I have learned to have yearly,monthly weekly and daily to dos and I am 82! Not a bad memory only a busy and productive life. And I always save time for reading
Sounds good. I might adopt this come the new year. I do keep a pocket notebook, and sometimes I'll write a basic list in the morning, or on sunday when I know I have a lot coming up the next week. Before that I used a system for a while from some Navy Seal dude that I probably heard about on AOM. It broke things down into year, quarter, month, etc. I kept that up for about two or three years before reverting to as needed lists. Your basic system seems to maybe be a sweet spot between the two.
All very intriguing; thank you for sharing. Lots to think about (while keeping things simple!).
Two comments --
"When I would finish a Friday report in my previous job, I’d then add that task to next week’s list." -- In order to prepare another report next week?
I do admin work, a lot of the same small tasks daily and weekly, in addition to larger pieces of work. Rather than reinventing the wheel each week, I'm guessing I should have a separate doc of recurring items (or now, a separate tab(!) within the to-do doc) that I can paste in to start a week?
"In order to prepare another report next week" --> Yes, for a recurring Friday report.
Yeah, with a lot of admin work, recurring task functionality is sometimes a dealbreaker. There might be ways to do it though! I definitely encourage you to be creative.
I've used a notebook for years but I like the idea of having an outline online, which allows for some future planning. I'll definitely be giving this a try!
This captured my attention so much that I spent a chunk of my afternoon experimenting with your formula. Time will tell whether:
a) this is the magic bullet that will finally turn me into a beacon of shining efficiency (I was briefly convinced of this around mid-afternoon)
b) I will do what I normally do and gradually overcomplicate this system until it collapses under its own weight (early signs are not good, I've already added colour-coding)
or c) I will get such extreme withdrawal symptoms from the lovely swooshy sound the Todoist app makes when you complete a task that I'll have gone back to it by the weekend (quite likely)
I'm curious though, do you also track things that you vaguely notice you should do but don't have a schedule for yet, and if so where - in the same document or somewhere else? (If nothing else, this exercise has made me realise that it's the increasing proliferation of these items that usually sinks my systems!)
This sounds brilliant! Google Cal doesn't really work for me because I can't see the big picture, which is unsatisfying. Also I can't write myself little notes. So I use Google Cal and a hand drawn calendar. But I'm going to try your idea! Thanks. 💕
How would you manage complex projects? That is, projects that have more than 100 steps. And you run multiple projects at a time. And that's just the backbone for one role, not everything you have to do. And you have multiple roles. This sort of system seems fine for someone who has 3-10 tasks per day, but what about when you have dozens?
I’ve become rather passionate on this topic and I agree that simplicity is really the key. Here’s my system, which is different but the spirit is the same.
I started with the bullet journal concept about 10 years ago, but I quickly simplified it down to the essential elements that benefited me the most.
1. I have one place where things live (even if it takes time to get them there). For me that is in a notebook of some kind.
2. Pen and paper are effective for me in processing what my priorities are.
3. Every week I migrate and reframe my top priorities.
4. Every day I migrate what wasn’t done over to the next day. The key to this is evaluating if that thing is really important or not.
5. I keep a running list of stuff in the back of the notebook but it is intentionally out of sight and out of mind. Its good for getting things out of my head and on paper, but as Jeremy said, the most important things bubble up organically.
6. I really try to make sure I’m clear on what the (max) 3 things are that I want to complete in a week and the same for each day. I try to limit the total number of things on the list each day to what feels reasonable if things really click but generally it’s a stretch. If I can get the most important thing done, then that’s the win.
I can’t emphasize enough the value it has been for me to process through writing each day the things that are the most important. If you haven’t tried it, that would be my biggest recommendation.
I used Moleskins and then Leuchtturm for years - but the past year and a half I’ve used the Full Focus Planner, which is a bit more robust in terms of yearly planning and goal setting, but it still enables the most important things listed above. It’s also nice in that each notebook fills exactly one quarter. It’s a bit of a splurge but useful if you want a predefined system, but if you’re just testing methods and what works for you, I’d get a Leuchtturm notebook. I do think there is something about writing on quality paper in a simple but classic notebook. Don’t discount the aesthetic as aid in getting organized. Hopefully this is helpful - I’d love to hear from anyone that has tried something like this.
I have learned to respect any system that actually works for someone. I agree that many never work (too complicated).
I respect yours as well. Keep doing what you do!
Amen! I have used an even more basic paper and pencil To Do list at work for at least 10 years. It works like a charm.
I'll give it a try. If it works, bye bye Todoist subscription
Todoist, in my opinion, is the best productivity app out there. Keeps things simple enough, if you want.
