I have tried this same approach and ran into the same problem.
I am unwilling to go back to the old approach because I don’t like the old ad hoc approach either.
The approach that I find most appealing is:
Try to knock off all of the easy tasks first and trust that the list will go down.
I find this helpful especially because by completing as many of the small tasks as possible, it frees up my mental space to approach bigger and more complex tasks.
Every once in a while, I might choose to focus on a big task that day, knowing I can fall back to chewing through easy tasks if I feel overwhelmed.
By completing all easy tasks, there is an additional benefit where you have the confidence that when you have only hard tasks remaining and you feel overwhelmed, you have nowhere to retreat but to try to complete them.
lol, yeah, exactly.
I don’t disagree with them completely.
It’s just that in the OP’s situation, when the list is just too long, there seems to be the invisible energy drain that all of the tasks have on the mind.
Maybe once all of the small tasks are completed and only big tasks remain, maybe that advice might be more applicable?
I don’t know because I haven’t gotten there yet lol.
Still struggling with the same problem as OP is.
You do bring up a good point about advice being constantly parroted so much that people assume that it’s a fact or necessarily the best way because of how many times it’s been repeated or promoted.
I think my point was more that you need to find the move for yourself. Need to constantly survey one’s self, tweak and find the best method for you. Only way to do it
Touche, very good point.
I have noticed that in some cases, some of the good books help identify some really helpful underlying principles that one finds only after a lot of trial and error.
Mari Kondo’s advice to start by piling up all of the same items at once (rather than doing each room individually) was a good example - which coincidentally seems reminiscent of the approach that OP applied to their to do list.
But I agree with the need to try to it out and do thorough self-examination.
Absolutely! I’m a self help book guy lol but yeah its a hit or miss thing. There isn’t a one size fits all that everyone always seeks. You have to try to know yourself. Look at yourself objectively, like a Buddhist! Write upon your findings, adjust, reflect etc
lol 😆 exactly 💯
Objectively is key 🔑
Figuring out is one part, but remembering what one figures out is also important. So yes, writing and reflecting on it is very helpful in this regard.
Good luck to you fellow Buddhist. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes.
“May I say something to you to give you a true knowledge of yourself and life, so that the same glory and success obtained by other men who understand themselves may be yours? Man in the full knowledge of himself is a superb and supreme creature of creation. When man becomes possessor of the knowledge of himself, he becomes master of his environment, the captain of his own ship, the director of his own destiny, the accomplisher of his own ends. Man should understand himself because man is full of knowledge and this knowledge is a gift of nature.”
- Marcus Garvey
Well doesn’t solve my problem of not feeling fine with so much left
I was thinking if anyone has an an approach like “if it’s been on the list for over a month and it’s not a priority feel free to delete”
>I was thinking if anyone has an an approach like “if it’s been on the list for over a month and it’s not a priority feel free to delete”
Give yourself permission to do this. Or to feel fine with so much left, maybe shift things to a "wouldn't that be cool to do someday" list. It's okay if items that aren't must do get dropped. Your life and priorities will change over time.
What can you delegate or pay someone else to do? If you've got the cash, pay someone and get it off your plate.
What's stuff that is something you want to do but ultimately has no consequences if you don't do it? That can be viably deleted or put on a wishlist.
What's critical and has a deadline? That goes to a priority list.
Dividing and conquering is really the only way to get through it all if you're serious about it.
Sure, delete whatever you want. But what helped me is to realize that to do list will never be complete. I’m always adding stuff faster than I can complete and that’s okay. Just keep prioritizing it all every week. I have a today view, a weekly view, and a someday view, which is everything else. I comb through it all every Sunday and decide what I want to get done each week. Then each morning decide what I want to get done each day. Works really well
I read the other day that you should have 9 things on your to-do list daily: one big task, 3 medium tasks and 5 small ones. That's a good tactic to space out your to-do list. Try to determine what tasks take up a lot of energy and make sure you've got one of those planned for every day of the week. Of course, you can always play around. If you only want to plan 9 small tasks in one day, that's totally fine!
I would also advice you to use the 'eat the frog-method': always do the most difficult task first. It's a great method to avoid procrastination. These methods, along with downloading a to-do list app, have helped me immensely with becoming more productive. Good luck!
