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Personally, I've found that the process of breaking down a task and writing it down is incredibly useful. As I multitask throughout the day I forget where I am
by bentcorner 12y ago
Personally, I've found that the process of breaking down a task and writing it down is incredibly useful. As I multitask throughout the day I forget where I am in a particular task item, and having a list of things I'm supposed to do all I need to do is go to the next list item and do that.
I also try to have high-level items for the day so that I know what I'm focusing on. Anything that I need to do but can't do today I put on a list for the next day.
It seems to be working out alright for me.
I currently just throw it all into OneNote, although it's not the greatest for dealing with lists the way I use it, but the freeform writing surface and search it provides makes up for it.
- read 12y agoI forget where I am in a particular task item Forgetting is my number one problem right now. I also noticed there's some kind of unconscious filtering going on in your mind. Even if you write down the tasks your mind prioritizes them on its own. What I wish list software had was a way to push those less important tasks in the background.
- bentcorner 12y agoBe religious about writing down what you're doing, make a habit of referring to this list when you find that you're bouncing around from task to task. Sometimes I'll hit HN if I'm waiting for something to finish, and if I was in the middle of something complex I've needed to write down what I was doing, even if it was only for literally a minute. Also, when incrementally learning something it can help. Writing down in your own words how something works can help you if you only have small chunks of time to learn something.
- read 12y agoThanks for this, I'll try it. I found writing down things I learned (or typing them in) makes them more likely to stick in my mind. Particularly small phrases that pop out.