Stuck Next Actions on @Home list

[Borisoff]

During my Weekly Review I very often find the same Next Actions on my @Home list as at the previous Weekly Review. They are real Next Actions. And I want to close the Projects assosiated with them. But when I open @Home list that Next Action doesn't motivate me to do it. I think it would even better to have Project name instead of it's Next Action on this list. For example "Create my home DVD library" motivates me better then "Find my video-camera"... I just loose the sence of "why" I should be looking for the camera now instead of doing something else. How to make the Next Actions more motivating as their assosiated Projects?

[Scott_L_Lewis]

Borisoff,

Interesting problem. Most people have problems with putting a project on a next action list because the project is too big and amorphous to give them the clarity they need to get started. In your case, you have the clarity of "find my video camera" but your feelings of motivation are really tied to the outcome of your project, in this case building your DVD library.

One thing I do is to put the action and the project on my action lists. You have the clarity of the next action and the motivation of the project. The obvious downside is the additional work of writing the project name. That, however, can be reduced by using automated tools. I my case, my next action lists are Word documents, so it is usually easy to copy and paste the project name from somewhere else.

Instead of that, you might try a mental practice. When you review next actions, remember the projects to which they belong. Again, you are linking the clearly rendered next action with the project outcome and thence to the motivation to act. This approach has less writing/typing but more thinking.

Hope this idea is useful.

[Cpu_Modern]

The NLP folks have tons of materials about this. Regarding your specific example:

"To build my awesome DVD-Library I gonna find that camera, damnit!"
or
"Check out how fast you can find anything in your house! Start with the video camera."
or
"Brilliant DVD-Libraries start with a camera. Find yours!"
or
"Borisoff knew the chocolate donuts where well earned: after all he didn't give up on his search for his video cam."
or
"Do you really think you deserve to see me (you NA: search the camera) another time? Where's your pride?"

[jknecht]

The NLP folks have tons of materials about this. Regarding your specific example:

"To build my awesome DVD-Library I gonna find that camera, damnit!"
or
"Check out how fast you can find anything in your house! Start with the video camera."
or
"Brilliant DVD-Libraries start with a camera. Find yours!"
or
"Borisoff knew the chocolate donuts where well earned: after all he didn't give up on his search for his video cam."
or
"Do you really think you deserve to see me (you NA: search the camera) another time? Where's your pride?"

I gotta say, this post really made me smile.

[unstuffed]

I can't be funny like Cpu_Modern, but I can tell you this: "Find video camera" is not a Next Action. "Why not?" I hear you cry. Well, I'm glad you asked. It's because it's possible to turn your house upside down looking for the camera but still not find it. That is, you can do the looking but the finding part is a matter of luck.

Remember what The David says about Next Actions: concrete, physical actions. You want widgets to crank, not goals (Find video camera) to attain.

[sdann]

I think it would even better to have Project name instead of it's Next Action on this list. For example "Create my home DVD library" motivates me better then "Find my video-camera"... I just loose the sence of "why" I should be looking for the camera now instead of doing something else. How to make the Next Actions more motivating as their assosiated Projects?

Some people do work better from context lists others from their project lists. I migrate back and forth, sometimes starting with context NAs, sometimes starting from the project NAs (all my project NAs are in context lists). But mostly I too need to see the reason, i.e., the project behind the NA. The recommendations here from the others that you clarify your next action and put in a reference to the project may make a big difference. ex: "look for v-c in tv cabinet for home dvd library".

[Brent]

I have this problem, too.

I'm experimenting with re-framing each troublesome Next Action. Find a more exciting approach. Try a different Action on the Project, even if I know it's not the most efficient. I basically ask myself, "What would make me excited about this Project again?"

It's helped.

[Borisoff]

Great advices and a lot of fun here! Let me sum up what anyone can do to motivate himself to do a Next Action for now:

- put Next Action and the Project on the action lists
- when review next actions, remember the projects to which they belong
- use NLP: "To build my awesome DVD-Library I gonna find that camera, damnit!" - my favorite
- make Next Action concrete, physical action - David Allen's favorite
- work from context lists others from their project lists, migrate back and forth
- re-frame troublesome NA: "What would make me excited about this Project again?"

Regards,
Eugene.