S6 FAQ
Do all Pendings have to be calendared?
ANSWER: Absolutely. Otherwise the follow-up, the most essential part of Pending, would not happen. The calendaring gives you… “THE PLEASURE TO FORGET!”
What if I have a verbal request that is Pending?
ANSWER: As a verbal request, this requires a Turtle Sheet. However, because it is a Pending item for the present time, it will be placed in its proper Pending location (PF), (PHA), (H) or (T) and calendared for follow-up.
Is there another way to handle many ‘quick turnaround’ Pending items that are handled during the course of the day?
ANSWER: Yes. You can create an electronic and/or paper ‘Daily Pending’ folder. These do not need to be calendared, but you will need to check this folder at a few strategic times of the day such as lunch time and before you go home to make sure everything has been handled for the day.
How often do I have to check my Pending folder?
ANSWER: The best news is if you are following the Program YOU WILL NEVER, EVER HAVE TO CHECK YOUR PENDING FOLDER. What a stress-free situation this is for you… THE PLEASURE TO FORGET!
Where do you put a Turtle sheet for a large project when it has tasks on it that are both Turtle’s and Pending items?
ANSWER: Keep this Turtle sheet in your Turtle stack in the accurate priority and cross off items that have been completed. Log the items for follow-up in your calendar and use the location symbol of ‘T’ for Turtle.
What happens when a Turtle turns into a Pending?
ANSWER: This means that you have gone as far as you can go and now must await someone or something outside of your control in order for you to continue. The item is held in its appropriate place (P), (EP), (PHA) (H), (T) and calendared for follow-up.
Why are the Pending symbols so important?
ANSWER: The symbols instantly tell you where your Pending information is physically or electronically located.
What is the purpose of my Pending Holding Area (PHA)?
ANSWER: To house thick and bulky items that do not have a Home and are awaiting your follow-up.
May I have more than one Pending file?
ANSWER: Other than your (PHA), (EP), (H), (T) all other Pending information is placed in your Pending Folder (P).
If I have no set date for a Pending item do I still have to put it on my calendar?
ANSWER: Yes, in order to be proactive. The thought process is as follows: If Harry does not get back to me by (date), then I will contact Harry.
Do I have to put a specific time for all of my Pendings?
ANSWER: Yes, as there is far more likelihood that you will make the follow-up. Having the follow-up be open-ended will likely find it still not done by day’s end.
Do I have to make a copy of tasks assigned to others for my Pending file?
ANSWER: This is always a good idea as it provides you with a most effective way to follow-up and ensure that the task gets completed.
Can the Pending system be applied to my personal and family life?
ANSWER: Yes! Yes! Yes! 100% of this Program has been applied by many thousands of people, markedly enhancing their personal and family lives as well.
What do I do with a Pending item that I still need to work on?
ANSWER: While it belongs in the proper prioritization in your Turtle, keep foremost in your mind that ALL Pending items need to be calendared for the follow-up portion. The symbol, in this case, would be (T).
If an Pending E-Mail item has been put on the calendar for follow-up and it has no attachments, can it be deleted?
ANSWER: Only if the calendared entry contains all of the information necessary for follow-up and does not require documentation or further follow up.
NOTE: See Len’s Blog on E-Mail Etiquette.
What is the purpose of my Turtle Holding Area (THA)?
ANSWER: To prevent thick and bulky items from making your Turtle stack large and unmanageable. The Turtle process is designed to streamline your workflow and enhance efficiency. An overly large Turtle stack will diminish the intended results. Further, the psychological impact of managing an oversized Turtle stack is contrary to the intention of the Program…which is to reduce stress.
Is it best to delete my Pendings (P) (EP) (PHA) as they are resolved?
ANSWER: Only if there is no need for documentation.
Where do I place unresolved e-mails that I am copied on?
ANSWER: If the follow-up is important to you, then consider it a Pending item and calendar as you would with any other Pending item. The operative term to consider is ‘…important to you…’.
What do I do with outstanding Pending items that I have set for follow-up today that have not been resolved by day’s end?
ANSWER: It is ESSENTIAL that you transfer any outstanding Pendings for that day to the next appropriate day on your calendar-before you leave for that day. Otherwise you will easily lose track.
NOTE: Be very careful with this if you are prone to procrastination. Carrying Pendings forward from one day to the next can easily become a ‘To Do’ list.
When an E-Mail Pending (EP) has multiple e-mails going back and forth how do I keep them organized?
ANSWER: Simply make a single sub-folder for these under ‘EP’
When I give multiple people a Turtle, who are all involved in a singular project, how best to keep track of it as it is now, of course, a Pending for me?
ANSWER: When giving multiple people, a Turtle item, there are a few key points to do:
-Place each person’s initials for the steps that are their respective responsibility.
-Send a copy to each person involved.
NOTE: By doing this everyone now knows what every other person’s responsibility is and, most importantly, the team sees the ‘Big Picture’ of how their part fits into the entire scope of the project.
-Regarding your Pending aspect, rather than calendar each upcoming step for each person, you may simply have a weekly time to receive updates from all parties involved.
I have many Pending items for follow-up in any one day. This is filling up my calendar causing me stress along with others who have access to my calendar believing that I have no time for appointments, meetings, etc. to be scheduled for me. Is there a better way to handle multiple e-mails over the course of a single day?
ANSWER:There are a number of ways to handle this for you:
-If it is just a manner of confidentiality, then, if your e-mail application allows this, click on ‘Private Appointment’.
-If the cause for stress and calendar tie-up is simply the amount of Pendings per day, then I recommend the following:
a. Make a recurring weekday appointment with the Subject line stating ‘PENDINGS’.
b. Select a time of day (usually best for early morning).
c. Each Pending item received via e-mail is copied and pasted into the body of that Pending appointment with the proper symbol at the very beginning of each (P) (EP) (PHA) (H), thus denoting its location.
d. Separate each of these items for that day via drawing a line between items, i.e.——————, so as to avoid confusion. By establishing this format, each day’s Pending items will be seen in simply one small space on your calendar.
Some of my Pendings over the course of one day will, for certain, begin and end on this one day. Would it be okay for me to keep them in my ‘In box’ for this day?
ANSWER: This could become an incredible ‘Slippery Slope’. My concern is the tendency for you to lose control of your Pendings for follow-up should these situations not be resolved in one day. This method is extremely conducive to procrastination along with the re-establishment of accumulating e-mails that you have spent a great amount of time, energy and focus in purging.
The only way that I can see this working for you is to place a Turtle Sheet in your Turtle Stack (prioritized in its correct place), to complete all of your incomplete Pendings before day’s end.