Re: An Org-based productivity tool

[Marcin Borkowski <mbork@mbork.pl>]

On 2018-10-11, at 16:57, Peter Neilson <neilson@windstream.net> wrote:

> On Thu, 11 Oct 2018 10:03:15 -0400, Bingo <right.ho@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Le 10 octobre 2018 21:45:53 GMT+05:30, Marcin Borkowski
>> <mbork@mbork.pl> a écrit :
>>
>>>
>>> - a warning when my efficiency is lower than a set value, and info
>>> about
>>>  how much work I need to do to bump it up to that value.
>>>
>>
>> Nice, but it has an anti-feature.  For procrastinators, warnings
>> frequently have negative effects. It can be understood in multiple
>> ways :
>>
>> 1. "What the hell" effect : As Dr Art Marckman tells in the book
>> "Smart Change" , there is a "what the hell" effect where the victim
>> goofs off even more to the extent of giving up a goal if he realizes
>> that he is falling behind schedule, or has goofed off more than was
>> advisable. The solution is to forgive oneself, and not beat oneself
>> up. This warning looks like beating oneself up.
>>
>> 2. Showing how much work needs to be done to catch up goes against
>> some self improvement philosophies. E.g. dividing work into subtasks
>> helps in not getting overwhelmed by the amount of work.  Or the
>> recommendation to plan breaks in addition to planning to slog,
>> otherwise the plan to slog becomes overwhelming and procrastinators
>> give up.
>>
>> Of course, if it works for you, go for it.
>
> Sabotage of the TODO list ...
>
> Managing the flow of my own work sometimes runs into unintended
> sabotage, perpetrated by others or by me. The offending tasks are
> often large, incapable of division, and not immediately crucial. For
> example, somewhere in the middle of my list of "Get it done some other
> time, but not now," tasks is this one: "Repair the International 454
> tractor."  It rests comfortably on that list unless I either (1) need
> to use that tractor, or (2) hear my wife telling me, "Why don't you
> ever get the 454 running? You never get anything done around here!
> I need to use its bucket, and the Mahindra doesn't have one." From
> that point onward, and my "TODO" thoughts about writing, about
> programming, or about training horses are derailed. In case (1) I need
> to figure out some other approach, like maybe using the Mahindra. In
> case (2) my wife is right--as always--and my tendency is to stop doing
> anything at all.
>
> My org mode TODO list is absolutely no help when I encounter one of
> these show-stoppers. If anything, the list is an additional albatross
> adding to my already encroaching depression.

Have you heard about Beeminder?  (Note: I'm a user, but I have no
financial interest in recommending them.  Also, I made an Emacs/Org-mode
client for their software.)

It is my primary way of staying on track with my TODOs.  This tool is
just a helper.

Best,

--
Marcin Borkowski
http://mbork.pl