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Ask HN: Do you plan your next day ahead?

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Re: Ask HN: Do you plan your next day ahead?

#11

Post by jaggederest »

avaer wrote: post #2

As far as work, I make sure to always finish my day with a thing or two half-started. I find the itch to finish these is far more powerful as a progress driver than a completed checklist that gives me mental permission to relax. Granted, this is definitely not the ticket to work-life balance if that's what you're looking for.

I can't find a source, but I can paraphrase a quote I like: "Never quit for a day when all the tests are passing, always leave yourself something obvious to start with the next day"

Re: Ask HN: Do you plan your next day ahead?

#12

Post by mholmes680 »

I use Trello, with Todo, doing, deferred and done columns. If you want to go full scrum, great, but that's too much overhead. Signed wife up as well, so it works for both of us. I also have Alexa in four rooms to push my to do list into Trello via ifttt for those dishwashing moments. IMO, and off topic a bit, Amazon killed their dash button market when they packaged three Dots for $120.

Re: Ask HN: Do you plan your next day ahead?

#16

Post by cbcoutinho »

I use the bullet journal system, which is essentially a way to structuralize a notebook. Instead of removing redundancy, it embraces it.

1. Make yourself a very brief year plan

2. Every month refer to year plan and go into detail as needed for that month.

3. At the beginning of every week, make a plan while referring to the month plan.

4. In the morning give yourself a daily plan or keep notes to help stay on track.

I really like having to go back and forth between time scales, it helps me keep track of what I'm doing and also answers the question I've also had with previous note taking apps: how does what I'm doing today fit into the rest of my life?

Hint: if you're interested in learning about bullet journaling, stay away from Instagram, pintrist, and tumblr - people have a tendency to turn this amazing productivity tool into an art contest, and it only gives the illusion that the barrier to entry is higher than it really is

Re: Ask HN: Do you plan your next day ahead?

#17

Post by cbcoutinho »

I use the bullet journal system, which is essentially a way to structuralize a notebook. Instead of removing redundancy, it embraces it.

1. Make yourself a very brief year plan 2. Every month refer to year plan and go into detail as needed for that month. 3. At the beginning of every week, make a plan while referring to the month plan. 4. In the morning give yourself a daily plan or keep notes to help stay on track.

I really like having to go back and forth between time scales, it helps me keep track of what I'm doing and also answers the question I've also had with previous note taking apps: how does what I'm doing today fit into the rest of my life?

Hint: if you're interested in learning about bullet journaling, stay away from Instagram, pintrist, and tumblr - people have a tendency to turn this amazing productivity tool into an art contest, and it only gives the illusion that the barrier to entry is higher than it really is

Re: Ask HN: Do you plan your next day ahead?

#18

Post by frogfuzion »

mholmes680 wrote: post #12

I use Trello, with Todo, doing, deferred and done columns. If you want to go full scrum, great, but that's too much overhead. Signed wife up as well, so it works for both of us. I also have Alexa in four rooms to push my to do list into Trello via ifttt for those dishwashing moments. IMO, and off topic a bit, Amazon killed their dash button market when they packaged three Dots for $120.

I'm not sure why you are downvoted. It's not quite fair since you are answering the question. But in all honesty this kind of existence sounds strange to me.

Edit: changed horrific to strange. if my wife and I lived by todo lists on Alexa we would never have any fun.

Re: Ask HN: Do you plan your next day ahead?

#19

Post by terminalcommand »

For the last 3 years I've been trying to find a way to organize my life.

Before that I was in a rebellious phase, I didn't believe in time management and plans. I thought they caused stress and inefficiency. I thought there was enough time for everything.

However, then I crashed and realized that professionalism and proper planning have their place. But I could not and cannot manage to adopt a system.

I tried org-mode, the to-do list on my phone, some calendar apps. I tried the flash card system from Cal Newport's book Focus. I managed to stick to it for a week, and actually got some work done.

Nowadays I don't plan ahead, if something needs my attention and needs to be done I write down a checklist for the task with minimum self-explanatory items on a piece of paper.

Most things that I perceive as tasks are either not important in the end, or they go away. The ones that remain receive my undivided honest attention and in the meantime I procrastinate.

I don't trust myself, so I don't plan ahead. If I plan, I don't think I'll stick to it. If a task has the potential to haunt me, make me anxious and rob me of my sleep, I try to be cautious with it and get it done ASAP. Other than these types of tasks, I don't force myself to do anything and simply pass the time.

I wish I could be an organized person, procrastinate less, tidy up, live healthier etc. But knowing from experience that it's quite unlikely that I'll do all that, I try to focus on the bare essentials and try to feel less guilt.

Re: Ask HN: Do you plan your next day ahead?

#20

Post by ebbv »

In my personal life I set appointments in my phone's calendar for anything more than a week out. For anything within a week I just remember what I'm doing.

For work my team uses JIRA in a SCRUM fashion. So the sprint is loaded with tickets that have priorities but the team chooses what they're doing each day.

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