In managing a list of tasks, you make product towards productivity. It feels nice to define a task; however, it’s seldom useful. I’ve had a half-dozen systems dedicated to making it easy, yet none of them seem to fill that void.
I’ve changed from physical journals, to sticky notes, to various applications, and eventually to org-mode. Nowadays I create my tasks digitally.
Most of my tasks are mere buckets of opportunity. A categorized list of things that could be done, rather than a list of what should be done. Not out of preference, but out of my habitual system failure.
My longest lasting variations utilize a daily agenda. I’d define it the day before, and attempt following it the next. Instead, most tasks were carried along for days if not weeks. The day-to-day is more urgent than ideal errands.
Recently I’ve made use of a new system1: an ordered list. No timelines, hierarchy or required medium. I sort it by friction; whichever task is easiest in the moment. If some task is too broad to ever be easy, rewrite it into some easier. If a task is useless, remove it.
This system may not be strong in defining priorities; however, I know what has to be done. It’s all the optional ones that get left behind. Actions that could change my life, but never get the chance.
I hope this system gives them a chance.
Footnotes
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Based off one of Mark Forster’s systems which I originally heard about from Ben Vallack on YouTube. ↩