Let's Get Whackin'! How to Conquer Your To-Do List Once and For All

From cluttered mind to clear schedule 🗓️

Over the last 3 years I have managed to complete over 1000 tasks successfully and have near perfected the system and I will show how I did it so you can copy from my learnings and save time.

Ever played Whack-a-Mole? Its where these moles come out of these holes and you have to whack them on the head and then the next one comes out. Who ever can hit the most in the least amount of time wins.

Tasks aren’t too different from it. Focus on attacking one task at a time before moving on to the next one.

If you try to whack multiple at once, you'll only end up getting whacked yourself.

So, let's focus on one task at a time and whack our to-do list into submission!

Remember, Task management is not about being perfect, it's about being productive. So don't be afraid to adjust and tweak your system as you go along.

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Welcome to my "Task Master" newsletter, where I'll be sharing my secrets on how to tackle your to-do list and banish procrastination once and for all.

Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list? Do you often find yourself staring at a never-ending list of tasks and not knowing where to start? If so, you're not alone. But don't worry, I'm here to help.

But Shreyash, how did you even get started doing this?

In my 2nd year of college our economics professor suggested we should make a list of all of the tasks in a notebook and update it every Friday.
Well, I tried to do that but I would forget to take my notebook with me all the time.

So I transferred all of that to the reminders app on my phone.

That didn’t work either because I would keep forgetting to do things on time. Why you ask. So when my economics assignment was due on Friday at 9PM. I would open the reminders app on Saturday and see that I missed the assignment.

That was a bummer for sure.

With these small failures I kept improving the system till I was in a place where I was getting everything done on time and that is exactly what I will show you how to do.

There are Cons of a To-Do Lists which I faced in my journey like-

1. Too many choices

2. We are drawn to simple tasks

3. We are rarely drawn to important but not urgent tasks

4. Lack of context of available time or energy.

This newsletter will show you exactly how you can solve for these Con’s and be the ‘How do you even you get so much done’ person!!!

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Creating a task management system that works for me is essential for staying on top of my day-to-day tasks and reaching my goals. And let's be real, there's nothing more satisfying than crossing off a task on my list. But let's face it, task management can be a boring and tedious chore.

So, I'm here to make it fun! One of the most important aspects of my successful task management system is visualization. As the saying goes, "If I can see it, I can achieve it!" (I made that up😛)

By keeping track of my tasks in a visual format, they become more manageable and easier to tackle. And let's be honest, checking off a completed task gives me the same satisfaction as getting a gold star on my homework in kindergarten.

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Here is how you can create your Task Management System

Step 1: Take a deep breath

Setting up for the first time can be challenging but there is light on the other side of the tunnel so hang on.

Step 2: Download a Task management app

In creating a task management system it is crucial to finding the right app. There are many options available, such as Apple Reminders, Todoist, and TickTick. My personal go-to app is Apple Reminders, but you should find the one that works best for you. Just like dating, there's a perfect match out there for you and your tasks. One thing to note here is that the application should be accessible across all of your devices. Atleast on your phone and laptop.

Apple Reminders app, which is also available on my Apple Watch, makes it convenient so I have it handy whenever and wherever I want to look at my tasks.

Step 3: List down every task you have on your mind. And I mean everything…

Anything you can possibly think that you have to do either today, tomorrow or in a week that you have been trying to remember. Put them down in the app…

Goal is to not have to remember anything.

Step 4: Add due dates

Every task should have a due date on when you have to get that done.

For me Watering my plants has to happen every week on Friday so I have it set to Friday repeating every week.

But for the emails I have to send to the client, that’s only set to 2PM today because that is a one time task.

You will be the best judge for your tasks.

Step 5: Add Priority (Important)

When creating tasks, it's important for me to divide them into two categories: Most Important Tasks (MITs) and Least Important Tasks (LITs).

• MITs (Most Important Tasks)

  • Limited to 1-3 per day to avoid overwhelm.

  • Tasks that must be completed that day.

  • The high-priority tasks

  • Example:

    • Respond to at least 5 high-priority emails that need to be addressed.

    • Create a slide deck that addresses these 5 strategic questions and make 3 slides per question.

    • Reach out to 3 contacts in your network to ask for any recommendations.

• LITs (Least Important Tasks)

  • No limit on how many

  • Tasks that would be great to complete Today, but if not, can be done at a later date.

  • Don't worry, it's okay to push your LITs, sometimes I get caught up in other things, the goal is to complete them.

  • Examples:

    • Scheduling a dinner with an old friend

    • Buying Valentine's Day presents next month.

MIT = High & LIT = Low

One time I read an interesting article on leadership from Harvard business review. I didn’t take notes at the time. I added it as a task to make sure to take notes in a week.

I pushed that task for 5 months before I actually did it.

The task wasn’t pressing for a specific date. I just had to do it sooner or later. But the thing is, I did it. Now I have amazing insights into Leadership in my notes and will help me in the future.

Step 6: Look at Todays tasks only

What we want to see now is ‘Today’ which shows all the tasks that needed to be done today because we don’t care about tomorrow’s work yet.

This will help you prioritize your tasks and stay focused on what is important!!!

And let's be real, nothing is more satisfying than completing a task before the deadline, except maybe getting a good deal on Amazon.

With a task management system in place, you'll be able to take control of your time, build better habits, and become more productive. So, say goodbye to procrastination, and hello to productivity!

A tip: To make phones less distracting turn on the Grayscale option so the colors of the phone are less appealing to get distracted from.

Next newsletter I will show you how to get more things done in the shortest amount of time. FOCUS SPRINTS…

Till then- Stay productive and DM on Twitter @shreyashgupta55 me if you get stuck at any step!!!