Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Using a list to manage executive function

drmaciver.substack.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 64 posts

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#11

Post by im3w1l »

idamantium wrote: post #5

This reminds me of some good practices I've learned from implementing GTD principals. Even with my massive GTD-style lists, which I love, having a small paper list for that day, even if it repeats what's on the massive digital list, is a very nice focus function. Also helpful is to have a list of no more than 3 weekly priorities. When I don't know what to focus on, I often look at those. They are most effective when…

I bought the GTD book. But then I went on to misplace it and didn't find it for over a year. I might be a hopeless case.

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#12

Post by smeej »

I've been (semi-)intentionally unemployed for a little over a year now, and I reached a point a couple months ago where I just LOST IT at the prospect of having to continue to make decisions at every moment of every day about what to do next. I even have a daily checklist of about 15 things I need to do every day to keep making at least minimal progress toward my goals, but because none of them had assigned times, I was still having to choose every. damn. thing.

So I decided the list should be done before lunch, which meant I could pick anything on the list, but it had to be something on the list. And after lunch, I have a list of three big-picture projects I can work on. I can choose any one of them, but it has to be one of them. Their next steps are reasonably well laid out, because I don't think I do generally have executive dysfunction issues, so I get to pick one of three projects and work on it until dinner.

This has saved my sanity. I don't waste very much time at all now. I don't do well with strict routines, but these buckets take so much of the guess work out. In the morning, 15 options. In the afternoon, only 3. It's so much more manageable.

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#13

Post by zoogeny »

idamantium wrote: post #6
Simorgh wrote: post #4

I’ve struggled with improving my executive functioning. I think it can be negatively affected by mental health issues and can take time to recover and get back to parity. I’ve found that voice-memos are particularly effective in assisting me. I’ll talk through a problem and usually find solutions quickly, eg debugging. Am currently working on a (transcribed) voice-interface to improve in this area, right now. I might…

When I've been in low periods in terms of anxiety or mood, externalizing seems to be a salve. When I look back at how I've externalized in those periods, it seems excessive. It's like my executive functioning is no where in sight, and I can see that in how much I had to externalize to get a handle on things. But those periods of parity do return. It's great to hear you've found methods that work for you. Voice-memos…

I find this is the same for me with writing in a journal. It is almost like an analogy with inertia. It takes a lot of effort to get started and then momentum kicks in.

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#14

Post by dkga »

Funny, I’ve been doing a TODO list almost exactly like this daily plan every business day since 2009. An important thing for me is to consider it s list of things that may eventually be accomplished so that I don’t feel guilty when I don’t tick all of them. One difference for me is that in calmer days and on Mondays I also check my financial status and my own personal KPIs. (Another is that I don’t throw away, I generally keep them because I use notebooks.)

This process works very well for me. I learned it while working as a stock broker, where every day I needed to check specific economic indicators that would be published or company disclosures, call client X, Y or Z, and in days where options, swaps or forwards would expire I needed to check a few things. So I kind of got that behaviour ingrained in me, and it has helped me immensely I think.

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#15

Post by RobRivera »

idamantium wrote: post #5

This reminds me of some good practices I've learned from implementing GTD principals. Even with my massive GTD-style lists, which I love, having a small paper list for that day, even if it repeats what's on the massive digital list, is a very nice focus function. Also helpful is to have a list of no more than 3 weekly priorities. When I don't know what to focus on, I often look at those. They are most effective when…

I ctrl+F the OP and found no acronym GTD, and can only infer a def. I will assume GTD means Get Things Done.

Perhaps pedantic, but is defining an acronym before using it no longer in vogue?

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#16

Post by yardshop »

One of my favorite todo lists to create:

    write things down

    cross things off
Well, now that I wrote things down, I can cross that off. And now that I crossed something off, I can cross that one off too.

A fully achieved list! Success!!

Truthfully, I've been doing forms of this more recently, writing things down that I know I can accomplish, and checking them off. It gives me a good motivation boost. Especially very simple first steps for a project, it helps me get started and then once I get over that hump I can keep going without the list. Then it's very rewarding to come back and check all kinds of things off!

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#17

Post by moscoe »

RobRivera wrote: post #15
idamantium wrote: post #5

This reminds me of some good practices I've learned from implementing GTD principals. Even with my massive GTD-style lists, which I love, having a small paper list for that day, even if it repeats what's on the massive digital list, is a very nice focus function. Also helpful is to have a list of no more than 3 weekly priorities. When I don't know what to focus on, I often look at those. They are most effective when…

I ctrl+F the OP and found no acronym GTD, and can only infer a def. I will assume GTD means Get Things Done. Perhaps pedantic, but is defining an acronym before using it no longer in vogue?

Here you go: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#18

Post by westurner »

todo.txt is a lightweight text format that a number of apps support: http://todotxt.org/ . From http://todotxt.org/todo.txt :

  (priority) task text +project @context

  (A) Call Mom @Phone +Family
  (A) Schedule annual checkup +Health
  (B) Outline chapter 5 +Novel @Computer
  (C) Add cover sheets @Office +TPSReports
  x Download Todo.txt mobile app @Phone
From "What does my engineering manager do all day?" (2021) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28680961 :

> - [ ] Create a workflow document with URLs and Text Templates

> - [ ] Create a daily running document with my 3 questions and headings and indented markdown checkbox lists; possibly also with todotxt/todo.txt / TaskWarrior & BugWarrior -style lineitem markup.

3 questions: Since, Before, Obstacles: What have I done since the last time we met? What will I do before the next time we meet? What obstacles are blocking my progress?

  ## yyyy-mm-dd
  ### @teammembername
  #### Since
  #### Before
  #### Obstacles
A TaskWarrior demo from which I wrote https://gist.github.com/westurner/dacddb317bb99cfd8b19a3407d... :

  $ task help
  task; task list;       # 0 tasks.
  task add "Read the source due:today priority:H project:projectA"
  task add Read the docs later due:tomorrow priority:M project:projectA
  task add project:one task abc
  # "Created task 3."
  task add project:one task def +someday depends:3
  task

  task context define projectA "project:projectA or +urgent"
  task context projectA
  task add task ghi
  task add task jkl +someday depends:3
  task    # lists just tasks for the current context:"project:projectA"

  task next
  task 1 done

  task next
  task 2 start
  task 2 done

  task context none
  task delete
TaskWarrior Best Practices: https://taskwarrior.org/docs/best-practices/

The TaskWarrior +WAITING virtual label is the new way instead of status:waiting according to the changelog.

Every once in awhile, I remember that I have a wiki/workflow document with a list of labels for systems like these: https://westurner.github.io/wiki/workflow#labels :

GTD says have labels like -next, -waiting, and -someday.

GTD also incorporates the 4 D's of Time Management; the Eisenhower Matrix Method.

4 D's of Time Management: Do, Defer/Schedule, Delegate, Delete

Time management > The Eisenhower Method: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management#The_Eisenhower...

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#19

Post by j45 »

RobRivera wrote: post #15
idamantium wrote: post #5

This reminds me of some good practices I've learned from implementing GTD principals. Even with my massive GTD-style lists, which I love, having a small paper list for that day, even if it repeats what's on the massive digital list, is a very nice focus function. Also helpful is to have a list of no more than 3 weekly priorities. When I don't know what to focus on, I often look at those. They are most effective when…

I ctrl+F the OP and found no acronym GTD, and can only infer a def. I will assume GTD means Get Things Done. Perhaps pedantic, but is defining an acronym before using it no longer in vogue?

It's a popular book still in use indirectly in a lot of apps that might not refer to it as much.

Well worth a read.

Post reply on HN