Chapter 8

Reviewing is one of the main factors keeping me from reaching a trusted and functional system.  When I was trying out the electronic organizing applications with my phone (e.g. Evernote, Remember The Milk), I found that I would not go back to view what I had entered until I needed to add something I wanted to remember.  That is when I would review, check off completed items, and add new items.  By that time, I had already let my lists “fall too far behind [my] reality” with an out of date system (184).  This forces me to backtrack, fill in the blanks and clear out items in a bulkier fashion instead of being streamline, which is what Allen may mean by forcing a lower level of remembering.  It could be that I like the feeling of writing out lists by hand, but I want to switch to electronic lists since it will allow me more space to neatly maneuver items around.  It could also be that the application is harder to use with its functions and layout.  I actually found Any.DO (suggested by fellow blogger Samuel) to be much more user-friendly and streamline.  The formatting of Any.DO just makes sense. 
            Allen does suggest a weekly review, which doesn’t seem too demanding.  Naturally we would be crossing off completed items as they become done.  However, I tend to feel behind in my lists since I am not looking at the list at the appropriate times as often as I need.  This is a habit I need to break, because reviewing is a key component in maintaining the system.  I found it funny when Allen was explaining why “blocking out two hours early every Friday afternoon for the review” was an ideal time (187).  That is because those who follow this system will reach people at work before they leave for the weekend (possibly giving them more work), while the third point he makes is to “clear your psychic decks so you can go into the weekend ready for refreshment and recreation, with nothing on your mind” (188).  That might not be the case if you are also getting things handed to you early Friday afternoon.