The Latest Task Sheet

Posted on August 2, 2010 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Productivity

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Mondays are productivity days at SimpleProductivity blog.

I have always found that a task list that I can see is better for me to get things done. I love electronics, but since they’re not in my face constantly, I have a tendency to ignore them.

I’ve used many planners, and tried many systems, and have been designing forms that work for me. My weekly planner was my last attempt at a tracking sheet; it gave room for appointments as well as tasks.

There was something missing, though. I wanted to be able to track targets for my week as well as the details. I know that if I don’t set goals, I will end up making no progress on the stuff that I feel is important. I will remain stuck in the petty details of day-to-day life and miss the big picture.

So I created a new form. (You can download it directly (pdf) or from the freebies page.)

How The Sheet is Constructed

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

This sheet is meant to be printed front and back on one sheet of paper. There is a target section that can be folded to be viewed from either side. For each day there is a section of lines for appointments, and a bigger section for tasks (I have very little on the schedule).

The form is constructed so that the target section can be folded in, and the days be folded to reveal a two-day span. (The reason the back of the sheet is reversed is so that you can fold over Thursday and still see what is coming for Friday.)

How I Use It

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

On Sunday evening or Monday morning, I sit down with the form and fill in my calendar events for the entire week. This gives me a general idea of the work load.

Next I look at my current project list and decide what I want to focus on this week. This is generally a combination of things that are coming due and things that are important to me. I put these in the Targets area, and list the goals I want to accomplish for each one.

With my task list at hand, I fill in the week’s tasks. I put the target-related tasks from my task list at the top of the list, and starting from the bottom, fill in the mundane tasks. I can then look and see if I can work on any of my targets that day.

If my schedule is so busy that week that I cannot find time to do work on my targets, I start cleaning out the mundane tasks.

I’ve been using this sheet for about two months, and I like the flexibility it gives me. I can balance my days and make progress on the big projects, as well as keep on top of the mundane tasks.

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