Keeping an Action Log for 1st person research April 29, 2008
Posted by Andy Roberts in : Action Log, Action Research , trackbackKeeping an Action Log
In my first post about First Person Action Research I mentioned the Action Log, and now I’m going to explain what I mean by that, and invite you to take the first action but first, here’s some context.
Goals
One of the most frequently occurring goals on 43things has always been “to stop wasting so much time on the internet” and one of the most talked about applications is the “Getting Things Done” ( GTD) system. This suggests that I’m certainly not alone in grappling with the problem of meaningful productivity amongst so much distraction and information overload.
Reflection
I reflected quite easily that I had succumbed to the common affliction of spending too much time monitoring data and checking statistics, at the expense of creating new content, networking with contacts and making improvements to websites. There is some convincing behaviourist theory about the addictive nature of checking inboxes etc when the reward or gratification is irregular or sporadic. People at computers, especially when tired or feeling low can act like rats in a cage who keep on tap-tapping on that button just because every once in a while a piece of cheese rolls down the tube, especially when we can’t predict when it will happen. I blame the evil scientists for setting up an environment like that!
Hiding the distractions
One drastic solution is to move the temptation further away. Get those shortcuts off the browser’s toolbar, remove applications from the dock or system tray. Make it harder to get to the addictive stuff. Now you might have already spotted the dilemma with that approach, which stems from the fact that the person doing the hiding is one and the same as the person doing the seeking!
Action Log
Arising from circumstance, I came up with the idea of starting an Action Log. The idea is simply that I would jot down on a daily basis, a list of the actions taken. I have it in my mind that by actions, I mean visible external steps which are intended to have a positive effect, to add to the movement in the direction I’m headed. Publishing a blog post, joining a forum and posting an introduction, tweaking a theme or plugin to improve usability, uploading a picture, publishing a video, leaving a useful comment somewhere, these are all considered to be actions in this context, whereas doing google searches, reading RSS feeds (without responding), learning and observing are not considered to be actions. Incidentally, taking the step of beginning an Action Log is the critical action for cycle one of my own action inquiry.
Dual Purpose
The purpose of the Action Log is twofold. One of the problems with monitoring web activity is that it’s a complex adaptive system which is often opaque in its mechanisms. You might get a gentle rise in traffic over a couple of weeks, followed by a perplexing sharp dip. Was it because of something I did yesterday, last week, or last month, something unknown external change or a random coincidence? When the subjective inputs are small and widely spread it’s very easy to lose track ( ie forget ) what exactly has been done and when. So having a diarised record in the form of an Action Log should at least improve the chances of being able to detect the weak signals of a reproducible relationship between cause and effect, when there is one.
Recording actions to improve
The second and probably more important purpose, is to act as an incentive to increase the number of actions taken, to begin to reverse the balance that had shifted too far in the direction of passivity. “What gets measured gets done” can be a harsh mantra, but this is a very soft implementation. It’s nothing like being forced to fill in a timesheet for example. And the great thing about it is that all you are doing is focussing on the little positive accomplishments that can be ticked off for each day. There’s no being beaten about the head with a long “To do list ” of things that still haven’t been done, just a simple record and celebration of those that have, so there’s a nod in the direction of appreciative enquiry.
The Action Log is not a learning Journal
For those already familiar with Action Research it’s important not to confuse the Action Log with a Learning Journal. This is not the place to document critical incidents, record insights and diarise about learning. The Action Log may well become an object for reflection later, but is not the place for lengthy narrative. It needs to be very easy to maintain, a matter of a few seconds really, just enough to jot down the small actions taken in a very few words. A record of concrete subjective interventions into the world, always action-orientated.
Where to keep the Action Log.
I keep my Action Log on an intranet wiki but you could use a text file, word document or a physical notepad. As long as it’s reasonably near to hand, dead easy to add to, and can’t get lost or deleted. A private area is necessary, you don’t want to be distracted by spending any time thinking about audience and publishing of this one. Just do it.
Action Log Checklist
- Could your context benefit from setting up an Action Log?
- What are your goals?
- Understand what to record in the Log and what doesn’t belong there
- Decide where to keep the Action Log
- Spend no more than a minute or two updating it.
- Keep it up, at least daily
Anything you don’t understand please leave questions in the comments and do let me know how you’re getting on with this after a few weeks or so.
is an online professional who initiated DARnet 
Andy, I just skimmed this post and will read it more fully later. But in keeping with “acting now” (or is that just “acting out”?) I want to speak up for idle browsing, clicking, and tangential paths to … well, I don’t know.
