A smart, simple redesign for your to-do list.
I’ve always been a big list-maker – annual to-do’s, family to-do’s, financial to-do’s, business to-do’s, etc. Committing items to paper, nicely and neatly printed, just makes you feel good. It unburdens the mind and also makes the task real – it’s on the list so it must get done.
If your daily to-do lists are anything like mine, they can get long, very long. In fact, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by a big to-do list. Problem is we all overestimate what we can get done in a given time frame and we feel like we’ve failed if we don’t get to everything.
There are literally hundreds of books and theories on productivity and task management. Much has been written and there are many systems you can employ. I recently ran across the book “Personal Kanban” by Jim Benson and I like the very simple system he lays out. I’ve started using them for my own project workflow.
Benson suggests a technique adopted from Toyota’s manufacturing process, which is also the title of his book. He explains the “personal kanban”:
What we do is take a whiteboard and create three simple columns: Ready, Doing, and Done. In the Ready column, you populate that with Post-it notes of things you’re supposed to do. In the Doing column, you set a limit–we recommend three things, though it can be higher or lower. So now instead of having a theoretically unlimited capacity for work, you now have a very visible limited capacity for work.
When you complete something, you look at the Ready list, and you say, “Okay, I’ve got one slot out of three. What is it I can put here that’s of highest value?”… Each of those columns are vital, because the Ready column is showing you options–previously your to-do list was a death sentence, but now it’s turned into options. The Doing column says “Here’s the list of things I’m working on; I can’t start anything else until I complete one; finish it!” Then the Done column allows a growing real-time retrospective of your work.
The kanban method is easy to start using, and – more importantly – it’s easy to manage going forward. All you need is a white board or blank wall, and a bunch of post it notes. Just make your columns and place your to-do’s in the appropriate columns. And remember, place only 3 – 5 in the Doing column!
You can find out more about Benson and his book by clicking here. Another resource you might want to check out is Kanbanpad, a website with a ready-made board and columns.
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