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Create Will-Do Lists to Manage Huge Task Inventories
Posted by Kevin Purdy at 12:30 AM on February 27, 2008
Lifehacker reader and mental state blogger Luciano writes about his main problem with creating a master task list, in the style of Getting Things Done: The "giant blob of threatening commitments" they can become after awhile. To keep a level head and get a daily feeling of accomplishment, he recommends the following:
Take your to-do list and pick a few tasks that you will do the next day: not tasks that you want to do, or tasks that you think you might do -- but tasks that you wholeheartedly commit to do. Replace your long list of intentions with a short list of commitments.
It's a different angle than Trent at the Simple Dollar's takes to managing a huge commitments list, and one that still gives you two reassurances—that everything you will eventually have to do is captured somewhere, and that you have a daily guide as to what to do next. For yet another alternative GTD path, try tackling next problems instead of next actions. Photo by purpleslog.
Tags: getting things done | productivity | task management | to do list
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
John B. Kendrick
Posted March 10, 2008 11:15 AM
I found an application for GTD that provides a simple click on a star next to the task makes it appear in your next actions list, and I wholeheartedly agree with the author that keeping this list manageable is the key to GTD. Just pick one action that will keep each project moving and wait to select another until after the previous one has been completed. I've written about this application on my blog at http://johnkendrick.wordpress.com if you want more details, and it not only works on desktops, but also has a complementary web page specially built for the iPhone.
joeny1980
Posted 2:16 AM 27/2/08
Lifehacker is 'do list' crazy. I did a search but it didnt give me relevant results. I wanted to see how many "do lists" you guys have talked about. I love keeping lists as well and I personally keep a tadalists account and a short term to do list on my igoogle. But man, it seems like there is just too many list hacks. You guys post suggestions for to-do lists, dont-do lists, building lists, reducing lists, resorting lists. It must all come full circle and we'll just go back to a good ole to-do list on a piece of looseleaf.
joeny1980
waffles
Posted 2:16 AM 27/2/08
I guess this means I have to make that giant to do list first, doesn't it?
In all seriousness though, I think this would work for me. But I'm the kind of person that would take it seriously. You have to be able to only put things on that will do list that are actually doable. But at the same time, not kill yourself if you don't get it all done (like if a cyclone carries away your house).
waffles
Daniel-Bham
Posted 3:57 AM 27/2/08
@joeny1980: Just click the TASK MANAGEMENT tag above this post. It will pull in related postings, not just lists though.
Daniel-Bham
mshortri
Posted 6:01 AM 27/2/08
@joeny1980: So, just to clarify, you want a list of lists so you can show that there are too many lists?
mshortri
jimforcy
Posted 4:39 PM 27/2/08
I think lists have to be divided into long term and short term. Personally my short term list is always on my google homepage (igoogle page) so that each time I open a browser I see the things that need to be done ASAP. I used a gadget simply called To-do List available here:
[www.google.com]
It is nice because it lets you cross off things from your list without having them disappear. This is nice because during the day I can see my accomplishments pay off. I think lists are useless without the ability to use them for accomplishment.
jimforcy
Tara-PassPack
Posted 12:33 AM 28/2/08
I love crossing things off the list. It makes me giddy, especially when I find something that lets me cross of a big chunk all at once:
Check Passwords off the To-Do List
(that's a product blog, but the tips will work for any password manager - shop around).
Tara-PassPack
joeny1980
Posted 4:56 AM 28/2/08
@mshortri: Exactly! lol. I just find the level of suggested list manipulation to be comical. Now that you are done creating your "do tomorrow" list, be sure to create your "don't do tomorrow", oh and while you are editing your list "cross off some things from your long-term list".
joeny1980