Triage (Blog)

[Steve Pavlina]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Steve Pavlina's blog:

Triage

[Akashic_Librarian]

Great Post Steve. Keep em coming

[The Probabilist]

The ability to acknowledge one concept in use in one field and then transform and adapt it into a completely different one can be a very lucrative skill indeed. That's the level of thinking many successful entrepreneurs have a tendency to resort to. Just think about blue ocean strategy for instance - very inspiring. Sorry if I'm going a bit off-topic, but it's something I've been contemplating for a while and trying to figure out how to practice efficiently on a daily basis. Maybe I could somehow make a mindmap of hundreds or even thousands of existing 'work tasks' or business models and then everytime I stumble upon an idea of how something is conceptualized in one field, I could test run its applicability to all of those other models in a quick way... and find a new, perfect and innovative match! I sense a blog post coming up. Maybe you've already created something like this, Steve. That is, if my thoughs were even remotely understandable. Thinking is such hard work, *laughs*, and then I-M makes thinking even less desirable when it's a so much easier way to get what you want in the end.

[Keith]

This looks to be very good advice for more advanced PDers who have the skills (through experience) to judge what projects will make a difference.

But a warning for less experienced PDers (like me!): Until you've developed some confidence and experience, the task of figuring out what to work on first can be overwhelming and easily lead to a state of 'analysis paralysis'.

For a novice PDer, it's often better to do "something... anything" than to get bogged down trying to figure out what to do first.

Note: This is really just a special case of the "Ready... Fire... Aim" principle (Steve, of course, already has a pretty good idea where to 'aim' because he's been 'firing' for many years now...).

[Yynatago]

Originally Posted by Akashic_Librarian

Great Post Steve. Keep em coming

Ditto
..........

[Keith]

Shortly after posting I wandered across this blog entry (The Primary Inhibition (dirtSimple.org)) that covers the same turf...

[jkmuller]

This is one of the areas I have found extremely difficult to improve in. I rarely have a day when I feel as though I have been productive in a long term view. As well intentioned as I might be, I always seem to waste hours on unimportant tasks such as checking stats and reading forums (even more time is wasted when I start responding to posts!). What do you all do to keep on task in the most important areas, the long term goals?

[andrewleung]

good point. the better question is: do you have anything to measure your long term goals?? without anyway to measure, how do you know you're progressing?

I was stuck in a rut like this before, but even keeping a simple journal made a huge difference. when I look back on the journal I can see who I was before and how I was thinking. Probably the simpliest way of recording your consciousness.

The next part is to actually go back and read it. Like spend time in a random entry. It should give you some interesting insight into yourself and how to correct for the future. This is a start of a positive feedback loop and start you on a direction you want to go.

andrew

Originally Posted by jkmuller

This is one of the areas I have found extremely difficult to improve in. I rarely have a day when I feel as though I have been productive in a long term view. As well intentioned as I might be, I always seem to waste hours on unimportant tasks such as checking stats and reading forums (even more time is wasted when I start responding to posts!). What do you all do to keep on task in the most important areas, the long term goals?

[Fusebox]

Steve your use of the triage analogy is excellent. It really helps to understand a concept that can at times be muddy.

[Akashic_Librarian]

Idon't like the look people give you when you turn down something they think is very important. I have been called Selfish, loser, Geek, egotisitical...All because I make conscious decisions. Is this what society has come to know? Hatred of free thought?

[The Probabilist]

Originally Posted by Akashic_Librarian

Idon't like the look people give you when you turn down something they think is very important. I have been called Selfish, loser, Geek, egotisitical...All because I make conscious decisions. Is this what society has come to know? Hatred of free thought?

The way I see it, you can solve that in two ways. One is to focus on how you're 'turning down something they think is important'. Being critical and judgmental plants no good seeds that the listener will make the effort to grow consciously. I'm not saying you're being too frank and demanding, but a better approach is simply asking questions of why a person wants to live the way they do. The object is to help them ask these questions for themselves so that they may awaken to their courage and potential within. You're there to help those who really want the aid and simply act as an awareness supercharger that works simply by being around you and following your example of how to live consciously.

The other method is to work on your own thoughts. If you're complaining (no matter if it's internally or externally) about how some people treat you or think about you, then you're only perpetuating and repeating what you're thinking. The superconscious may not understand nots, and dont wants. That's why I-M is to be used for what we want and not to state what we don't want, because it doesn't necessarily understand negatively flipped phrases of wording. Think about it. Do we first experience a poor circumstance and then complain about it, or do we first complain about our circumstances and then manifest them because we think them? The mind is a powerful tool.

[stephencp]

Check out
Amazon.com: How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty: And Say Yes to More Time, and What Matters Most to You: Books: Patti Breitman,Connie Hatch

Stephen
Power-Book Library: Free personal development, success, inspiration and motivational classics
TSTN | The Success Training Network

[Sean.M.Connelly]

Good post, at a good time in my life actually :-P. Funny how that works, huh?

I had been spending months working on helping a friend out, just trying my hardest to get this kid to grow up and face the world. To solve daily problems, and to be functional. I can figure that he has a crappy father, so I felt a little sorry for him, and wanted to just help him out.

Well, the project is really starting to take up a lot of time and energy. A LOT. I'm a pretty helpful guy by nature, but this has come to the point where it's simply something that I can't invest this much time and energy. On top of that, no matter how much I help him out, it never really feels like I'm helping him... it only feels like I'm perpetuating his negative thought patterns. I see very little growth for all the time and energy I've invested.

Now, I'm not one to "give up" on people, or anything like that. But there does come a point when you have to say to yourself, "Gee, is this REALLY worth this much time and energy? If I put in a months effort to just get him to say 'Thank you', is this how I want to spend my time? Is this where I want to spend my mental energy?"

The solution provided by your post is a relief to my psyche :-P. And it is guilt free. It comes with the realization that I do want to help him, and I do want him to be successful, and I do want him to grow up and have a happy life - but I can't afford to help him to the degree that I've been helping him. If I could, I would. But realistically speaking - I can't. Yes it does suck. But it's the reality of the situation.

~Sean

[Scorpibear]

I will include the Triage process into weekly projects review checklist. It is not a big deal when you are following GTD principals. Old idea in a pretty new shape. Great!

[Nerissa]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Steve Pavlina's blog:

Triage

Hi everyone,

Steve recommends focusing on the important group 3 activities and letting group one and two ones go. I agree but have a question. My experience is many, perhaps most, of my current group three goals started out as group two activities. My group two activities, in turn, often started out as group one activities.

Something like this:

Group one
"I know I should be studying for an important accounting exam but I think I'll read this article about makeup instead."

Leading to:

Group two
"I know I should be studying for an important accounting exam but I think I'll go to the party some of my esthetician friends are throwing tonight instead."

Leading to:

Group three
"Accounting was boring me senseless. I'm so glad I have contacts in the esthetics field since I've got several job offers working in spas. Now let me figure out which one I'll take."

My point is group one and two activities may serve an important role in helping us decide which group three things are important and to do better with them.

Or group one and two activities can waste time avoiding working on group three activities.

How do we know when the appropriate time is to drop group one and two activities? Too soon and we lose out on future opportunity. Too late and we do so as well.

Nerissa

[Sean.M.Connelly]

To Nerissa, "Just do your best"

;-P

~Sean