I have learned to have yearly,monthly weekly and daily to dos and I am 82! Not a bad memory only a busy and productive life. And I always save time for reading
That's great! Thanks for sharing, Irene. :)
Sounds good. I might adopt this come the new year. I do keep a pocket notebook, and sometimes I'll write a basic list in the morning, or on sunday when I know I have a lot coming up the next week. Before that I used a system for a while from some Navy Seal dude that I probably heard about on AOM. It broke things down into year, quarter, month, etc. I kept that up for about two or three years before reverting to as needed lists. Your basic system seems to maybe be a sweet spot between the two.
Godspeed!
All very intriguing; thank you for sharing. Lots to think about (while keeping things simple!).
Two comments --
"When I would finish a Friday report in my previous job, I’d then add that task to next week’s list." -- In order to prepare another report next week?
I do admin work, a lot of the same small tasks daily and weekly, in addition to larger pieces of work. Rather than reinventing the wheel each week, I'm guessing I should have a separate doc of recurring items (or now, a separate tab(!) within the to-do doc) that I can paste in to start a week?
"In order to prepare another report next week" --> Yes, for a recurring Friday report.
Yeah, with a lot of admin work, recurring task functionality is sometimes a dealbreaker. There might be ways to do it though! I definitely encourage you to be creative.
I read the first few paragraphs and said "That's me!" In fact, my family teases me about my endless to-do apps. Great idea!
Ha, glad it resonated with ya!
I've used a notebook for years but I like the idea of having an outline online, which allows for some future planning. I'll definitely be giving this a try!
Give it a shot and let me know what you think!
This captured my attention so much that I spent a chunk of my afternoon experimenting with your formula. Time will tell whether:
a) this is the magic bullet that will finally turn me into a beacon of shining efficiency (I was briefly convinced of this around mid-afternoon)
b) I will do what I normally do and gradually overcomplicate this system until it collapses under its own weight (early signs are not good, I've already added colour-coding)
or c) I will get such extreme withdrawal symptoms from the lovely swooshy sound the Todoist app makes when you complete a task that I'll have gone back to it by the weekend (quite likely)
I'm curious though, do you also track things that you vaguely notice you should do but don't have a schedule for yet, and if so where - in the same document or somewhere else? (If nothing else, this exercise has made me realise that it's the increasing proliferation of these items that usually sinks my systems!)
This sounds brilliant! Google Cal doesn't really work for me because I can't see the big picture, which is unsatisfying. Also I can't write myself little notes. So I use Google Cal and a hand drawn calendar. But I'm going to try your idea! Thanks. 💕
Different strokes for different folks.
How would you manage complex projects? That is, projects that have more than 100 steps. And you run multiple projects at a time. And that's just the backbone for one role, not everything you have to do. And you have multiple roles. This sort of system seems fine for someone who has 3-10 tasks per day, but what about when you have dozens?
I’ve become rather passionate on this topic and I agree that simplicity is really the key. Here’s my system, which is different but the spirit is the same.
I started with the bullet journal concept about 10 years ago, but I quickly simplified it down to the essential elements that benefited me the most.
1. I have one place where things live (even if it takes time to get them there). For me that is in a notebook of some kind.
2. Pen and paper are effective for me in processing what my priorities are.
3. Every week I migrate and reframe my top priorities.
4. Every day I migrate what wasn’t done over to the next day. The key to this is evaluating if that thing is really important or not.
5. I keep a running list of stuff in the back of the notebook but it is intentionally out of sight and out of mind. Its good for getting things out of my head and on paper, but as Jeremy said, the most important things bubble up organically.
6. I really try to make sure I’m clear on what the (max) 3 things are that I want to complete in a week and the same for each day. I try to limit the total number of things on the list each day to what feels reasonable if things really click but generally it’s a stretch. If I can get the most important thing done, then that’s the win.
I can’t emphasize enough the value it has been for me to process through writing each day the things that are the most important. If you haven’t tried it, that would be my biggest recommendation.
I used Moleskins and then Leuchtturm for years - but the past year and a half I’ve used the Full Focus Planner, which is a bit more robust in terms of yearly planning and goal setting, but it still enables the most important things listed above. It’s also nice in that each notebook fills exactly one quarter. It’s a bit of a splurge but useful if you want a predefined system, but if you’re just testing methods and what works for you, I’d get a Leuchtturm notebook. I do think there is something about writing on quality paper in a simple but classic notebook. Don’t discount the aesthetic as aid in getting organized. Hopefully this is helpful - I’d love to hear from anyone that has tried something like this.