Here are a few suggestions to help you focus on completing tasks rather than managing your to-do list:

1. Pick a tool and methodology. I’m not going to dictate a specific tool, because the tool you use has to fit your needs, work well with the type of job you do and make it easy for you to get things done. The important thing is to pick a tool that works for you. For years, I used the task list in Microsoft Outlook because it was convenient, and when I switched to a Mac, I tried a bunch of different tools before eventually settling on Hiveminder. When I was consulting, I found a task list wasn’t suitable, so I used shorter lists of the next three things I needed to do. Experiment until you find a tool a and methodology that you like, and then stick with it!
2. Keep it visible. The advantage of having a task list that is integrated with your email, like Gmail Tasks or Outlook’s task list, is that every time you look at your inbox, you have your tasks right where you can see them. With my web-based task list, I keep it open on a tab all the time, and I can quickly glance at what I need to get done. If you use a standalone task manager or a simple text document, you can keep it open on your desktop and easily accessible. By keeping your tasks visible and easy to access, you’re much more likely to see them and complete your tasks.
3. Create tasks from email. One of my favorite email productivity tips is to get task items out of your email and onto your task list; having an efficient process to create tasks from email content is important. In Hiveminder, I can forward email to a special Hiveminder address with a subject line that includes commands for things like due date and priority, and the email appears as a new task in Hiveminder right away. Other task list software lets you drag and drop email onto your to-do list, or is integrated into email clients. The important thing is to have some kind of process that allows you to quickly create new tasks from email using a method that works for you.
4. Prioritize. You’ll want to use prioritization to distinguish the tasks that are critically important. I tend to use three categories — high, medium and low — which lets me quickly scan down my list for the highest priority items. While some people argue task priority should be based on the importance of the task alone, with a due date to signify urgency, I take a more pragmatic approach and set priorities based on a combination of importance and urgency.
5. Due dates. I give every task a due date. Even when I need to arbitrarily pick a date, it helps me make sure I don’t lose track of anything. I sort my task list by date and then priority, so all of my tasks for the day are at the top of my list, in a rough order of importance. This helps me stay focused on what I need to accomplish today, and it helps me get more done. For those tasks that have arbitrary due dates, I can at least look at the task on the day that I’ve marked it as due, then decide whether I should do it right away or look at it again in a few days or a few weeks.
6. Daily reality check. While you should look over your task list throughout the day, spend a minute or two every day doing a quick “reality check” on the tasks you have scheduled. First thing in the morning or at the end of the day are good times for this. What you want to focus on during the reality check phase is how much time you really have to work on your tasks and which ones are the most important. For any tasks that you know you won’t be able to do, you can bump the due date for that task out into the future or just move it way down the prioritization. Some tasks will have increased or decreased in priority relative to other tasks, so you’ll want to adjust those priorities, too. The important thing is to get rid of the clutter so that you can more easily see which tasks you need to focus on now.

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The poll will run until November 19, after which time the Tasks team will review the feedback they’ve received and prioritize requests.

Personally, I really like the way that Tasks is fairly basic and quick to work with, so I hope that the Tasks teams don’t decide to change it too much. Even without many of the advanced features present in other to-do list apps, Tasks is still capable enough to use in a GTD system.

What new features would you like to see in Tasks?

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We are all distracted by different things. Some people who work at home are distracted by household chores, TV, food or other personal distractions. For some reason, the personal chores around the house aren’t really a distraction for me, but I have plenty of distractions of my own. My significant other also freelances and works at home, and he can be a distraction if I forget to shut my office door or decide to work from some other area in the house. I’m also distracted by side projects, Twitter and other tasks that are slightly work related, but non-revenue generating. It’s amazing how much time these social media tools and other websites can consume without realizing it. I’ll occasionally follow a link from Twitter or my RSS reader for what I think will be a quick read, but before I know it I’ve been sucked into reading something interesting and 30 minutes will have passed.