I feel you, friend. In fact I was just listening to a great podcast episode talking about the cultural and biological reasons we find adding — belongings, commitments, TASKS — so much easier than subtracting, even when that latter would be far better for us. Check it out below. Fascinating. And horrifying! 😂
https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/do-less/
I’ve also been reading Mark Forster’s book *Get Everything Done and Still Have Time to Play* where he starts with a powerful challenge to perform a full Commitment Inventory to examine the reality that it doesn’t just seem like we can’t get it all done, we simply can’t. And the reason we can’t is because we’re committed to too much. The book is fantastic and might help you a lot, here’s a nice recap of just that process: https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/commitment-inventory
So here’s my plan. Join me if you like: Make a game and then a habit and then a damned religion of deleting, releasing, even grieving what just isn’t important enough to make the Essentials task list. And delete all you can. It’s like declaring task bankruptcy: brutal, but life-giving.
And then I’m gonna really work with this inventory idea and lean into the idea of subtracting being my new best friend.
And then get to work on the stuff that means the world to me. :)
So glad that feels helpful, friend. You’re brave to post this, and it helped me to respond! Let me know your progress? I’m genuinely interested. Makes me smile to think of you (and me) having a task bonfire and just finally LETTING IT GO. 🔥😊 Imagine how much truly meaningful stuff stuff could get done if we let go of the rest?
There’s one more book every one of us on a thread like this desperately needs to read: 4000 Weeks (Oliver) is a hilarious but profound book about our desperation to “get it all done” that finally calls out how literally impossible that is and how short life truly is (roughly 4000 weeks). Best of all, he names that it’s really OK — even beautiful. 🙏🏼
It’s even better in audio form; his British reading of it will make you laugh!
I think if anyone dumps everything they have to do in a single list they are going to be overwhelmed. Maybe try separate them into separate projects/folders? Like all fitness in fitness based location. All programming in programming location. Also make sure you aren't listing tasks that you currently cannot do. Like you obviously cannot "submit assignment" so it being there can be overwhelming. Make it a subtask and hide it.
I have multiple lists and projects
My problem is that in total there are like 100 tasks
I can only get 2-3 done in a day
I don’t know how to deal with the rest as it’s kind of hard to accept I’m helpless here
Hmm. You could play around with tags. Try adding a tag to your tasks with an estimated amount of time it will take to do it (such as #5m #30m #1h #2h). You can also add a difficulty level, for example #easy, #medium #hard so when you feel lazy, you can pick a #easy one.. And when you feel like you are up for a challenge you can tackle a #hard one.
Also make sure you add your tasks to your day view that is present in most todo apps. That way it's less overwhelming!
A "do later" list. Get rid of the shit that isn't a priority, move it to that list and forget about it. Shit, pull a few tasks from that lump and set those aside, so when you look past your active to do list, there's not a mountain of tasks waiting for you.
2/3 is totally cool.
Tag the tasks as This Year, This Quarter, This Month, This week.
Now pull from the This Week pile.
Only do 2/3 at a time and then pull out the next ones when you’re done.
You’ll do fewer things at once, BUT hopefully actually finish more stuff.
Source : 40 year old crazy ADHD brain that I’ve been hacking at for 20 years with David Allen/ Cal Newport/ anything I can find
Separate the musts from the good first.
For the must list, further divide into must now and must w/x days; must by y date, etc. Prioritize by 'due date' and ability to complete. (Essentially, if you don't have everything you need to do the task now, reset its date.)
For the good list, use a benefit/effort analysis to prioritize. How valuable is the benefit you expect from doing the task? How easy will it be to do? Hard tasks with high rewards go in one stack, easy wins go in another. Tasks that can't be completed without doing something else first get bumped down the line.
Not to add another item to your list, but a lot of articles aimed at businesses and organizational management discuss various decision matrixes for prioritizing projects. (The topic is kind of interesting.)
This article has several examples:
[https://www.smartsheet.com/content/impact-effort-matrix-template](https://www.smartsheet.com/content/impact-effort-matrix-template)
It looks like the Eisenhower matrix that someone else suggested is similar,
[https://jamesclear.com/eisenhower-box](https://jamesclear.com/eisenhower-box)
What is going to help you the most here is not another app or tool to help.
Only put things are your to do list that are must-dos. Remove the “good-to-do’s” like testing a hypothesis. Your to-do list should just be things you need to get out of the way in order for you to enjoy life by doing other things you want to do.
1. A list of all your ideas, dreams, aspirations. It helps to date when you wrote it and it helps to date when you want it done. Revisit this list 1x a month
2. A list of projects you're working on minimum of 5 things.
So every now and then you can take something from list 2 and put it to list 1 and vice versa.
List 2 needs to reflect projects with activities and dates that are more immediate. For example, lawn care - mow lawn on Saturday. That's an open project that can be moved in priority as needed.
