(Part of the series: 12 Favorite Productivity Principles)

6. Task processing – One thing at a time (micro-tasking)

It’s one thing to put all your tasks in one place. It’s another to know how to process those tasks effectively. Your to-do list tells you what you need to do, but it doesn’t tell you how to do it. How do you know what needs to be done first? How do you know the right order to do your tasks? How do you know what you should be working on right now?

Some of the principles we’ve already looked at will help you here. If you wrote down your MITs from principle #1, then you already know the 3-5 most important things to work on for the day. If you follow the morning, afternoon evening rule from principle #2, then you will have allocated your various tasks accordingly. And if you have put together your ideal weekly calendar from principle #4, then you already know the ideal time for you to work on your various tasks and projects.

These principles will all help you in processing your tasks, but the most important part of task processing is to do one thing at a time. This means no multi-tasking. There’s an old Russian proverb: “If you chase two rabbits, you will catch neither one.” You may think you are getting more done when you multi-task, but multi-tasking dilutes your focus, and focus is essential to working effectively.

So instead of multi-tasking, try micro-tasking. Micro-tasking follows two simple rules: 1) Work on one thing at a time; 2) You don’t need to finish the task you are working on. You just need to work on it. Micro-tasking helps you focus on one thing at a time, and it also helps you overcome resistance because you only need to work on the task, not necessarily finish it. Of course, once you get going on any task, you build up momentum which may help you to complete the task anyways.

I have used a variety of systems over the years to process my tasks for the day. My favorite systems are from Mark Forster which all work well in helping you to focus on one task at a time while overcoming resistance. For the past several years I have been using a form of Mark’s “No List” system to process my tasks. The key here is to write down each task before you do it. Don’t do anything without first writing it down. Writing it down helps you to focus on the task at hand. It also helps you overcome your resistance to getting started on the task (see principle #7).

I store all my tasks in Todoist (see principle #5), but I use a notebook and pen to process my tasks. Here’s how my process works in detail:

I open my notebook and write today’s date at the top of the page. I open Todoist to see my active tasks for the day. In the right-hand column of the notebook I write down my 3-5 MITs for the day. I pick one and write it down in the left-hand column.

Before working on it I ask, “Is there anything else I want to do first?” If so, I write the second task on the next line. If not, I put a dot to the left of the first task and start working on it. If I’ve added a second task, before working on it I ask, “Is there anything else I want to do first?” If so, I write the new task on the next line. If not, I put a dot to the left of the second task and start working on it.

I keep asking the question and adding tasks until I arrive at the task that I feel I should be doing right now. I rarely add more than 3-4 tasks before I start working on one, and often just start working on the first task. The dot next to the task I’m working on singles it out as my one active task so that I am not distracted by the other tasks.

I work on the task until it is finished, or until I feel I have done enough work on it for now, or until I need to move on to the next task. When I stop working on the task, I put a checkmark over the dot to signify I have stopped working on it. If I have completed the task, I also cross it out of the right margin and check it off in Todoist. If not, I just leave it in the right margin and Todoist as a reminder to come back to it later.

I then go back to asking and entering tasks in the left margin. Before starting work on any item, I ask, “Is there anything else I want to do first?” If so, I write the new task on the next line and ask the same question. If not, I put a dot to the left of the task and start working on it.

The whole process is very simple, and it usually takes less than a minute to decide on the next task and start working on it. I also like the fact that I have a complete list at the end of the day of all that I have worked on, as well as any tasks that I did not complete. I could just use a random piece of paper each day but using a notebook gives me a running journal of all my tasks for the past week, month, year, etc.

The next day I start fresh and work the whole process over again. Try it! I think you will find it a very pleasant and effective way to process your tasks for the day.

Next in series: PP7: Working with resistance – Resistance is not futile