Why To Do list fail

Why we need Task management system in our modern work?

Our brain is actually not good at memorizing many stuff at once, unless someone wants to train the brain capacity on that specific field to enhance the memorization capability.

But very often, we as white collar workers, want to use our brain to solve the problem, not to store the problem.

And actually, storing too much problem in our head will impact negatively on our mental health.

If you are manager, you properly have many things at once and feel overwhelmed.

Remember Harry Potter story, Albus Dumbledore with his magic was able to extract a memory and store in a basin which he can revisit the memory later on.

Wonderful is it? If we can extract the information out of our head, definitely we will get some head space and feel so much released after work hour. And then can enjoy your family time without any lingering thoughts about work.

David Allen, one of the most respected expert in productivity.

He develops a process called Get Things Done.

His methodology is world wide accepted and claimed to produce stress free productivity for applicants, and helps people to manage chaos to clarify both in work and in personal life.

In order to have this magical benefit, we need two things:

• Capture habit
• Task management app

What cause task management system fail and how to make it work for you?

You probably used to try many apps before to manage your tasks. But high chance that you already abandoned them after a while.

The number 1 issue related to using task management app is that we do not have one single source of truth.

• Quite often people don't use only one system (or app) to manage tasks, and thus they cannot remember what tasks already in what app.
• Eventually, we lose trust on the system and no longer manage our tasks with the app.

Some people using calendar for task management system as well. But I do not recommend this tactic, as busy people's calendar must be clean and focus, thus keeping the tasks in calendar will make pressure every time you open it.

If you do not have regular maintenance (check off, arrange etc), the system start chaos and you lose trust on it.

However, with GTD process, it is guarantee for us to trust one system to manage our task.

Other words, I can say GTD is the solution for task management, and the app is the tool / engine for us to manage action item.

Recently, I also discover PARA structure (developed by Tiago Forte) to supplement my application on GTD which I will share in another article. But in the nutshell, it is the method for me to arrange my digital asset through our multiple platforms (says like Microsoft To Do, OneNote, One Drive etc.)

It is such a very simple structure but it help to build the bridges between various platform.

The most important factors about this structure is: it is live with our current status. For example, sometimes, we see no need to follow a project, and the project folder can be moved to resource folder.

You may ask: how to retrieve an old files when I keep moving the folders around?

I simply use another search tool and it is free for everyone, side by side with PARA system.

It can search everything across all the platforms (even it is a note in OneNote)

And actually, with that I do not need to be pressured to ensure my PARA system is always correct, as just need to update it every time I have touch point.

And why PARA is a great support to my GTD system?

Because with PARA approach, I can make effective filter for my attention on actionability, it helps me to stay lazer focus on what should be done now.

On daily basis, I mostly focus on project list, and in weekly basis I plan some time boxing to maintain others such as responsibilities.

With monthly review, expand to Resources and Archive.

How to use To Do list app in the right way?

We need to do list app help us to organize project and actions.

We use only one software or app for task management.

We should build the habit of capturing the tasks right after they occur with GTD process

We should always refresh every day (I prefer morning routine) to review to do list.

We should have weekly review in order to organize and select the focused projects for the next comin weeks

How many task for a day is just enough? The answer is totally depends on your productivity, but from my experiment, the below number is a balance for me to deal with both urgency and importance.

• 1 big task
• 3 medium tasks
• 5 small tasks

Resources of study

1. Productivity Master Class: Create a system that works | Skillshare by Thomas Frank
2. Productivity classes by Ali Abdaal on Skillshare
3. https://fortelabs.co/blog/para/