Recently, I realized that I was getting distracted and spending too much time in an unlikely area: my task list. Wait, aren’t task lists a good thing to spend time on? Yes, to a point. However, I realized that I was spending way too much time re-reading my task list to decide which task to tackle next. It isn’t unusual for me to have 10-20 items that I would like to finish, and those items vary in priority and urgency.  Every time I completed a task, I had to go back to my task list to pick my next task. I decided that this was an inefficient use of my time to do this after every task. I still work in chunks and schedule my time, but I’m getting more organized about how often I go back to my task list.

The Next 3 Things

I now have a little document that I keep open called “The Next 3 Things.” Starting in the morning, I look at my task list to pick the next three things that I need to work on, and I add them to the document. I don’t go back to my task list until those three things are finished. When I finish a grouping of three things, I go back to my task list to pick the next three things.

I combine it with working in chunks by combining items that span several tasks in my task list into a single item in my “Next 3 Things” list. For example, four individual tasks for the same client will probably be grouped into a single item in my next 3 things list to work in a chunk of time focused on that client. I also cheat sometimes by adding a section at the bottom for tasks that I want to do at a particular time. For example, I might want to write a specific blog post while I eat lunch or go to the bank before it closes to deposit checks.

This is just one technique for prioritizing your work to stay focused on the right tasks while avoiding distractions, but it has been working for me.

What are your tips for staying focused and avoiding distractions?

Photo by Flickr user Martin Kingsley used under Creative Commons.

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The Solution to Anxiety-ridden “Becoming”

The Pomodoro Technique aims to erase the uneasiness that come with “Becoming.” The “Becoming”concept is a tough one to explain. Yet, when you put it to practice, it instantly makes sense. At first, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but when I tried out the process, it clicked it. (More on that in a moment.)

So here’s the official definition of “Becoming” from Cirillo: “An abstract, dimensional aspect of time, which gives rise to the habit of measuring time (seconds, minutes, hours); the idea of representing time on an axis, as we would spatial dimensions; the concept of the duration of an event (the distance between two points on the temporal axis); the idea of being late (once again the distance between two points on the temporal axis).”

In general, the Pomodoro Technique shifts time away from the stressful “Becoming” to an approach that takes the pain out of working with it. The Pomodoro web site offers a free download of the book that explains all of this in detail. If it sounds complex, don’t worry — it’s actually quite simple when you start using it. The technique uses minimal tools and just five steps to help the mind focus better and get things done.

How to Use the Pomodoro Technique

Many of us probably fall into the trap that we find ourselves distracted by other things while working on a task that lasts longer than 30 minutes. The Pomodoro will slash these interruptions.

Want to give it a shot? Grab a kitchen timer, pencil, eraser and a sheet of paper before you get started. Apply the Pomodoro Technique by following these five steps:

1. Pick the task.
2. Set the timer to 25 minutes.
3. Do the task until the timer dings.
4. Take a short break.
5. Take a longer break for every four completed Pomodoros.

You won’t need to buy a timer if you use the free Focus Booster app, which applies the Pomodoro Technique with its built-in timers. You can try either the Adobe Air desktop or the web-based version.

My First Attempt

Intrigued? I was. I tried to write this article in several 25 minute sessions. I kept checking email during the first session. That’s one big bad habit I have there.  But my next session was much more successful: I worked on the article for the entire 25 minutes sessions after that without stopping — not even to read email.

Furthermore, I exercised for 25 minutes straight without letting myself stop for a minute to check my text messages or email. This approach does feel less stressful and offers a great option if I find myself in a rut. I can see how the Pomodoro provides a dollop of hope for those struggling with focus and time management.

Visit the Pomodoro web site for more info on the technique.

Have you tried the Pomodoro Technique? Does it work for you?

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In summary, if you’re looking for a very basic, free to-do list app — especially if you’d like to print your to-do lists — then SimplyGTD might be worth checking out, but I think for most people the extra functionality, integration with other apps, and flexibility offered by Google Tasks (which can even be tweaked into a reasonable Getting Things Done app) or Remember the Milk would make them better options.

