A description of Mark Forster's Auto Focus Task Management System and my implementation using an A5 notebook.

1. AutoFocus
Task Management
System
Created by
Mark Forster
http://www.markforster.net/autofocus-system/

2. The Rules
The system consists of one long list of
everything that you have to do, written in
a ruled notebook (25-35 lines to a page
(25 35
is ideal).
As you think of new items, add them to the
end of the list.
list
You work through the list, one page at a
ti e in
time i the f ll
following manner:
i g er

3. STEPS 1
1. Read quickly through all the items oN
the page without taking action on any of
them.
2.
2 Go through the page more slowly
looking at the items in order until one
stands out for you.
3. Work on that item for as long as you
feel like doing so.
4.
4 Cross the item off the list, and
re-enter it at the end of the list if you
haven’t finished it.
More…

4. STEPS 2
5. Continue going round the same page
in the same way. Don’t move onto the
next page until you complete a pass of
the page without any item standing out
out.
6. Move on to the next page and repeat
the process.
More…

5. STEPS 3
7. If you go to a page and no item
stands out for you on your first pass
through it, then all the outstanding
items on that page are dismissed
without re-entering them (N B This
them. (N.B.
does not apply to the final page, on
which you are still writing items).
Use a highlighter to mark dismissed
items.
8.Once you ve
8 Once you’ve finished with the final
page, re-start at the first page that
is still active.

6. this is how I
implemented
autofocus !
Charles
Cave
June 2009

7. I use a 200 page A5 notebook,
notebook
Fountain pen, Gel pen and High-
light marker pens.
Orange
highlighter
for
completed
items.
Green
highlighter
for
dismissed
items.

8. I wrote my name, email address and
phone number inside the front
cover in case I lose the book!
I have a
“home” list
in the front
part of the
book. These
are my non-
work tasks.
* Note: private
t t
information has been
smudged!

9. The “office” tasks are on a new list
in the second half of the book I
book.
pasted a calendar for reference.
When all
tasks are
completed
on a page, I
write an ‘x’.
A circled ‘x’
means there
‘L’ means
are no
a lunch active pages
time task
before this
page.

10. I stapled an
index card in
the back to
make a pocket
for p eces
f r pieces of f
graph paper
and index
cards for
idea capture.
* You can see a list of
library books I am going
to find at lunch time!

11. At the start of each day I rule a
line then write today’s date. This is
done in both the ‘home’ and ‘work’
lists.
New tasks are
added to the end
of the list.
When I choose a
task to work on I
mark it with a dot.
When the task is
completed I cross
i
it out with high-
i i
lighter, write the
date and put a tally
mark against
today’s date.

12. Am I making progress? How is my
backlog of work? Statistics to
the rescue! each week I review the
tasks and write some numbers.
How many tasks
were added?
Count the tasks
added to each
day.
How many were
closed? Count
the tally marks
against each day.
How many open
tasks do I have?

13. Each week I calculate the number
of open tasks by taking the
previous week’s number, add the
number of new tasks and subtract
the tasks completed or
dismissed.
Knowing how many tasks I can do
each day helps me manage my
commitments.

14. If the number of open tasks is
declining then I am being very
productive.
If the number is staying the same
then I am just managing to keep up
but I am not clearing my backlog
backlog.
If the number is increasing
(danger!) then it is time to dismiss
some tasks I will never do, spend
more time on the tasks I must do do,
become more efficient or
eliminate some other commitments
and distractions.

15. What about date and time
specific events?
I use outlook
at the office
to manage
meetings and
appointments.
At home I use
my emacs /
org-mode
system.

16. What about projects?
I use org-mode at
home and work for
project planning,
outlining, note taking
and planning Org-
planning.
mode is an extension
to the emacs editor.
http://orgmode.org
I transfer relevant
information t
nf rm t n to the
notebook – printed
or hand-written.

17. The payoff?
All my tasks are captured and
accessible in one place.
I kn
know what I ha e to do each
hat have t d
day.
The system is simple to set up,
simple t
s mp e to use, portable and
use p rt b e nd
doesn’t need batteries or the
internet.
Minimum stress knowing I
haven’t forgotten anything.

18. More information?
Autofocus forum
http://www.markforster.net/forum
Ask me:
charlesweb@optusnet.com.au