I've been a chronic procrastinator with a terrible memory for as long as I can remember, and now I've found a game-changer! Here's what I did! This task management trick reduced my stress levels by 90%.

I've tried everything from simple to quite intricate systems. Starting with a list in a notebook or a text file, or apps like RememberTheMilk and Things, and  as a software developer I have used Jira and YouTrack for work projects. I've read various books on task management, and of   course, among them, the one that stood out the most for me was Getting Things Done by David Allen. And over the years, I've tried different approaches, setting up systems with tags. I’ve used contexts, dependent tasks, and much more. I even started developing my own online service centered around a task manager but eventually I am abandoned it, considering the sheer number of convenient apps and SaaS services available for free or at a modest monthly fee.

At different times, I've hit various roadblocks in maintaining a seamless task managment process. And this is crucial because you start to realize its importance when you find yourself on 10th-20th-30th cycle of postponing a small but important task.  It's unsettling how unproductive it feels. Every time, you push back a deadline and think, "Why did this happen? I planned it all out, I had enough motivation, and yet nothing worked." But I , really, didn't want to give up on managing tasks, and frankly, I had no choice. I have a big family, a complex job, and a million different hobbies.  And hobbies are actually an important point. If you don't handle essential tasks, you won't have time for hobbies. And even if you find the time, you won't enjoy it. Because a swarm of unresolved tasks will hang over you and affect your stress level, health, your income and much more.

So, what don't I like about the popular task managers widely available today? Well, I actually like them all; each one is great in its way. You can use the minimalist Things or the feature-rich TickTick, which probably packs in 90% of the features you can stuff into a task manager.

But here's the problem: when you list all your real tasks, the list gets very long. Then, you break them into categories, and surprise! Even if you record them in detail, the lists remain substantial.

And if you've read books about tasks organization and want to reliably complete big tasks, you need to break them into subtasks, and even sub-subtasks if necessary—within reason, of course.

By the way,  usualy, if a task takes less than an hour, I don't break it down further. I might add a checklist for convenience or just write some notes.

So, what have we come to? We've categorized everything, set priorities and tags, but how to execute them? In what order? How do you allocate tasks over time? Obviously, urgent and important tasks should come first, and secondary ones later, right? Yeah, that's right.  But …

So here we are, faced with the first problem that might not seem like one at first. If you have a huge, very long list of really important tasks in front of you, you won't get anxious only if you're naturally a very calm person. And even then, only until you end up with a list of a couple of dozen critical tasks, on which a lot depends. Every time we try to schedule these tasks, we're definitely going to feel nervous, and it will happen at the worst possible moment. And this, no less, is the most crucial part.

So, why do we need a task manager, after all? if you think about it

After organizing your tasks in system you prefer, the most crucial thing is to determine which task we’ll do next, then allocate time for it, and ensure that during this time, we don't think about other tasks. And next complete the task, then take a break, then prepare all the things that need to be prepared , and continue.

So, here's where I'm going.

So, I've gradually come to a certain system. And It's very simple. You can continue using your preferred planning method but add my tweak.

Let's say you have tasks sorted by priority and category. This is available in almost any task management app. And if you manage tasks in a notebook, you probably use something similar to categories too. We'll create a funnel, trimming the excess every day or even more frequently.

Here's what I do, using TickTick as an example.

Let’s assume we have several categories. For me, a category is something like "Project Name," "Meetings," or "Kids." Essentially, it defines a broader context for the tasks at hand. So, in each category, I set up four columns: Inbox, Next 3, ToDo, and Repeat. Actually they are just subcategories.

So, initially the inbox collects all tasks of that category. Nothing special here. And let me mention the Repeat column right away. We put repeating tasks in there, and that's it. They stay there, and we don't move them anymore. Generally, the more stable the repetitions are, the better. As it reduces the friction needed to complete them due to physiological reasons. So, set the repeats and don't touch them, just check them in the "Today" view later.

So, what's next? The ToDo column. And There is a strict limitation here, the ToDo column always holds just one task. The task you are either working on now or planning to do next. And this is crucial: just one task, please, don't break this rule. This is the trick—trick your brain, give it confidence and focus on one task at a time. No task-switching; you'll have the chance to work on tasks from different categories throughout the day anyway. So, put one task in there that you're planning or doing, and that's it.

So, let's move on to the Next 3 column. On the surface, it's trivial, but you'll see how well it works if you give this system a chance. In Next 3 column, we keep three tasks that we plan to do after the task in ToDo column. Yes, it's that simple. You can pick and rearrange them, but there should always be only three. Trust me; your brain will thank you. And you've got the point.

Then you open a category; no matter the backlog, missed deadlines, or broken promises, you only see four tasks. And you've already chosen the order in which you'll do them. Plus, when you sit down to work on this particular category, the task in focus is only one, the one in the Todo column. You've put it there in advance, so you don't need to think again. If something goes off track, guess what you need to do? Right, move the task from ToDo columng to Next 3 column or Inbox and take one of the three tasks from Next 3 into Todo.

Ok, you’ve get it, you're juggling just four tasks, and trust me, it's much easier than constantly scanning long lists of tasks. I'd say, commitments, because each task is a promise to yourself or others. Very easy, complete task from ToDo, then chose the next from Next 3 column, and add something from Inbox to Next 3.

Oh yes, I've said a lot but I haven't introduced myself. My name is Sergey Bruhin. I'm a programmer with quite a bit of experience, having worked on many different projects both as a freelancer and fullstack engeener in a software development studio. And I've been planning to start a YouTube channel for a long time and even made a video in 2019, but I never had the time or desire to continue. But a while ago I got fired up again about creating videos and sharing useful and not-so-useful information. And, you know, it’s still experimental. So if you liked this video, please subscribe, I bet you know where that button is. I thing It’s irrelevant for current days and only YouTube will decide what videos to show you anyway, but it would mean a lot for me and motivate me do more. Thank you!

And that's how my task funnel turned out. After implementing this simple system, my stress levels personally dropped significantly. Of course, everyone is different; some can handle just fine with a simple to-do list in a notebook, while others can keep everything in their head. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them; my productivity crumbles without a task manager. So, try implementing my system, and I'd be very happy if it boosts your productivity and lowers your stress levels.