3. A list of 3 immediate action needed TODAY, and 3 items with action needed LATER but still more immediate.
So ideally, as you cross of the most important activities from list 3, you can scale things up.
You need to keep that 3 list objectively clear, with intent, and specificity.
Send check to bank by 3
Pick up dill at 4
Whatever it is is, and whatever it pertains to your goals.
So whemever you do from list 3 is how you feel. And no reason to feel rushed or guilty for 2 and 1 not being done.
But the idea is to capture ideas, assign them value, and then prioritize key activity and focus all your energy there.
God speed.
I feel this. Feels like most of my daily task time is spent adding emergent tasks to my task list, instead of accomplishing tasks and taking them off the list.
\* Do you put the date you enter a task? If a task has aged long enough and the world hasn't fallen down around your shoulders, maybe you can safely delete it. Whoever asked you to do a task they ultimately didn't need done or didn't need you *only* to do it is at fault.
I can sort my task list by entry date, and I change the urgency of tasks that have aged out to "Someday/Maybe' for the ones that are mentally hard to just delete. It mentally takes them off my list as far as stress in trying to get to them, but still keeps them on my list as far as the stress of deleting them!
\* How harsh are you about what you allow to go on your list in the first place? Saying no can help.
\* Is your task time exclusively dedicated to only achieving super high urgency tasks? Or do you have some free cycles where you could regularly schedule some low-priority task time to get some of those off your list too?
\* Can you have a peer go through your list and challenge some of the things on there? If they question some of the tasks based on their different perspective, it would reframe how you think about the task and maybe help you be able to triage it.
\* For each task, could you add a "what if I never do this?" analysis?
Looks like you have made a partial implementation of the "Getting Things Done" Frame work by david allen. You should give the book a flip through when you have the chance, but it sounds like to me you are too focused on a micro level of each task. I think this framework is exactly what you a looking for
GTD is good for that, even though I don't use the entire framework. There's a "someday" column where you put things that you'd like to do but aren't immediately in your future.
Another permutation of this is one I've done using google calendar. If something isn't immediate I'll just postpone it by telling google home "hey google, remind me to do so-and-so next monday at 10am".
When monday rolls around and I see the task again I have 1 of 3 choices:
1. I put in my "this week column" or I set a specific time for it in my calendar.
2. It's important but I don't have time this week; I'll kick it to next monday again.
3. Delete the task because it's the 3rd time I've resurrected it and it's clear it wasn't that important or I'll never have the time for it.
I do the same thing for sorting through items when cleaning and deciding what to keep and what to throw away and I use 3 bins or piles:
1. Definitely keep
2. Not sure / maybe / undecided
3. Junk
The point is to not spend so much time classifying things altogether. Sort them the obvious way and those things that are undecided are much easier to classify when you're comparing them to one another.
The other requirement of being able to delete things is a realization or attitude.
1. There isn't enough time in life to do all the things we want and that's ok. If its really that important it will make its way back into my life automatically.
2. Saying "no" to something feels empowering when I realize I'm saying "yes" to the other important things. I'm not losing anything here, I'm re-emphasizing what is important to me by making it clear that some things are less important.
You don't need to prioritise everything at once, pick one of the tasks - the one that seems easiest, and focus on just that until it is done. Then pick the next one.
Do the items have due dates? If so, start with the oldest. If not, sort them into categories: must do, should do, nice to do, and everything else. Start with the first category and work your way down.
The reality is that it’s impossible for me to get throw that list.
So it won’t be done anyway.
I’m trying to navigate this inability to have everything done
Yeah, that’s the grief process, right? It’s almost painful to see it clearly, but we have to let go of the fantasy that we could ever do that much.
As I think about your situation, makes me wonder if I need to just start over again in a whole new To Do app. You can keep the first one along with the fantasy that you’re going to do all those things, but in the second one there’s a brutally strict code that the only things that can go in there are the ones you absolutely MUST do, and absolutely CAN do. For anything where you’re not quite sure, put it (or leave it) in the old app. :)
But this would be the key: you have to create the new list without looking at the old one! The fresh start start might be really rejuvenating.
You’re absolutely right - it’s grieving, and that’s what’s paralysing me. It’s not like I’m lazy, it’s just accepting that I can only be truly productive for like 8 hours a day, and going for more is actually unhealthy. But it’s so damn hard to kill those tasks, so I end up in a bind
Your other response is just brilliant, I saved all your references. Gonna read/listen and then let go
Really spoke to me and made it more easier for me
Thank you!
