closet can be as creative as working on a novel. Well, maybe not quite, but given the right frame of mind… We can certainly strive to live lives filled with creativity and not just learning to optimize our task management.

Thanks for your very insightful post.

By: Michael Wagner

Michael Wagner — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 03:16:29 +0000

Anne, I really can resonate with your observations about projects instead of goals.

As I read this post my mind went back to my childhood when, as you write, my day’s activities were usually “chosen based on action and inspiration rather than on predicted results.”

I think going back to that pattern with a dose of adult thought and responsibility makes great sense to me.

Keep creating,
Mike

By: Anne Z

Anne Z — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:22:37 +0000

Rick: I also haven’t totally done away with the must-do list. Adding some easy tasks onto the list is something I do too — like sometimes I write “shower” onto my daily to do list, knowing I will do it and then I can scratch it off! I love scratching things off!

By: Anne Z

Anne Z — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:21:27 +0000

David, thanks for the link to Steven Shapiro’s stuff, that’s exactly what I’m getting at! Yes, it’s all very Zen and I agree, it has something to do with moving to more creative work rather than analytical. Daniel Pink calls what we’re in now the “conceptual age” as distinct from the “information age” which I think captures the shift too.

I as well need to find the energy and attitude for tasks. It doesn’t happen for me just because I have a list of next actions. The mini to do list is a good suggestion, and I also like the idea of making more space and using less hard deadlines.

By: Rick

Rick — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:14:35 +0000

What I like about this is the fresh perspective, ie turning the standard measurable to-do list with its categories of importance out the window for something novel and a lot more exciting. As a recently returned full-time student, I cannot quite bag ALL the traditional must-do listings, but I do find myself applying your front/back/fridge/etc paradigm to my classes and to my “non-school” duties. Inserting some fairly easy tasks is a trick I’ve used for yrs, as it gives me momentum to tackle the harder tasks.

By: David Harper

David Harper — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:50:34 +0000

Hi Anne,

You have company over @ goal-free living http://www.stephenshapiro.com/blog/
(e.g., his first rule, use a compass not a map reminds me of your “focus on action not results”)

I started with GTD but attempts at a full implementation stress me a little. I recently read two things I really like in this regard: 1. Marc Andreesen wrote his approach is, before he goes to sleep, he writes down the 3 important things he wants to do the following day. 2. I read that Arnold Swarchenegger does not schedule anything on his calendar; i.e., so he is liberated to do what is important in the moment

But, it also occurs to me that, your flow-ish approach (I am here for your Zen postings!) is, in part, a logical answer to the slightly shifting nature of work - that is, from analytical to creative. As we outsource/automate more of the linear tasks, what remains is hard to quantify into “do this from 2 to 4 pm and be done with it.” For example, I have been learning graphics a bit lately and, while I know how long it takes to build a spreadsheet, rendering a picture requires more flexibility.

For myself, I have found that what is really important is that I can summon/find the *energy* and *attitude* to meet a task. So, I agree the procrastinating stuff needs to go on a hard list. But for a lot of other stuff, I lately have been thinking about leaving open spaces to let my energy/mood go to the next action. Related, I am trying to not put myself into daily deadlines but rather restructure (to same effect, really) but that I am WEEKLY working on several projects with longer timeframes. This is also creates space, but in the time dimension, which I think may improve my craftsmanship.