I used to think prioritize tasks meant making a perfect colour-coded Notion page with 47 toggle lists and aesthetic icons. Then reality hit me harder than Mumbai local in peak hour.
Here’s the system I actually use when everything is screaming “urgent” and my mom has already called 11 times before 9 AM.
Step 0: Accept That You Will Never Be Fully Caught Up
Just typing that felt like therapy. There will always be more tasks than time. Stop trying to finish everything. Start trying to finish the right things.
Step 1: The 45-Second tasks Panic Dump
Open phone notes and type whatever comes to mind. No filter. Mine from yesterday looked like this (copy-paste with original typos):
- finsh client deck
- mom doctor appointment book karna hai
- fix that stupid bug its been 4 days
- gym??
- buy gift for cousin (budget 500 max)
- reply to 127 whatsapp messages
- eat something that’s not maggi
- invoice bhejna hai warna salary nahi aayega
Real life doesn’t wait for perfect spelling.
Step 2: The Idiot-Proof 4-Box Method (I Still Draw It Wrong Sometimes)
I literally draw this tasks on the back of old printouts:
text
URGENT + IMPORTANT → DO FIRST (max 2-3)
URGENT + NOT IMPORTANT → DELEGATE or do in 2 mins
NOT URGENT + IMPORTANT → SCHEDULE proper time
NOT URGENT + NOT IMPORTANT → delete or do when bored
Yesterday’s sorting:
DO FIRST (Red pen, aggressive circles)
- Client deck (₹2.8 lakh riding on this)
- Fix bug (production is down, boss crying)
DELEGATE
- Book mom’s doctor → forwarded to sister with “pls yaar”
SCHEDULE
- Buy cousin gift → Saturday evening
- Invoice → tomorrow 10 AM slot
DELETE (felt so good)
- gym (moved to delete box for 73rd day straight)
- reply all 127 messages (archived the groups instead)
Step 3: Pick Your “If I Do Nothing Else Today” Tasks
Only ONE. Mine was the client deck. Everything else became noise.
I stuck a yellow sticky on my monitor that said: “DECK OR DEATH” (Yes I wrote it wrong the first time as “DEAK OR DETH” and left it because accuracy is for people with free time)
Step 4: The 9:30 AM Rule (Non-Negotiable)
Whatever is in the red box MUST start before 9:30 AM. Why 9:30? Because after that:
- random “quick call” from colleague who never has quick calls
- power cut
- Zomato 50% off notification
- existential crisis
I protect 8:30–9:30 like it’s my last plate of pav bhaji.
Step 5: Use the 2-Minute Rule Wrong tasks (On Purpose)
If something takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediately. I sometimes stretch it to 5 minutes because booking mom’s appointment takes 4 minutes 47 seconds and I’m not opening that box again.
The Real Secret Nobody Says Out Loud
Some days everything feels important. You’ll still do everything wrong. Some days you’ll eat Maggi for dinner and call it “meal planning”.
Try this tasks tomorrow:
- Wake up
- Panic dump
- Draw four ugly boxes
- Pick one thing that would make today not terrible
- Do that thing first