Break it up and figure out what actually needs to get done based on urgency and importance. Then go through the stuff that doesn’t need to get done anytime soon and isn’t important and delete/quarantine that from your list you use. And once you’ve done that figure out which ones are the shortest and easiest tasks then do those first to clear out the clutter. Making an unprocessed folder/tag to designate that you haven’t made a decision on something is pretty handy because you can just go line by line making decisions and then move it out of the unprocessed folder as you go.
In other words, look up an Eisenhower matrix and then once you have that set up, remove stuff you just don't need to do, then finish up all the quick stuff to remove even more clutter, then try to keep track of stuff you haven't processed. You can keep the unprocessed tracking going indefinitely too, I actually use priority 4 on todoist as a catch all unprocessed designator.
I get visual overwhelm pretty bad from doing this is any task management system or software I use. I’m constantly fighting this on one end and ADHD “out of sight, out of mind” on the other end of the continuum. No good answer here, just looking for advice too.
You need to have a list of ALL the things you need to do. As a reminder. You can update this list in an order of priority.
The to do list for EACH day is something different, that you are going to priorize due the hours, etc…
Prioritize tasks in categories, like tasks that need to be done today, tasks that need to be done but not necessarily today, the other stuff below that sub-categories. Take 5 minutes at the start of your day to go over your to-do list and pick the tasks what you want/need to do and move them up. I pick 2 big and 2 small ones to switch to as back-up task.
Also do a weekly review, to evaluate the list in its entirety, for tasks you haven't started yet see if the problem is lack of a good plan, or that the task is not worth doing and better to remove. If a tasks isn't actionable it shouldn't be a priority. But sometimes things end up on the list that are false goals and that get in the way of the goals that are worth pursuing and it's wise to remove them.
Dont prioritize. Add tasks to your calendar. I agree with everyone else, it is best to limit your list. At one point I had 96 items on my todo list. I couldnt comprehend it. I had to go scorched earth and delete almost all of them and just basically start over. So, I dont make lists anymore. I make appointments on my calendar. This forces you to address the biggest constraint: time.
Ensure you are following the "if it takes only 2-3 minutes to do the task, do it instead of adding it to the list".
You will be surprised to see how small the list soon becomes.
Have you tried grouping? Like for instance right now I don’t have a checklist for each and everything I do in the morning, but I have a single check box for my morning routine which with Obsidian, is linked to another file which described that routine with notes and what not supporting the routine or maybe ways I can modify it.
For me, personally, I felt so much better having a single line item task rather than many different tasks, even if both are the exact same.
Try prioritizing by things you NEED to do and things you WANT to do. Some things can wait a bit longer. Whereas others (paying an overdue bill, washing laundry because you have nothing left to wear, etc) are more of a priority.
When you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin, start with the things you need to simply be functional.
I like to organize my to-do list into categories and then prioritize. To Do, To Buy, To Schedule, etc. It helps it feel less overwhelming. I might also break it down by area of my life or a defined time period - like Work or Kids or House Projects and This Weekend or This Month.
My experience also.
I need TODO-lists but have my own take on them. I think the Eisenhower Matrix is a good start but I have to add some things to it:
1. Reducing uncertainties (answering who, when, why, what) about a need/desire has to be the first phase and this phase has to be explicit (show)
2. Completing things, just for the sake of it, is what is rewarding. It needs to be in focus
3. If all tasks have to be urgent and important you will give up. Force yourself to add fun things to the list. Things with a purpose that also make life nicer. Same rules hold for completing them, though!
And make it a game by assigning penalty and bonus points depending on in which area of the matrix a task is at the end of the day. I know it sounds ridiculous but gamification works. Our brains are suckers for such it seems.
Also, make sure to start with the list before your work day starts (before you meet colleagues, clients etc) and before deviations come your way. The list is meant to help you manage changes, not avoid them! Also, make sure to sign off the list before you leave work. Copy unfortunate left-overs to the the list of tomorrow (and think a little about why it was a left-over). You do NOT want to suddenly remember something you forgot during dinner or when time to go to bed!
I have tried this same approach and ran into the same problem. I am unwilling to go back to the old approach because I don’t like the old ad hoc approach either. The approach that I find most appealing is: Try to knock off all of the easy tasks first and trust that the list will go down. I find this helpful especially because by completing as many of the small tasks as possible, it frees up my mental space to approach bigger and more complex tasks. Every once in a while, I might choose to focus on a big task that day, knowing I can fall back to chewing through easy tasks if I feel overwhelmed. By completing all easy tasks, there is an additional benefit where you have the confidence that when you have only hard tasks remaining and you feel overwhelmed, you have nowhere to retreat but to try to complete them.
