A simple productivity system.

This system uses a single document in any text editor. I use Notepad++, but Google Docs would also work if you need access from multiple locations. Everything should fit on one screen, about 50 rows.

Sections:

• Inboxes
• Active projects
• Actions
• Waiting for

Let me explan how it works.

Inboxes

List all the channels where you receive tasks. These could be:

• Email accounts
• Note taking applications
• Project management tools
• Screenshots folder on you phone
• Calendar app
• Physical shelf or drawer for bills or papers

Active projects

List all the ongoing projects with their next goals. These can be broad and vague. For example:

• Day job project - improve team communication, launch new feature
• My first novel - finish first draft, improve outline
• House and garden - organize the attic

This should cover almost everything you do in life, except friends and family which I think I don't need to organize into projects, but you do you.

Actions

This list contains next actionable items, derived from the goals or gathered from inboxes. For example:

• House and garden - call the AC repairman
• House and garden - get the quote for paving the parking
• House and garden - buy a tool cabinet
• Research - what's new in .net 9?
• Day job - add search to users form (PBI 234)

It's important that items here are actionable, not vague. When you look at that item, it should be obvious what you have to do: open a specific website, pick up a phone, go upstairs or drive to the city. Not "improve website functionality" or "work on a branding".

Waiting for

Track tasks where you're waiting for someone else to take action or a specific date to pass. Example:

• AC repairman to confirm the appointment (follow up on 15th July)
• Team member to provide details on project XYZ (check back on Monday)

Usage

Daily (or more often if your action list is empty):

• Check your inboxes and create actions
• Check the active project list and create actions
• If something takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediatelly
• Sort actions by priority, plan the order and locations
• Go through the action list and execute them, remove them from the list
• Review your progress once or twice per day

Weekly

• Clear inboxes by adding items to the action list, waiting for list, use as goals or archive them
• Review the action list and deal with any obsolete items
• Think about all the projects, create new ones or archive some you've lost interest in

Monthly:

• Review the previous month, consider if the system works and if there is anything to improve

Here are some scenarios to explain how to use this system.

1. I'm working out on the stationary bike and watching a presentation. The presenter shows an interesting diagram I want to research. Instead of stopping and losing focus, I just take a screenshot, knowing I'll review it later.
2. June comes. I know that next month I have to renew the insurance and registration for the car. I create a new project under active projects and call it "Yearly car maintenance"with goals like "car service", "buy insurance" and "pass annual vechicle inspection". During daily review, I'll create tasks like "call the car service and schedule the appointment" and "send a message to the insurance company for a quote".
3. I get a message from a teammate that some users can't log in to the website. I stop what I'm doing and check the issue. If there is a quick fix, I do it immediately. If someone needs to fix it, I notify them. If it's complex and requires my action I add it to the corresponding list, action list if it's actionable, waiting for if I need a response from somebody, or as a goal in active projects list for long-term goals like "Improve stability" or "Better logging".