SimplyGTD’s main selling point is that it is very simple — but is it too simple?

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For a while, I’d sync Outlook and Palm Desktop, and then Outlook would update the BlackBerry (I didn’t actually use Outlook at all, it just acted as the middleman). It worked great. But then my dependence on Google Calendar  grew, because I could access it from any computer as well as my BlackBerry, and it wouldn’t work with my sync setup.

I investigated many tools and synchronization applications to find a perfect sync solution. I didn’t want to use lots of different applications to syncing needs.

The almost perfect solution was to find a dedicated synchronization app. Mine comes from CompanionLink. This method cuts out Outlook for good. CompanionLink now has a Google edition available that synchronizes all of Palm Desktop’s features with Google, too. For updating my BlackBerry, I use Google Sync for Mobile. It’s still not perfect, but it works and I can access and update my information in Google or Palm, while my BlackBerry just has access to the information.

If you’re struggling to find the perfect syncing app, here are some options (some free and some paid):

• Chapura: PocketMirror has been around for a long time, and syncs Palms with Outlook. Its Echo and PocketMirror work with Palm Pre.
• CompanionLink: Syncs Google, Palm Pre, ACT!, LotusNotes, Outlook and many others.
• Google Sync: free Google syncing applications for Mac, Linux, Android and others.
• gSyncit: Syncs Outlook and Gmail.
• Mark/Space: Sync apps for Macs.
• Sync’Em: Connects Macs with Exchange and Outlook.

How do you keep your data in sync?

Photo credit: djwudi

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• Tab: Moves the current task to the right (makes the task a sub-task).
• Shift+Tab: Moves the task to the left.
• Ctrl (Win)/Cmd (Mac) + Up/Down: Moves the task up or down the list.
• Shift + Enter: Edits the current task.
• Alt + Enter: Marks a task as complete (will also mark a completed task as incomplete).
• Alt + Shift + Enter: Removes completed task from the list.
• Esc: Closes Tasks.
• Shift + Esc: Switches focus from Tasks to Gmail.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a shortcut for moving tasks between lists, which is something that I would find very useful with my GTD system. Tasks has been getting some nice, incremental improvements recently that make it into a very useful task manager (Calendar integration and last week’s addition of the ability to export task lists via email, for example); better keyboard shortcuts would be the icing on the cake.

Bonus tip: While in Gmail hit G then K, which will open Tasks and switch the focus to it. (This will only work if you have keyboard shortcuts enabled — the option is available on the Settings page.) You can also create a task from the current message using Shift + T.

If you’ve found any hidden keyboard shortcuts in Tasks, let us know in the comments.

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The web app has two key features: adding new to-do items and setting reminders. It also lets you set up email or SMS reminders.

The service provides an iCal link so you can incorporate your reminders into an iCal-compatible calendar. Google Calendar, for one, can import Superminder’s tasks and due dates. In my tests, this worked, although not perfectly: It doesn’t look like it transfers recurring tasks and it sometimes takes quite some time before Superminder updates Google Calendar with tasks, or maybe it’s the other way around. Refreshing the calendar doesn’t speed up the update process.

Superminder can send reminders by SMS and every account receives two free reminders. If you want more, it costs $4 to buy 15 SMS credits or $13 to buy 50. Google Calendar has its own email and SMS notification, so you can work around these charges if you import Superminder into Google Calendar.

Although Superminder doesn’t come with instructions, it’s so simple you don’t really need them. However, it would be nice to know why the iCal feature doesn’t update as regularly as I’d like. Superminder offers a viable solution to those needing a simple to-do application that’s accessible over the web.

What reminders app do you use?

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I’ve struggled for years to try to find the right solution for me. I’ve used a Franklin Planner, a Palm T/X, Microsoft Outlook , Remember The Milk, and a few other options. Nothing ever seemed quite right for me, though, and at times I found myself scribbling on paper pads still.

