A sobering article. I've come to this realisation after looking at what I've been reading over the last six months and alas, most of it has been those types of lists. I've tried a lots of different tools as well. It's only recently that I realised I was actually getting very little done. This part is really important. I've settled on a system that works for me. Now I'm going to stop reading those dreaded articlesChoose a system that helps you get things done and stay focused, whatever that system looks like for you. Stick with it
I'm actually in a similar situation as you were. Can you please tell me what system that you chose to stick to? I've been trying a lot of different ones and read a bunch of annoying blog posts and articles that didn't help me at all. So I'd love to know what app/tool/software you've settled down with and why!
Sure. I use a slightly modified version of Getting Things Done with Trello. All my to dos go into one board. Every Monday I sit down and plan out my week, putting new to dos on a new board, under headings for every day. I have a board per week, then I close it and start again. Every month I see how I've done and every three months I look at more long term aims. This works for me. It might not for you. All the productivity tips are mostly anecdotal. At the end of the day it's what works for you, what you want to achieve, what you want to prioritise. Remember all advice is autobiographical and may not be for you
True. What suits you may not suit me. I've had a chance to look at Trello awhile back. My first impression was that I like how it categorizes items or tasks, but I felt the whole structure was a bit "rigid", and that there was no room for "imagination". Probably because I'm a writer and more of a free-spirited person. :) By the way, may I ask what industry you're in? Are you an engineer/developer (just a guess)?
Actually I'm a writer on the side as well. I create a new board for each project, with headings -to be done/ redrafting/ Done. Then I also have an uber board where I can see all of the projects that I'm working with at once. On my weekly to do I put the project I'm working on It's quite flexible because you can move things about, add lists, add new parts to each bit. But it may not work for you. It's good to be creative but I find you need the structure in order to create.