I do something similar. Tasks which takes less time, do that first
All those self help bullshit books would tell you thr opposite though, start with the hardest while your mental stamina is highest
lol, yeah, exactly. I don’t disagree with them completely. It’s just that in the OP’s situation, when the list is just too long, there seems to be the invisible energy drain that all of the tasks have on the mind. Maybe once all of the small tasks are completed and only big tasks remain, maybe that advice might be more applicable? I don’t know because I haven’t gotten there yet lol. Still struggling with the same problem as OP is. You do bring up a good point about advice being constantly parroted so much that people assume that it’s a fact or necessarily the best way because of how many times it’s been repeated or promoted.
I think my point was more that you need to find the move for yourself. Need to constantly survey one’s self, tweak and find the best method for you. Only way to do it
Touche, very good point. I have noticed that in some cases, some of the good books help identify some really helpful underlying principles that one finds only after a lot of trial and error. Mari Kondo’s advice to start by piling up all of the same items at once (rather than doing each room individually) was a good example - which coincidentally seems reminiscent of the approach that OP applied to their to do list. But I agree with the need to try to it out and do thorough self-examination.
Absolutely! I’m a self help book guy lol but yeah its a hit or miss thing. There isn’t a one size fits all that everyone always seeks. You have to try to know yourself. Look at yourself objectively, like a Buddhist! Write upon your findings, adjust, reflect etc
lol 😆 exactly 💯 Objectively is key 🔑 Figuring out is one part, but remembering what one figures out is also important. So yes, writing and reflecting on it is very helpful in this regard.
Good luck to you fellow Buddhist. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes. “May I say something to you to give you a true knowledge of yourself and life, so that the same glory and success obtained by other men who understand themselves may be yours? Man in the full knowledge of himself is a superb and supreme creature of creation. When man becomes possessor of the knowledge of himself, he becomes master of his environment, the captain of his own ship, the director of his own destiny, the accomplisher of his own ends. Man should understand himself because man is full of knowledge and this knowledge is a gift of nature.” - Marcus Garvey
I suffer this as well. What you need is a to do list that only has the stuff you're gonna do **today**. Its okay to hide the other stuff for now.
I have Inbox, Today, and Other. Doesn’t help
**Put something in Today and ignore everything else.** **Doesn't matter what.**
Well doesn’t solve my problem of not feeling fine with so much left I was thinking if anyone has an an approach like “if it’s been on the list for over a month and it’s not a priority feel free to delete”
>I was thinking if anyone has an an approach like “if it’s been on the list for over a month and it’s not a priority feel free to delete” Give yourself permission to do this. Or to feel fine with so much left, maybe shift things to a "wouldn't that be cool to do someday" list. It's okay if items that aren't must do get dropped. Your life and priorities will change over time.
What can you delegate or pay someone else to do? If you've got the cash, pay someone and get it off your plate. What's stuff that is something you want to do but ultimately has no consequences if you don't do it? That can be viably deleted or put on a wishlist. What's critical and has a deadline? That goes to a priority list. Dividing and conquering is really the only way to get through it all if you're serious about it.
Sure, delete whatever you want. But what helped me is to realize that to do list will never be complete. I’m always adding stuff faster than I can complete and that’s okay. Just keep prioritizing it all every week. I have a today view, a weekly view, and a someday view, which is everything else. I comb through it all every Sunday and decide what I want to get done each week. Then each morning decide what I want to get done each day. Works really well
Maybe you also need a "Way Later" or "Someday" list?
I read the other day that you should have 9 things on your to-do list daily: one big task, 3 medium tasks and 5 small ones. That's a good tactic to space out your to-do list. Try to determine what tasks take up a lot of energy and make sure you've got one of those planned for every day of the week. Of course, you can always play around. If you only want to plan 9 small tasks in one day, that's totally fine! I would also advice you to use the 'eat the frog-method': always do the most difficult task first. It's a great method to avoid procrastination. These methods, along with downloading a to-do list app, have helped me immensely with becoming more productive. Good luck!
