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Once you identify these to-do items, you’d choose several and transfer them to the following day’s daily list, assuming your schedule allows adequate time to address them.
The key is that each task is assigned a deadline, along with notes detailing its priority, context, and the time required to complete it.
#4 - The "3+2" Strategy
three big tasks and two small tasks.
select the five items you’ll work on. (Or better yet, select them the night before.) The big items should take between one and two hours to complete. The small items should take 30 minutes or less.
(Tasks that take longer than two hours to complete can usually be broken down into smaller tasks.)
schedule four pomodoros - each composed of a 25-minute work segment and 5-minute break - to complete one of your big tasks. Allocate time boxes that give you the time you need to complete your smaller tasks.
You’ll also less likely to suffer paralysis by analysis, a state in which you’re unable to make decisions because you’re overanalyzing a situation.
#5 - The 1-3-5 Rule
one big task, three medium-sized tasks, and five small tasks to complete during the day.
you’ll be more inclined to include those that have a high priority.
#6 - The Project-Based System
you’re left with multiple lists, one per project.
#7 - The 3-MIT Approach
“most important task.”
focusing on its completion to the exclusion of everything else. Only after completing this item would you turn your attention to other items.
#8 - The Kanban Method
Grab a cork board and a stack of Post-It notes. Make three columns on your board. Title the left column “To Do.” Title the middle column “Doing.” Title the right column “Done.”
task-level context.
red for high-priority items, yellow for medium-priority items, and blue for low-priority items.
#9 - The Matrix System
“Eisenhower Box.”
Important - Urgent Important - Not Urgent Not Important - Urgent Not Important - Not Urgent
Those placed in the first quadrant should be addressed immediately. Those in the second quadrant are less dire, but should be scheduled to ensure they’re addressed at some point in the near future. Tasks in the third quadrant can be delegated to others while tasks in the fourth quadrant can be abandoned.
“Is this task necessary?”
#10 - Getting Things Done (GTD)
GTD seeks to get this stuff out of your head and onto a list.
Once items are on a master list, you spend time organizing them according to context. Part of this process entails creating multiple lists and placing items where they belong. A weekly review is performed to stay on top of things.
“next actions” list and a “someday/maybe” list.
Step 1: Isolate Current Tasks From Future Tasks
“current task” list to decide how to allocate your time and attention each day. This list will carry the to-do items that must be completed before the day ends.
“future task” list to keep track of all the items that will need your attention at some point. You won’t use this list during the course of your workday. Instead, you’ll refer to it at the end of the day to create the following day’s to-do list.
Step 2: Define Tasks By Desired Outcomes
The simplest way to get through your daily to-do list is to assign a “why” to each item found on it. Know the reason the item is on your list. Determine why you need to get it done. Write the reason down next to the task.
Step 3: Break Projects Down To Individual Tasks
The only way to complete any project is to first break it down to its constituent parts. A project is moved forward by working on the individual tasks that are incumbent to its completion.
Breaking projects down into smaller tasks makes them seem more doable. It also allows you to focus your limited time and attention on tasks according to their priority and value.
Make sure your to-do lists are limited to actionable tasks, not projects. If an item requires more than one action, it is a project that can - and should - be broken down. By breaking them down, you’ll enjoy better focus and get important work done more quickly.
Step 4: Assign A Deadline To Each Task
deadlines increase our efficiency and productivity, spurring us to get important stuff done.
every task on your master to-do list should have a deadline associated with it.
Attaching a deadline to every item on your master to-do list makes it easier to know which tasks to select for your daily to-do list.
make sure each deadline is realistic.
Doing so will only cause you stress, frustration, and discouragement.
The reason makes the deadline genuine. When a deadline is set without a reason - that is, the date is arbitrarily chosen
“work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
narrowing the window will improve your focus and result in greater efficiency and productivity.
Step 5: Limit The Number Of Current Tasks To Seven
number of items on your daily to-do list to seven. This is a manageable number. Assuming no single task requires hours to complete, it’s possible to get through your entire list by the end of the day.
My “limit-to-seven” suggestion refers solely to tasks that require at least 15 minutes to complete.
