Tips & Tricks Tuesday: Sorting through a long list with due dates and priorities
Sometimes there’s too much to juggle, lots to do and not enough time! (And, sometimes, “sometimes” feels like all the time!)
When that happens, take a few minutes and sort through what you can do. This week, andreyas shares a great way to do this: due dates set you up, priorities help you decide, and you don’t stress what you don’t get to!
I wanted to share a new approach I’ve developed over the past few weeks, which might be interesting for those who prefer a more flexible approach to task management while still keeping track of the critical stuff.
Previously, I used to select tasks for the month, week, and day, but I realized that 95% of the tasks I completed were always obvious (deadlines, obligations, etc.) or at the top of my mind. These selections only reminded me of how much I hadn’t done and created unnecessary stress. So, I came up with a new system where I simply divide tasks into mandatory (those with consequences if not completed) and everything else.
First, I went through all my lists and added all current tasks to the “Today” (setting the date for today or the specific date needed for each task). “Today” is not just what I plan to do today but everything that’s currently relevant.
Here’s the priority logic I defined to keep things organized:
Must-Do Today (1): Minimum mandatory tasks for today, those tied to today’s date, with specific reasons to complete them today (usually 2-3-5 tasks). Every evening, I review a special Smart List of tasks with priority 1-2 for tomorrow and check for must to-do for the next day.
Deadlines/Commitments (2): Tasks with specific deadlines that will lose relevance or have consequences if not completed on time. If they can/should be done today, they go into “Today.” If a task will be relevant later, I set an appropriate future date (like a month or week before the deadline, depending on the task).
Other (Sooner the Better) (3): Everything else I’d like to do eventually, if time and desire permit. I got tired of planning these tasks weekly/monthly, as I usually do them spontaneously, not by schedule. So, I decided to keep them in one big pile, distinguishing the more urgent ones in priority 3.
Other (Someday) (4): All the other tasks for someday. These tasks stay in the background, and I don’t usually plan them. This way, I feel more at ease knowing I won’t lose track of tasks I want to do when I have time.
Throughout the day, the main goal is to complete the tasks from priority 1. Once I finish those, if I have time and feel like it, I look at what can be done from priority 2. Sometimes, I just close RTM and do whatever I want.
Now, instead of spending 8-10 hours a month (2 hours on monthly selections, half an hour on weekly selections, and 10-15 minutes daily for daily selections), I only spend 2-3 minutes each day to ensure I won’t miss any mandatory tasks for tomorrow. And don’t need to make GTD-like weekly/monthly reviews, which I hate, because of too many tasks in my lists. This way, I don’t lose track of anything critical because the mandatory tasks remain at the top and get done as priority 1-2 tasks. The rest, from priorities 3-4, still usually don’t get done from the list, but are handled spontaneously when I remember them.
This approach has significantly reduced the pressure of my to-do list on me, making me feel much freer while knowing that nothing will be lost and everything is at hand.
For work-related tasks, I have a slightly different approach since almost all of them are obligations with few specific deadlines. But that’s a topic for another post!
I hope this approach can help those of you looking for a more relaxed yet effective way to manage tasks.
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