That was the case until I bought my first Mac and started looking for a task list for OS X. One of my friends recommended Things from Cultured Code. I almost didn’t try it because of the price ($49.95 desktop, $9.95 iPhone app). Thankfully, there is a free trial of the desktop application, so I was able to check it out without committing to the hefty price tag. It’s good that there’s a free trial, because I would otherwise have passed it by.

Put simply, Things has been the solution I’ve been searching for. It has revolutionized my productivity. It works with my natural flow, instead of against it.

I like to make long lists of tasks. There are urgent tasks that I have to get done immediately, the ones I need to get around to soon, and my projects and long-term items. Things gives me ways to track all of those items, without them having to be in my face all the time making me feel overwhelmed.

The desktop version of Things is very Leopard in its look and feel. It is simple, uncluttered and intuitive to use. It syncs with both iCal and the company’s iPhone app (via Wi-Fi).

I can easily drag-and-drop my tasks between the Today, Next and Someday lists to prioritize them. I can use tags or areas of responsibility to filter the list to show only certain types of tasks.

It isn’t quite as easy to move tasks around on the iPhone app. Since drag-and-drop isn’t an option there, it takes a few more steps. But the iPhone app is excellent for adding items on the go, or reviewing your current list and marking tasks complete.

One of my favorite functions in Things is the ability to make project lists. For a large project with multiple tasks or steps, I can create a project list of all those tasks and then drag individual tasks to my Today or Next lists while still also viewing them as part of the project as a whole. If a time comes when I am focusing almost solely on a project (such as the trade show I have in a few days) I can use the project list as my main working list.

Scheduled tasks are probably my other favorite feature of Things. For a future task, either a one-time or a recurring one, it is easy to create a scheduled item that will not appear on my main lists until I need to see it. This avoids distracting clutter and keeps me from feeling overwhelmed by tasks that don’t actually need to be seen at the moment.

Task management that fits well with how I think and work is worth the price of Things to me.  I am getting more things done, and feeling less stressed about it. That is priceless.

Do you love your task manager? Or are you still looking?

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Instead of feeling guilty, I do other tasks that matter to my business but aren’t my main job, tasks that don’t require the same energy or “mood” as writing does. Whenever the writing muse decides to take a break without my permission, I can work on editing or reviewing tasks instead.

But even if I don’t have any reviewing or editing lined up, there are some tasks that almost everyone can do, guilt-free, regardless of your career. Try one of these next time you hit the wall.

Do social networking: Hey, it is a marketing tool! Social networking is fun and maybe you’ll dig up some new work opportunities or the motivation you need to return to your core duties. Twitter and LinkedIn count!

Reconcile bank accounts: It’s administrative and dull, but most of us have to ensure our bank accounts balance.

Manage invoices: You do want to be paid, don’t you? Make sure your invoices are up-to-date and paid.

Follow up with clients: It’s OK to call or email clients just to see how they’re doing. Contacting them without any motive can make your relationship stronger. Why not surprise them with a handwritten “thank you” note?

Read content related to your work: Here’s one time where you don’t have to feel guilty about Internet surfing. Hopefully, reading WebWorkerDaily helps you to learn something new and become a better web worker. Don’t forget about books, newspapers and magazines. They all count. Well, maybe not People magazine, unless you’re in the entertainment business.

Clean up email: A less cluttered email box equals a more organized mind.

Write a blog post: Even if you don’t have a blog (why not set one up?), consider contributing a guest blog post to another blog that your prospective customers read.

Find a better way to do something: This could mean time and money savings. Are you not happy with your invoicing process? Research other options. Change is hard, but can pay dividends. I just got a new computer and don’t look forward to switching over to it, but should mean a faster and more efficient system.

Exercise: While this doesn’t directly contribute to your business, staying healthier ensures you have fewer sick days and doctor’s visits.

What business-related activities do you do when you don’t feel like doing core business tasks?

Photo credit: Gaston Thauvin

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