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Have you experienced a point where your time management lists (e.g., GTD's Projects, Actions, and Waiting For) have undergone deep-seated change? I've had just such a change in my Waiting For list (for non-GTDers, it's simply a delegation list - who, what, and when delegated): It has tripled in size.
In my case the cause is a number of new projects, plus largish activation of my marketing plan for Where the !@#% did my day go? (Side note: A huge thanks to Dave Seah for his Review: Matt Cornell's "Where Did My Day Go" E-book. Definitely review his blog - great stuff.)
This got me thinking about under which circumstances major list changes might happen, and I played with a 2x2 matrix: fewer or more tasks vs the same or different types (i.e., new-to-you kinds of work) of task. Tell me what you think:
- Far fewer tasks, but still of the same type: You've undergone a convergence of focus (see Sometimes Laser, Sometimes Blind: How Natural Converge/diverge Cycles Explain Progress). Or: You've counteracted task overload by focusing on the 20% that make up the 70% of what matters (say).
- Fewer tasks, but of significantly different type: You've been promoted or laid off.
- More tasks of the same type: You've been asked to handle the work of a peer, say someone who's sick, and for whom there's no replacement.
- More tasks, but different types: You've taken on a new (additional!) job.. In my case, being made an executor for my mom's estate.
I'm curious: Have your lists changed radically recently? Why? Or do you need to make such a change? Any books you like to help navigate change? (On my desk at the moment: Change or Die: The Three Keys to Change at Work and in Life.)
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