DonationCoder.com Software > The Getting Organized Experiment of 2006
Suggest Questions for our interview w/ Mark Forster (Do It Tomorrow Author)
dallee:
Hope this isn't too late to be helpful ...
Forster discussion addressing the following would be good:
-what are his views on self-discipline and would his answer be different for different people with different styles/psyches? different types of activities or goals?
My experience is that I am more likely to GTD by approaching myself with kindness
and using Forster's "get the file out" approach. Some people rebel against their own self-discipline and it is counter-productive. But I know others love it. I suspect one has to look at the person and Forster looks like the "hand crafted" approach type, rather than a cookie cutter one, so he may have given this subject a lot of thought.
BUT he might well stay that one should use self disciple on only one thing at a time, which he suggests on his blog. He will tell himself to "get on with it" no matter what, but only about one thing. That sounds much like habit building, and that one should not engage in multiple simultaneous efforts at life rebuilding. How long does he use the "one thing - get on with it" before moving to a different "one thing"? After the one thing is incorporated as a life fixture?
How does he reconcile, or draw distinctions between applying, the "one thing" with "get the file out"?
-In his "life coach" role, are there any particular dimensions he assesses and what rating scale does he use. Does that lead to any variance in his recommendations? What subject areas does he make recommendations about?
Does he have any way he breaks down work situations by type? By solution?
Such a discussion might lead to some really useful tips and distinctions.
I find it really interesting that Allen's outlook software is heavily geared to those who get work input, tasks and appointments by e-mail. I don't have that situation. I use GTD in my personal life -- household and family issues, renovating a bathroom, planning changes in a kitchen, restructuring health habits (more sleep, introducing exercise to my life pattern, making sure I structure food acquisition so I can eat in a way I already know is healthy, etc). I picked an index card approach because I would rather get on with working on my goals and know I would spend months finding the perfect software if I sought a computer approach (and I am somewhat adverse to accessing personal stuff on my work computer where MIS can monitor content). I advance this to give a sample of a different situation, far from someone using GTD or DIT as a project or system planner at work. I am sure Forster would see these differences and draw distinctions.
-what advice would he give a person who engages in time wasters (such as computer games) and what helps those urges shrink? Does he classify any time wasters as appropriate leisure activity and have any recommendations as to time limits?
A nod to Arjen on this one. Good topic. Sometimes play time is play time. But sometimes one is "stuck." Making action possible sets a stage for time wasters to dry up and become self-limiting. One can get frozen in the urges toward perfectionism and the difficulty of drawing distinctions. One nice thing about looking for a 15 minute "next action" (a micro movement) is that one looks for a clear possible action, instead of getting bogged down in a global problem. But sometimes it just helps to accept that a problem is going to require a LOT of massive research which is going to take a lot of time and just realize that the only "next action" is to add to a knowledge base and no decision will show up in 15 minutes. Just telling what helps me get away from time wasters ...
-ask him to give his four points on GOALS.
His newsletters addressed these really clearly and in point order, but the new blog mixes them up a bit. (It might be scurvy to ask why, especially if the old newsletters are not be currently accessible).
-what does he think about the role of luck and/or that just getting started on a problem helps a solution to present itself (the universe answering your call sort of thing).
I find it remarkable that so often the universe PRESENTS a solution when one starts to focus on framing a "next actions." When I really am mentally prepared to act, I'll run across the perfect thing -- happened two days ago (my toilet has peculiar plumbing and I have looked on and off unsuccessfully for a year for a replacement which would fit the space and then -- with the renovation ready to begin -- an entirely perfect model turned up on my computer search which, I would swear, was no different that all my prior searches and, no, what was perfect has been around for quite some time and just didn't pop up before -- all of which I found amazing).
I've tried to give examples where the question might not be clear, because you might want to phrase the questions differently and want to understand the point I am trying to suggest
Dallee
urlwolf:
Hi Dallee,
Interesting questions. However, right now the problem is that we have way too many, and there is no way we can fit them all in an 1-hr interview. I'll try to cover as much content as possible.
You may not have seen it, but Forster himself is answering questions in the week 4 assignment thread:
https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=5440.msg38145#msg3814
5
Maybe you can post there some questions and get a direct answer?
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