Get Things Done
Before you read: It’s pretty obvious for y’all to presume that this read is gonna be a brief summary of David Allen’s famous book — Getting things done, which apparently is not the case. Yet the cornerstone is carved by the idea of productivity and efficiency, happy reading!
Hey Friends,
It wouldn’t be a virtue to disagree that we all face difficulties and snags while planning for the day or being up to the lists that we cross out stuff on. And not being able to either acknowledge those obstacles or deal with the problem leads to subtle procrastination.
In fact, according to some researchers, procrastination has more than quadrupled in the last 30 years — which is a solid increase for no good!
But here’s to the advancement made in different fields, humans just became more efficient than ever. And as a result, the ‘productivity gurus’ have found ways to confront it.
“Time Table”
“Task List”
Yes, you read them right!
Now, talking about productivity.
Productivity
Well, I can write a whole article on the ‘Art of Being Productive’ but in short if I had to explain what productivity means to me, it’s the fact that you are efficient yet effective at a given work. Maybe, if more of that is done for multiple pieces of work in a day, that’s gonna account for a productive day!
Yet it’s equally necessary to have an account of fun when it comes to the system. I know, it’s subjective — because as a student, I’m not really enjoying chemistry; but as Mark Manson always says that it’s the problem that you solve gives you happiness. This essentially means that our life problems, like chemistry for me, make us feel worse. And the moment we solve that problem — we receive long-term happiness and fulfillment because we’ve put in effort and time.
It’s not even the ‘moment’ that we solve the problem that gives us happiness, but the ‘process’ itself. And hence the equation of productivity includes fun in its equation.
Anyways, there’s a lot to talk about productivity, which to be honest is endless. It involves everything starting from being focused, to different Pomodoro methods, to the source of motivation, to the environment and the list never ends. And thanks to never quelling self-help publications on productivity, y’all can get your hands around.
Planning
But as we talk about the fundamentals, it all starts with planning.
Any building’s construction requires a blueprint, any New Year's Eve event requires prerequisite arrangements, any marriage requires its organization, and any startup needs forethought.
Similarly, for our day to be productive, we should have a rough vision so we have control over all certain events.
And the blueprint of a productive day is to make a time table or a task list.
Most of the events occurring in a day are certain, a part of manifestation — visualization holds true for that.
Say I see myself studying from 3–5. I’ve visualized myself, and I’m pretty certain of that. These certainties are then listed down in formats like Time Table or Task Lists. These of course aren’t as accurate as the day goes on but gives us a sorta vision or a pathway to follow.
Uncertainties have their own spaces that we intentionally work out with the format considering it to be a delay or something.
But guess what,
I’ve perceived the fact that it’s always a debate between having a timetable versus having your tasks listed down on a sheet of paper.
It includes everything starting from:
- Person’s convenience
- Person’s efficiency
- Person’s reliability
- Most importantly: Person’s productivity
But it’s subjective.
Time Table VS Task List
Let’s start with a timetable.
A timetable essentially is a pre-decided routine accompanied by timestamps for a specific task. They are mostly thought about a day before execution and formulated in accordance with one’s convenience.
Advantages of having a timetable:
- It provides a suitable layout for you to work within. Having said that you have a vision-chances are low that you gonna go wrong or make errors.
- You tend to get less distracted and rather depend more on what’s next with the help of an articulated layout.
- Is flexible if space is left for uncertainties. You can arrange it the way you want.
- It helps you prioritize things the way you want them to be in your day.
- Saves a lot of time and effort as you don’t have to take the decision in the moment, for every moment.
Example of a calendar:
Disadvantages of having a timetable:
- Life is so uncertain that any unplanned or unknown task or problem can pop up like we not hoping for the traffic officer be present on the next square. Basically, it’s undetermined.
- Can mess up your pre-decided routine.
- Also, the fact that some pieces of work that you’ve tried to fit into the timetable may require more time than assigned like we never know! Hence even that can distort it, and hence it’s negative.
Now let’s talk about task lists.
A task list can be defined as a catalog of tasks that you’re required to do in a day. Even they are thought of a day before or can be listed on a running day in accordance with one’s convenience.
Advantages of having a task list:
- Having a task list lets you play around with your routine. In the end, it’s about the fact that you’re completing the given task, so you might start in the evening or night, it depends on completing that with efficiency and effectiveness.
- You have the ability to take proper time for a given task and there’s no time restraint which makes it more effective,
- Also, some tasks might need less time so you can do something else in that time. You might even complete your task quite early in the day and then the rest of the day is free so you have time for more things in your life that are meaningful to you!
- Helps you prioritize things better than a timetable as the task to be completed is independent of time.
- It is a good progress tracker.
Example of a task/to-do list manager:
Disadvantages of having a task list:
- Having said that a couple of tasks might require more time than expected, it might happen the day is spent working on those pieces of work and hence the fruitful outcome from the equation of productivity is minute which indeed goes to show that you weren’t efficient as well as productive. (But still depends)
- And hence you sort of failed to complete the other tasks, which at times might be depressing and sad.
- Even, you might continue adding up tasks and not doing most of them, and once that’s pilled up, it makes us feel pretty anxious and overburdened.
Final Verdict
Take a wild guess and imagine a day that is accompanied by you knowing what you gotta do the next after a task is completed and as well as you have the potential to add the uncertain pieces of work.
Maybe that’s the best thing possible. It’s only possible if you integrate both things by just having a rough sketch of a timetable that you know might have to go through many changes hence you consider worst-case scenarios and leave blanks.
Also, you should have the habit of writing down the tasks and assignments that you are indeed assigned for the day and that you are required to complete them. You gotta barbell both aspects as well as stick to it. And that’s how it’s gonna work. Proximity is essential!
Lastly, it’s all about priorities at the end of the day.
It’s not that you didn’t have time for the completion of a particular task, or that you couldn’t learn something, etc. Yes, it might be true in some cases. But talking from a broad perspective and about most of us, it’s the priority.
What holds true in most of the cases is that, rather all, is -it’s significant that you don’t overwhelm yourself in the course of being productive with the task lists and timetables which indeed results in you affecting your mental health as well as physical health. Health should be given the highest priority — that’s what I think!
Think about it…
Thank you friends for reading this article, I’m glad hoping that I’ve given some value addition to your life and you can relate to this. Have a great day, and cherish every moment, until next time, peace!
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