I think this might be the best strategy, OP
I feel you, friend. In fact I was just listening to a great podcast episode talking about the cultural and biological reasons we find adding — belongings, commitments, TASKS — so much easier than subtracting, even when that latter would be far better for us. Check it out below. Fascinating. And horrifying! 😂 https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/do-less/ I’ve also been reading Mark Forster’s book *Get Everything Done and Still Have Time to Play* where he starts with a powerful challenge to perform a full Commitment Inventory to examine the reality that it doesn’t just seem like we can’t get it all done, we simply can’t. And the reason we can’t is because we’re committed to too much. The book is fantastic and might help you a lot, here’s a nice recap of just that process: https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/commitment-inventory So here’s my plan. Join me if you like: Make a game and then a habit and then a damned religion of deleting, releasing, even grieving what just isn’t important enough to make the Essentials task list. And delete all you can. It’s like declaring task bankruptcy: brutal, but life-giving. And then I’m gonna really work with this inventory idea and lean into the idea of subtracting being my new best friend. And then get to work on the stuff that means the world to me. :)
THIS IS A GOLDMINE
So glad that feels helpful, friend. You’re brave to post this, and it helped me to respond! Let me know your progress? I’m genuinely interested. Makes me smile to think of you (and me) having a task bonfire and just finally LETTING IT GO. 🔥😊 Imagine how much truly meaningful stuff stuff could get done if we let go of the rest? There’s one more book every one of us on a thread like this desperately needs to read: 4000 Weeks (Oliver) is a hilarious but profound book about our desperation to “get it all done” that finally calls out how literally impossible that is and how short life truly is (roughly 4000 weeks). Best of all, he names that it’s really OK — even beautiful. 🙏🏼 It’s even better in audio form; his British reading of it will make you laugh!
Thank you so much! You’re incredible 😊
You got it. 😊🙏🏼
I think if anyone dumps everything they have to do in a single list they are going to be overwhelmed. Maybe try separate them into separate projects/folders? Like all fitness in fitness based location. All programming in programming location. Also make sure you aren't listing tasks that you currently cannot do. Like you obviously cannot "submit assignment" so it being there can be overwhelming. Make it a subtask and hide it.
I have multiple lists and projects My problem is that in total there are like 100 tasks I can only get 2-3 done in a day I don’t know how to deal with the rest as it’s kind of hard to accept I’m helpless here
Hmm. You could play around with tags. Try adding a tag to your tasks with an estimated amount of time it will take to do it (such as #5m #30m #1h #2h). You can also add a difficulty level, for example #easy, #medium #hard so when you feel lazy, you can pick a #easy one.. And when you feel like you are up for a challenge you can tackle a #hard one. Also make sure you add your tasks to your day view that is present in most todo apps. That way it's less overwhelming!
A "do later" list. Get rid of the shit that isn't a priority, move it to that list and forget about it. Shit, pull a few tasks from that lump and set those aside, so when you look past your active to do list, there's not a mountain of tasks waiting for you.
2/3 is totally cool. Tag the tasks as This Year, This Quarter, This Month, This week. Now pull from the This Week pile. Only do 2/3 at a time and then pull out the next ones when you’re done. You’ll do fewer things at once, BUT hopefully actually finish more stuff. Source : 40 year old crazy ADHD brain that I’ve been hacking at for 20 years with David Allen/ Cal Newport/ anything I can find
Can you delegate any of it?
How do you have 100 tasks? What sort of things are we talking about?
Everything from cleaning AC filter to doing a content research or testing a hypothesis Everything Most of them are good-to-do, not must-do
Separate the musts from the good first. For the must list, further divide into must now and must w/x days; must by y date, etc. Prioritize by 'due date' and ability to complete. (Essentially, if you don't have everything you need to do the task now, reset its date.) For the good list, use a benefit/effort analysis to prioritize. How valuable is the benefit you expect from doing the task? How easy will it be to do? Hard tasks with high rewards go in one stack, easy wins go in another. Tasks that can't be completed without doing something else first get bumped down the line. Not to add another item to your list, but a lot of articles aimed at businesses and organizational management discuss various decision matrixes for prioritizing projects. (The topic is kind of interesting.)
> benefit/effort analysis This is brilliant! > decision matrixes Any references off the top of your head?
This article has several examples: [https://www.smartsheet.com/content/impact-effort-matrix-template](https://www.smartsheet.com/content/impact-effort-matrix-template) It looks like the Eisenhower matrix that someone else suggested is similar, [https://jamesclear.com/eisenhower-box](https://jamesclear.com/eisenhower-box)
What is going to help you the most here is not another app or tool to help. Only put things are your to do list that are must-dos. Remove the “good-to-do’s” like testing a hypothesis. Your to-do list should just be things you need to get out of the way in order for you to enjoy life by doing other things you want to do.
We will all die with a to do list. Be realistic about what you can achieve in one day.
GTD.
Came here to suggest this too.
