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Ask HN: How do you prioritise your daily tasks and to-dos?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you prioritise your daily tasks and to-dos?

#11

Post by mahringer_a »

spike021 wrote: post #8

I've been trying to get into using Trello more often. Usually I'll set up checklists for subsets of tasks and cards for larger projects or meetings (so I can add separate notes, files, etc.). It works pretty well. Just drag 'finished' cards into a 'Completed' pile or similar, check off items on a list, etc. Also easy to add people in to a board as collaborators, for instance if you need a manager overlooking your pro…

Have you tried blossom.io? I find it so much cleaner and usable compared to trello, helped boost our productivity big time!

Re: Ask HN: How do you prioritise your daily tasks and to-dos?

#12

Post by tosh »

Don't do Inbox Zero.

I forgot the quote but it is very spot on imho: your inbox is someone elses todo list. Especially starting the day with email is one of the worst things you can do imho. It puts you into reactive mode.

You want to stay pro-active and actively chose the things you need to be on top of.

I keep a few tabs open on email threads that are important to me and for people I'm close to I usually tell them to reach out to me via facebook (white-list opt-in vs opt-out).

I can not emphasize enough how big of a game changer that was. People think about handling email and inbox zero all the time and obsess about it as if processing all emails in a day was the key to getting stuff done. I think that's too narrow of a pov.

Disclaimer: CEO & Product @ blossom.io

Re: Ask HN: How do you prioritise your daily tasks and to-dos?

#13

Post by tosh »

zhte415 wrote: post #5

I, simply, remember them. Inbox Zero seriously depreciates my effectiveness. Not every email is a task, some are echos of tasks and some are simply OK to let sit. By becoming task-based, a lot of the people-based stuff can be left behind. And making people-stuff tasks, well, the people part that has just become a task, and is not a check-off and not a meaningful interaction. I recommend taking a look at the relations…

Spot on. Tools like RelateIQ that put a releationship layer on top of email communication can help here.

You don't want to miss an email from your team or from your investors but at the same time it is perfectly fine to not chase inbox zero, that's a very menial and time-consuming effort if not busy-work.

Re: Ask HN: How do you prioritise your daily tasks and to-dos?

#15

Post by jason_slack »

I use old fashioned pen and paper.

I have a weekly calendar, one column for each day and it is 8.5x11 landscape. I plot out my week with things like errands, standard weekly things like "put out the garbage", "pick up co-op share", etc. Add in work tasks, etc. Cross off when done. Circle when not finished.

I also have a "shit list" as it is entitled. Tasks here need to get completed or bad things happen :-)

So I carry around a few pieces of paper and my trusty pen.

Re: Ask HN: How do you prioritise your daily tasks and to-dos?

#17

Post by eecks »

dotnick wrote: post #16
eecks wrote: post #10

I've tried countless todo apps for Android, Windows and in browsers. I've stopped using them all. I just keep everything in my mind now.

As the developer of a mobile todo app, I would love to know why. Was there something missing?

I think it might be "todo overload". When I get an app, I write down some immediate todos and then get them done. But I also write down future todos and after a while I just get bogged down in the list.

Re: Ask HN: How do you prioritise your daily tasks and to-dos?

#18

Post by mhoad »

I have a relatively strict Omnifocus workflow that I use to manage everything. It genuinely was such a relief to get everything out of my head and into a system that I could 100% rely on if I just followed a couple of simple rules consistently. There is no way I could go back to trying to mentally manage everything again.

Re: Ask HN: How do you prioritise your daily tasks and to-dos?

#19

Post by Gustomaximus »

I started using Outlook Tasks. Combined with the calendar this is a very efficient system if you stay disciplined and take the extra couple seconds to manage this. Part of this is keeping a clean inbox but rather than doing everything as it comes through I use this criteria:

-Do it

-Decide When

-Delegate It

-Delete

Everything email gets responded, forwarded, allocated to a task with dates or placed in the calendar with time booked. I try and limit this review to the morning/lunch and afternoon. Otherwise I turn of all email notifications (with a few VIP's set up) and crack on with the day.

Re: Ask HN: How do you prioritise your daily tasks and to-dos?

#20

Post by spike021 »

mahringer_a wrote: post #11
spike021 wrote: post #8

I've been trying to get into using Trello more often. Usually I'll set up checklists for subsets of tasks and cards for larger projects or meetings (so I can add separate notes, files, etc.). It works pretty well. Just drag 'finished' cards into a 'Completed' pile or similar, check off items on a list, etc. Also easy to add people in to a board as collaborators, for instance if you need a manager overlooking your pro…

Have you tried blossom.io? I find it so much cleaner and usable compared to trello, helped boost our productivity big time!

Nope, haven't heard of it before. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the tip!
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