To-Do: Find the Right Task Management System
Manage your task system, don't let it manage you...
This is part two of my series on to-do lists and task managers for content creators. You can find part one here.
Mention “productivity” or “task management” to many people and watch their eyes glaze over. Creating a to-do list might feel like busywork — setting up a system, capturing tasks, tracking to-do’s, and checking things off feels like an extra layer of admin.
And it can be. Creating a better way of working does take time. You’ll make mistakes, you’ll get frustrated, you’ll try out things that just don’t work. But, eventually, you’ll hit on the right combination: a system that allows you to understand and manage everything you’ll need to do.
That will give you the big picture, allow you to see your commitments, and work with confidence. You’ll feel the anxiety drain away, your mind will be clearer, and you’ll do better work as a result. But it does take some effort to get there. So let’s break down the early steps you’ll need to take.
You can manage tasks — don’t let tasks manage you
There are several different approaches, techniques, and philosophies for managing tasks. Ultimately, you want a system that feels right for how you work. Don’t try to force yourself into a particular task management approach. Instead, do some research into the most popular frameworks and learn what “clicks.”
Here’s a short overview of the more popular systems, and a link where you can find more information.
Getting Things Done: GTD is one of the original task management approaches that relies on getting everything out of your head and into a trusted system. It’s a solid approach, although it can be slightly overwhelming for freelancers who are new to productivity systems. It’s the system that I started out with.
Zen to Done: A simplified version of GTD, created by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. It keeps all the good bits of GTD, and gets rid of some of the top-heavy management aspects. ZTD is the productivity system I use now, and it works very well.
Eat the Frog: ETF is an entertainingly named system that requires you to tackle your one most important task (your “frog”) as early as you can in the day, so you can get it out of the way.
PARA: PARA is an organization system that lets you categorize everything into four buckets: Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. It’s a helpful way to get an overview of everything on your plate.
Kanban: Kanban is a visual system where you add all of your tasks to cards, that you can then move between columns like “Not started,” “In progress,” “Completed” etc. It provides an easy way to visualize your work.
Time Blocking: As the name suggests, time blocking is all about reserving specific chunks of time in your day to do work. If you love scheduling and planning ahead, it’s a great way to create and stick to an agenda. For the deadline-driven freelancer (all of us!) it can be a very helpful system.
Ivy Lee: This method requires you to identify the five or six most important things you need to do the next day, and no more than that. Then, you focus just on those specific tasks. It’s a good way to really think about the freelance activities that will move the needle.
There are several other task management systems you can also take a look at, like Pomodoro, Don’t Break the Chain, The Eisenhower Matrix, and more. you can also combine some of these systems together, depending on your freelancing needs. There’s no wrong answer here, so try some of these out and see what works for you.
For more information on the basics of a task management system, please see the first part of this series: The Power of the Checklist.
Try out different task management software to see what works for you
I know that there are good, paper-based task management systems out there, like bullet journaling. I also know that for me, task-management software is an efficient, accessible way to track my tasks.
But, task management software is only effective if you enjoy using the platform. It needs to be easy for you to capture, move, update, and complete tasks, from your desktop or mobile device.
The “right” system will vary tremendously between freelancers, so it’s fine to try out different software to find one that works for you. Personally, I like dedicated To-Do list managers like Todoist, TickTick, Amazing Marvin, etc, but other freelancers might want to go for an all-in-one productivity system like Notion, ZenKit, or Taskade, a deep project management tool like Asana, Monday, Quire, or ClickUp, a visual system like Trello, an outliner like Workflowy or Dynalist, a scheduler like SkedPal, or a simple calendar app.
There’s no right or wrong answer here, so experiment with the free trials and find a task manager you like and are going to stick with. Try using each one for a few weeks so you can learn the ins and outs of the interfaces and how they work. Don’t be afraid to switch to a new system if you’re not getting on with the old one.
Understand all of the freelance tasks that you will need to complete
As a content creator, you’re running a business. That means your tasks are not just related to the work you’re doing for clients, but also to all of the other tasks you need to do to stay on top of your administration and other business processes.
When you’re looking for tasks you need to add to your task management system, consider the following areas. In future, I’ll create guides that cover each of these in more detail:
Client-related tasks including communications and relationship management.
Work-related tasks including project management and deliverables.
Marketing-related tasks including the promotion of your business and finding work.
Finance-related tasks including bookkeeping and invoicing.
Business growth tasks including the update of your portfolio and reviewing your rates.
Admin-related tasks including business requirements and updates.
Tax-related tasks including accounting and tax returns.
Next time, we’ll get into the weeds on how to setup and manage your to-do lists, do your work, and cover some advanced task management techniques. See you then!