Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Using a list to manage executive function

drmaciver.substack.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 64 posts

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#2

Post by jasperry »

One reason this method seems good is that it requires you to write down a new list each day. For me at least, it's easier to write a fresh list and get started on that than to get motivated by a list I wrote before. Writing a new list makes me remember what I /want/ to get done, and why.

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#3

Post by jmbwell »

One of my early frustrations with Microsoft's "To-do" app was that it discarded my "today" tasks every day. But now I love that it does this, for the reasons the author describes.

I was used to apps like Asana that would just let things sit there and accumulate and fester. It made me hate how much I wasn't getting done every day. One or two tasks a day piling up over the course of many days just grows into a mountain of shame, and as the author says, it builds this "UGH field" around it that makes me not want to look at it at all, much less try to wade through it. The system was hurting more than helping, really.

I started using To-Do because we recently switched to Microsoft at work, and I'm trying to embrace the ecosystem or whatever. And what was an annoying deficiency (why can't this crappy MS app do what I want) has become a huge relief.

Automatically having my day reset every day has helped me feel more like I can actually get through most of what I realistically intend to do in a day. I take a minute in the morning to throw stuff on the list, MS does helpfully suggest some things (presumably using something they now call "AI"), and then I start working down it. At the end of the day, anything I didn't get to -- honestly, anything that wasn't as important as I thought it would be that day -- is gone. The next day, I start fresh. Re-focus, re-prioritize, and start executing. Everything still gets done, but my focus is on the day ahead rather than days past. And no "ugh field."

I would note that my approach to projects with teams is different, of course. All of those tasks will eventually need to get done, so it's not helpful to let things disappear. But where this does apply is in how much a given contributor wants to bite off in a day. The backlog on a project is the backlog, no getting around it, but a tighter focus each day on whatever's realistic, 3-5 tasks probably, relieves a lot of tension that helps work be more effective, I find.

Last comment, I love that the author also puts things on the list just to scratch them off. I picked up this habit somewhere long ago. It seems silly to do something, then put it on the list, then just scratch it right off, but it has the real effect of notching another task done. Helps limit the days where you feel like you didn't actually do anything, those yak-shaving days. You can look at the "completed" tab and see that no, you did actually do stuff. Another source of shame neutralized.

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#4

Post by Simorgh »

I’ve struggled with improving my executive functioning.

I think it can be negatively affected by mental health issues and can take time to recover and get back to parity.

I’ve found that voice-memos are particularly effective in assisting me. I’ll talk through a problem and usually find solutions quickly, eg debugging.

Am currently working on a (transcribed) voice-interface to improve in this area, right now.

I might try out his formula tomorrow, possibly in voice.

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#5

Post by idamantium »

This reminds me of some good practices I've learned from implementing GTD principals. Even with my massive GTD-style lists, which I love, having a small paper list for that day, even if it repeats what's on the massive digital list, is a very nice focus function.

Also helpful is to have a list of no more than 3 weekly priorities. When I don't know what to focus on, I often look at those. They are most effective when I'm actually doing my weekly review. Also a practice that's so helpful and freeing.

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#6

Post by idamantium »

Simorgh wrote: post #4

I’ve struggled with improving my executive functioning. I think it can be negatively affected by mental health issues and can take time to recover and get back to parity. I’ve found that voice-memos are particularly effective in assisting me. I’ll talk through a problem and usually find solutions quickly, eg debugging. Am currently working on a (transcribed) voice-interface to improve in this area, right now. I might…

When I've been in low periods in terms of anxiety or mood, externalizing seems to be a salve. When I look back at how I've externalized in those periods, it seems excessive. It's like my executive functioning is no where in sight, and I can see that in how much I had to externalize to get a handle on things. But those periods of parity do return.

It's great to hear you've found methods that work for you. Voice-memos must feel lower friction than writing things out.

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#7

Post by Tomte »

jmbwell wrote: post #3

One of my early frustrations with Microsoft's "To-do" app was that it discarded my "today" tasks every day. But now I love that it does this, for the reasons the author describes. I was used to apps like Asana that would just let things sit there and accumulate and fester. It made me hate how much I wasn't getting done every day. One or two tasks a day piling up over the course of many days just grows into a mountain…

> One of my early frustrations with Microsoft's "To-do" app was that it discarded my "today" tasks every day. But now I love that it does this, for the reasons the author describes.

To-do is surprisingly great. It's my GTD tool of choice at the moment.

They change things, though, and you can't switch a setting. For some time they stopped adding tasks with due date on the current day to the "My day" smart list.

It makes sense if you think about it in terms of what they wanted "My day" to be. Adding things to "My day" should be a conscious choice.

But it was a change, and it's very nice to have due tasks automatically added. They changed it back after a few weeks, thankfully.

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#8

Post by MengerSponge »

jmbwell wrote: post #3

One of my early frustrations with Microsoft's "To-do" app was that it discarded my "today" tasks every day. But now I love that it does this, for the reasons the author describes. I was used to apps like Asana that would just let things sit there and accumulate and fester. It made me hate how much I wasn't getting done every day. One or two tasks a day piling up over the course of many days just grows into a mountain…

I really like "To-do" and am so glad it's integrated into Outlook's Mac client now. I wish there was a way to show all tasks, regardless of their list/categorization.

As it stands, this really stops me from using separate lists for timebound tasks. I only use them for long-term planning/blue sky stuff.

Re: Using a list to manage executive function

#9

Post by TheHideout »

Every day I make a list in a long running text file. I typically copy the previous day and modify it.

  \\ [date]
  need
  - things that absolutely have to be done today
  really should do
  - things that I really should do today
  should do
  - other things I should do to get ahead / stay on top of
  want to do
  - what I actually want to do today if possible
  concerns
  - things that I'm currently concerned about (to help me resolve them without losing focus)
  one thing
  - I'm going to do this one thing for 3-4 hours straight today
Post reply on HN