Setting Your Priorities

Is Not Try, Is Do or Do Not - It's up to you to decide from the remembered and/or listed tasks for which you are the champion ThinkingOutLoud.DonaldNoyes.20131014

At least in theory it is.

Some of the things we think we think we have to do now or right away may profit from the ProcrastinationStrategy.

Procrastination falls in the Do Not category, but not in the Do Never or Avoid Forever categories. Many have tried to do things BeforeTheirTime?, thinking just because it can be done, that it should be done, now. This includes things that are found to do but should be done by others, either with more time, resources or capabilities. If you have an idea, and you think it should be done because it seems the right thing or the right way to do something, it may be wise to expose it as something someone else can or should do, in the places or times that might be appropriate.

DoingStuff falls in the Do category, because it is truly a present priority. DoingStuff soon is also Do category and is what most people mean when they say they will Try. Soon, means it will not be allowed to slip into the category of the Forgotten Tasks. Different schemes and strategies are helpful in this respect, including to do lists, StickyNotes, [(or what I have found to be better than just sticking the note on a wall or personal note-board: write it down, then take a digital photo |camera or phone| of it) Then stick the note on top of the last one you treated in the same way in a OnePileFilingSystem taking up no more than a 3by5 space on a wall or a space on the desk, or in a center drawer this gives you a portable, take it with you digital pile of stuff]. Then you do not have to think, What do I have to do or get, and where did I write it down?

In the domestic scene this might do well for Appointments, Shopping Lists, Places to go, people to see or call, organization and archiving things, etc.

This page is not about all priorities, it is simply about priorities over which you have control, or have responsiblity.

Removing Tasks

Completing and Completed Tasks - this is the Do strategy by which you make final the DoingStuff tasks required to finish the work which has been yours, and you can mark it as done and then ForgetIt?.

Relief from Tasks is the Do Not strategy by which you can rightfully shift things to be done to others. While in the past I might have climbed a latter and removed the leaves from the gutter, I am not now physically able to do this with a high degree of safety. This is a task from which I seek relief by transfer. It may still be mine to do, but only that I see that it is done and confirm its completion. This is an important matter, that relief is direct, but there remains an oversight or overview responsibilty which remains.

Shift from Tasks is the Do Not strategy by which you are removed from doing or seeing to it that something is done. This is done through cooperative channels, or if they do not exist may require refusal to do, or to accept as your responsibility to do. This may in extreme circumstances, require the removal of yourself from the position of employment, resignation from office, or other TerminationStrategies?. When you have successfully shifted a task, it no longer requires oversight or overview responsibilities on your part and you can ForgetIt?.

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