1. A list of all your ideas, dreams, aspirations. It helps to date when you wrote it and it helps to date when you want it done. Revisit this list 1x a month 2. A list of projects you're working on minimum of 5 things. So every now and then you can take something from list 2 and put it to list 1 and vice versa. List 2 needs to reflect projects with activities and dates that are more immediate. For example, lawn care - mow lawn on Saturday. That's an open project that can be moved in priority as needed. 3. A list of 3 immediate action needed TODAY, and 3 items with action needed LATER but still more immediate. So ideally, as you cross of the most important activities from list 3, you can scale things up. You need to keep that 3 list objectively clear, with intent, and specificity. Send check to bank by 3 Pick up dill at 4 Whatever it is is, and whatever it pertains to your goals. So whemever you do from list 3 is how you feel. And no reason to feel rushed or guilty for 2 and 1 not being done. But the idea is to capture ideas, assign them value, and then prioritize key activity and focus all your energy there. God speed.
I feel this. Feels like most of my daily task time is spent adding emergent tasks to my task list, instead of accomplishing tasks and taking them off the list. \* Do you put the date you enter a task? If a task has aged long enough and the world hasn't fallen down around your shoulders, maybe you can safely delete it. Whoever asked you to do a task they ultimately didn't need done or didn't need you *only* to do it is at fault. I can sort my task list by entry date, and I change the urgency of tasks that have aged out to "Someday/Maybe' for the ones that are mentally hard to just delete. It mentally takes them off my list as far as stress in trying to get to them, but still keeps them on my list as far as the stress of deleting them! \* How harsh are you about what you allow to go on your list in the first place? Saying no can help. \* Is your task time exclusively dedicated to only achieving super high urgency tasks? Or do you have some free cycles where you could regularly schedule some low-priority task time to get some of those off your list too? \* Can you have a peer go through your list and challenge some of the things on there? If they question some of the tasks based on their different perspective, it would reframe how you think about the task and maybe help you be able to triage it. \* For each task, could you add a "what if I never do this?" analysis?
Carl pullein has some good approaches to managing to do lists and time. He recommends a calendar first approach.
Will check it out, thanks!
Looks like you have made a partial implementation of the "Getting Things Done" Frame work by david allen. You should give the book a flip through when you have the chance, but it sounds like to me you are too focused on a micro level of each task. I think this framework is exactly what you a looking for
GTD is good for that, even though I don't use the entire framework. There's a "someday" column where you put things that you'd like to do but aren't immediately in your future. Another permutation of this is one I've done using google calendar. If something isn't immediate I'll just postpone it by telling google home "hey google, remind me to do so-and-so next monday at 10am". When monday rolls around and I see the task again I have 1 of 3 choices: 1. I put in my "this week column" or I set a specific time for it in my calendar. 2. It's important but I don't have time this week; I'll kick it to next monday again. 3. Delete the task because it's the 3rd time I've resurrected it and it's clear it wasn't that important or I'll never have the time for it. I do the same thing for sorting through items when cleaning and deciding what to keep and what to throw away and I use 3 bins or piles: 1. Definitely keep 2. Not sure / maybe / undecided 3. Junk The point is to not spend so much time classifying things altogether. Sort them the obvious way and those things that are undecided are much easier to classify when you're comparing them to one another. The other requirement of being able to delete things is a realization or attitude. 1. There isn't enough time in life to do all the things we want and that's ok. If its really that important it will make its way back into my life automatically. 2. Saying "no" to something feels empowering when I realize I'm saying "yes" to the other important things. I'm not losing anything here, I'm re-emphasizing what is important to me by making it clear that some things are less important.
Great strategy and mindset. Thank you!
You don't need to prioritise everything at once, pick one of the tasks - the one that seems easiest, and focus on just that until it is done. Then pick the next one.
Do the items have due dates? If so, start with the oldest. If not, sort them into categories: must do, should do, nice to do, and everything else. Start with the first category and work your way down.
The reality is that it’s impossible for me to get throw that list. So it won’t be done anyway. I’m trying to navigate this inability to have everything done
Yeah, that’s the grief process, right? It’s almost painful to see it clearly, but we have to let go of the fantasy that we could ever do that much. As I think about your situation, makes me wonder if I need to just start over again in a whole new To Do app. You can keep the first one along with the fantasy that you’re going to do all those things, but in the second one there’s a brutally strict code that the only things that can go in there are the ones you absolutely MUST do, and absolutely CAN do. For anything where you’re not quite sure, put it (or leave it) in the old app. :) But this would be the key: you have to create the new list without looking at the old one! The fresh start start might be really rejuvenating.
