5 ms·

I have about 25 items on my to-do list. All serious tasks, that need to be completed, for customers/co-workers, over the next couple of weeks. What on earth m

I have about 25 items on my to-do list. All serious tasks, that need to be completed, for customers/co-workers, over the next couple of weeks. What on earth makes anyone think that I could just "Do one thing"? Unless that one thing is "Check my to-do list, and get the next item on it done."

lucian1900 13y ago
That does sound more like an issue tracker, though.
- AndrewDucker 13y ago
  An issue tracker _is_ a to-do list. It's a list of things I have to do in order to fix bugs, add functionality, get code into production, get documentation into shape, etc, etc, etc, etc.
Delmania 13y ago
" All serious tasks, that need to be completed, for customers/co-workers, over the next couple of weeks." Are they all inherently serious tasks? Or have these people told you there are important? Have you ever tried to simply ignore a request? I personally have found that in most cases, if a request is truly urgent, you will know it.
- jeffreyrogers 13y ago
  I can't speak for the GP, but I've found (as a student), that writing down the things I have due or have to accomplish by a certain date on my calendar frees up a lot of mental energy. I'm not a big fan of todo lists, but I am a proponent of keeping yourself organized. By writing things down I stop worrying about forgetting to do something. Of course, that's not the same as a todo list. Usually I just look at my calendar each morning and pick 2-3 things to get done for the day. That way I get the benefit of focusing on only a few things while having the peace of mind of knowing that I'm not missing anything important.
  - aestra 13y ago
    That really is exactly the same as a to-do list. A daily to-do list.
- AndrewDucker 13y ago
  Yup, all of them need to get done, or someone's functionality isn't going to make it into production.
- aestra 13y ago
  >I personally have found that in most cases, if a request is truly urgent, you will know it. Why not just take care of a task ahead of time before it becomes an urgent matter? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and all. If you think a task or request isn't required or should be modified then discuss it with the requester or at least let them know you can't completely the task. Otherwise you mess with other people's workflows and are just one of those people who doesn't play nice with others.
broodbucket 13y ago
I think you're essentially talking about something different to what Jeff is. At work, you're there for a set period of time. You have a number of objectives, you do as many as you can in order of priority and convenience, and at the end of the day you go home and do something else. Managing the rest (i.e. getting your car serviced, working on personal projects, learning a new language, going to the gym, meeting up with that old friend, etc etc etc) is harder because it sits in the back of your mind constantly, and can lead to the kind of emotional burnout he mentions.
- maaku 13y ago
  Which is why you put it on a list you regularly review, and get it off your psyche. What is Jeff's point then? I couldn't grok it from the article.
- AndrewDucker 13y ago
  Jeff doesn't say "If you're a CEO then you only want 3 items on your to-do list and you should base that on which ones you remember each morning". He makes _general_ advice which he appears to think applies to everyone.

lucian1900 13y ago

That does sound more like an issue tracker, though.

AndrewDucker 13y ago
An issue tracker _is_ a to-do list. It's a list of things I have to do in order to fix bugs, add functionality, get code into production, get documentation into shape, etc, etc, etc, etc.

Delmania 13y ago

" All serious tasks, that need to be completed, for customers/co-workers, over the next couple of weeks." Are they all inherently serious tasks? Or have these people told you there are important? Have you ever tried to simply ignore a request? I personally have found that in most cases, if a request is truly urgent, you will know it.

jeffreyrogers 13y ago
I can't speak for the GP, but I've found (as a student), that writing down the things I have due or have to accomplish by a certain date on my calendar frees up a lot of mental energy. I'm not a big fan of todo lists, but I am a proponent of keeping yourself organized. By writing things down I stop worrying about forgetting to do something. Of course, that's not the same as a todo list. Usually I just look at my calendar each morning and pick 2-3 things to get done for the day. That way I get the benefit of focusing on only a few things while having the peace of mind of knowing that I'm not missing anything important.
- aestra 13y ago
  That really is exactly the same as a to-do list. A daily to-do list.
AndrewDucker 13y ago
Yup, all of them need to get done, or someone's functionality isn't going to make it into production.
aestra 13y ago
>I personally have found that in most cases, if a request is truly urgent, you will know it. Why not just take care of a task ahead of time before it becomes an urgent matter? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and all. If you think a task or request isn't required or should be modified then discuss it with the requester or at least let them know you can't completely the task. Otherwise you mess with other people's workflows and are just one of those people who doesn't play nice with others.

broodbucket 13y ago

I think you're essentially talking about something different to what Jeff is. At work, you're there for a set period of time. You have a number of objectives, you do as many as you can in order of priority and convenience, and at the end of the day you go home and do something else. Managing the rest (i.e. getting your car serviced, working on personal projects, learning a new language, going to the gym, meeting up with that old friend, etc etc etc) is harder because it sits in the back of your mind constantly, and can lead to the kind of emotional burnout he mentions.

maaku 13y ago
Which is why you put it on a list you regularly review, and get it off your psyche. What is Jeff's point then? I couldn't grok it from the article.
AndrewDucker 13y ago
Jeff doesn't say "If you're a CEO then you only want 3 items on your to-do list and you should base that on which ones you remember each morning". He makes _general_ advice which he appears to think applies to everyone.