So, yes I am guilty of this kind of wandering, but I do wonder if I’m “wasting time”. I am spending time, using time, passing time. But a human mind is a mysterious thing. I think the wandering promotes wondering and that’s generative.
More later when I fully read your advice on 1st person reflection practices.
-Bill A
p.s. I remember as a kid just lying on my back and watching the clouds. Was I wasting time?
Hi Bill,
Yeah, I had a soft job in a university once where wandering about the campus was all part of it. I don’t have any quasi religious hangups about ‘wasting time’ it’s just that there are things which need to get done in order to pay the bills. The Action Log is largely aimed at helping people who are struggling with accounting to themselves for their own time, trying to make headway with promoting services and blogs, maybe earning a living online but might be useful for any writers and scholars too.
Through your habit of skim reading, you imagined me bending the stick too far in the unlikely direction of overefficiency, leaving no space for emergent learning which is far from the case.
Hi Andy,
Great post, thanks. I left a more detailed reply on your profile page over at Spark ( http://www.sparksocialmedia.com/profile/AndyRoberts ). My main question had to do with wondering about the frequency of updating (after each task, at regular intervals, end of day, ?)
Warmly,
Leif
Frequency of updating can be left as stated “at least daily”, then see what suits you. My memory isn’t so good so I update when I think of it, or if it’s much later, sometimes I check back through browser history to see where I’ve been.
I’ve taken to making at least two entries per day now, a.m and p.m just to make sure that the morning, which is my most creative time usually, doesn’t pass by without some concrete outputs.
How often do you take stock of how the day is going?
I remember learning from my work in university admissions that whatever we care about, we measure, and whatever we measure, we care about.
I can imagine that this kind of intentionality could make a real difference in many people’s lives, mine included.
I understand the personal nature of such a log, but would love to see some samples (old ones, maybe), just to get the juices flowing.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
Shelley, here’s my complete first action log:
Thursday, May 1, 2008 11:10:13 AM
1. recycled the STACK of Nature/Science/CACM from office.
2. scanned 5 paper articles from desk.
- scanned more articles from desk.
3. created piles for current categories of stuff.
4. will need to chunk and do triage on the rest.
———-
Have no idea how this fits with what Andy suggests, but it’s what I’m starting with.
-Bill
Hi Bill,
Thanks ever so much for responding to Shelley’s request for a real example of an action log. I must admit that I do sometime have misgivings after making my own entries, so before commenting on yours I think I need to explain that self checking as to the “action” nature of entries is a healthy ongoing process that we might need to keep re-examining almost continuously.
1) and 2) are clear examples of tasks accomplished.
3) I’m concerned that this is shuffling priorities rather than taking actions.
4) is definitely a to do list entry, not an action log.
Well that’s what it looks like from here anyway. Any help?
Andy, thanks for the critique. I knew when I wrote it that #4 was definitely not something done. But hey, I’m a tangential kinda guy, and that’s what’s in the log. I’m not going to move that sentence. But I’m also not writing more statements like that one. I’m learning.
As for #3 - in my work practice creating piles of stuff on the floor is definitely an action. I’ve been adding to the piles as I clear the desk.
So while it’s not a completed task; it’s a completed step that’s allowing me to clearing the desk. Marking it down helps me see that I’m making progress.
Would love your feedback on whether I’m just making a mudpie out of a master plan.
-Bill
Andy, now that I’m acting on logging (even in a haphazard way) I’m sure you’re on to something.
So much better just to record what’s done or even what little steps have been taken than to measure my time Twittering or frequency of e-mail reading or … you name it.
So Thank You!
-Bill
p.s. now, where do I keep this log? Online? On paper?
Where to keep the action log:
I wrote above “you could use a text file, word document or a physical notepad” so it depends on what suits you. There are advantages and disadvantages to using computer type. Do you regularly work from more than one workstation or have access to mobile internet? Sometimes a pencil and notebook is faster but the main thing is to adopt a system that will be easy to sustain in the longer run. Posting the action log entries as comments on this blog here is a novel approach, but I’m sure it’s copied from elsewhere and that gives others a chance to comment as well, which is great. I’l go back and do that now.
I regularly work from one machine (a laptop). And I’m developing online notetaking practices using a particular application. So if I’m away and get something done I’ll try to write it down and transcribe it later.
But I want to say again how refreshing it is to be writing a “Got done” list rather than a “To do” list. Even if it’s easier to create the latter.
Quite fun.