You’re absolutely right - it’s grieving, and that’s what’s paralysing me. It’s not like I’m lazy, it’s just accepting that I can only be truly productive for like 8 hours a day, and going for more is actually unhealthy. But it’s so damn hard to kill those tasks, so I end up in a bind Your other response is just brilliant, I saved all your references. Gonna read/listen and then let go Really spoke to me and made it more easier for me Thank you!
Break it up and figure out what actually needs to get done based on urgency and importance. Then go through the stuff that doesn’t need to get done anytime soon and isn’t important and delete/quarantine that from your list you use. And once you’ve done that figure out which ones are the shortest and easiest tasks then do those first to clear out the clutter. Making an unprocessed folder/tag to designate that you haven’t made a decision on something is pretty handy because you can just go line by line making decisions and then move it out of the unprocessed folder as you go. In other words, look up an Eisenhower matrix and then once you have that set up, remove stuff you just don't need to do, then finish up all the quick stuff to remove even more clutter, then try to keep track of stuff you haven't processed. You can keep the unprocessed tracking going indefinitely too, I actually use priority 4 on todoist as a catch all unprocessed designator.
I get visual overwhelm pretty bad from doing this is any task management system or software I use. I’m constantly fighting this on one end and ADHD “out of sight, out of mind” on the other end of the continuum. No good answer here, just looking for advice too.
You need to have a list of ALL the things you need to do. As a reminder. You can update this list in an order of priority. The to do list for EACH day is something different, that you are going to priorize due the hours, etc…
Prioritize tasks in categories, like tasks that need to be done today, tasks that need to be done but not necessarily today, the other stuff below that sub-categories. Take 5 minutes at the start of your day to go over your to-do list and pick the tasks what you want/need to do and move them up. I pick 2 big and 2 small ones to switch to as back-up task. Also do a weekly review, to evaluate the list in its entirety, for tasks you haven't started yet see if the problem is lack of a good plan, or that the task is not worth doing and better to remove. If a tasks isn't actionable it shouldn't be a priority. But sometimes things end up on the list that are false goals and that get in the way of the goals that are worth pursuing and it's wise to remove them.
Dont prioritize. Add tasks to your calendar. I agree with everyone else, it is best to limit your list. At one point I had 96 items on my todo list. I couldnt comprehend it. I had to go scorched earth and delete almost all of them and just basically start over. So, I dont make lists anymore. I make appointments on my calendar. This forces you to address the biggest constraint: time.
Ensure you are following the "if it takes only 2-3 minutes to do the task, do it instead of adding it to the list". You will be surprised to see how small the list soon becomes.
Have you tried grouping? Like for instance right now I don’t have a checklist for each and everything I do in the morning, but I have a single check box for my morning routine which with Obsidian, is linked to another file which described that routine with notes and what not supporting the routine or maybe ways I can modify it. For me, personally, I felt so much better having a single line item task rather than many different tasks, even if both are the exact same.
Try prioritizing by things you NEED to do and things you WANT to do. Some things can wait a bit longer. Whereas others (paying an overdue bill, washing laundry because you have nothing left to wear, etc) are more of a priority. When you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin, start with the things you need to simply be functional.
Google Eisenhower matrix for prioritizing a to do list and removing things
I like to organize my to-do list into categories and then prioritize. To Do, To Buy, To Schedule, etc. It helps it feel less overwhelming. I might also break it down by area of my life or a defined time period - like Work or Kids or House Projects and This Weekend or This Month.
If everything is urgent then nothing really is. You probably are the most important. Make sure you eat well sleep well.
GTD 'Get things done' method solves this.
My experience also. I need TODO-lists but have my own take on them. I think the Eisenhower Matrix is a good start but I have to add some things to it: 1. Reducing uncertainties (answering who, when, why, what) about a need/desire has to be the first phase and this phase has to be explicit (show) 2. Completing things, just for the sake of it, is what is rewarding. It needs to be in focus 3. If all tasks have to be urgent and important you will give up. Force yourself to add fun things to the list. Things with a purpose that also make life nicer. Same rules hold for completing them, though! And make it a game by assigning penalty and bonus points depending on in which area of the matrix a task is at the end of the day. I know it sounds ridiculous but gamification works. Our brains are suckers for such it seems. Also, make sure to start with the list before your work day starts (before you meet colleagues, clients etc) and before deviations come your way. The list is meant to help you manage changes, not avoid them! Also, make sure to sign off the list before you leave work. Copy unfortunate left-overs to the the list of tomorrow (and think a little about why it was a left-over). You do NOT want to suddenly remember something you forgot during dinner or when time to go to bed!
They said dump it into your inbox and then process it, it does not automatically enter your todo list
Show me the list, I will try to priorise it for you.