Turning tasks into projects changed my productivity habits for good

It’s 10:39 on a Tuesday night. The keys of a MacBook Pro rattle and tap as cars whish past an open window. A fall breeze wafts into a Royal Oak living room, the chirp of crickets just behind it.

Suddenly - someone jolts the handle of my big, white front door. In a flurry of foot stomps and a zipper ratcheting down the face of a black windbreaker, a version of me 4 years from the past is now sitting on my couch and is pressing me for answers:

“So, what have you been doing? Can you help me make sense of all this nutrition coaching? How do you start a small business? How long have you been sober now? Have you heard of this thing ca…”

His mind is running 100 miles an hour - mine, a pedestrian 25. 

How could so much have changed about me in just 4 years? Why did so much change in that time? These are probably good questions. Right now, as I write at my desk, observing this made-up version of myself sitting on my oversized living room couch, all I can think is…I’m different - and that’s okay. 

No one was ever build to be the same as they were the day before; the same logic applies 4 years extended into the future. We are never going to be the same and we are always going to be evolving. Our principles will remain relatively intact, but the way we take action on and employ them in our everyday can look dramatically different.

Take, for instance, how I used to look at my task list. Wait - I’ll just ask 22 year old me while he’s here…HEY, stop eating all my food, dude!

*One hand in a jar full of cashews, mouth filled to capacity* “Hey, if you’re going to be asking me questions, I’m going to be working up an appetite. The least you can do is let me eat some of your food!”

As I pinch the bridge of my nose, I let out a long sigh in recognition of my die-hard appetite. “Can you just tell people how you manage all your tasks? It’s the only reason they’ve read this far, and honestly, I think you’re about to lose the reader.”

In excitement, 22 year old me jumps back down on the couch, “OKAY you old fart! Relax dude, I got this.

Alright, so when I wake up, it have a general idea of what I’m doing each day. Mom and dad really help keep the house put together, I just fill in the gaps where I’m needed. As for my own personal tasks, I use my iPad like a sheet of paper. Using my apple pencil, I have a cloud-based, written to-do list with things that I need to be doing. The scope of the list is usually formatted for the day, and when the day is done, I try to cross off some items. 

Overall, my goal is to get my thoughts on paper; I don’t really have any idea where all these tasks go other than when I look at the final products of my task lists such as my website, my coaching portals, or social media content.

Does this answer you question well enough?”

“It does, thank you! Now, go back to watching Lionel Sanders racing in the IronMan World Championships on YouTube.”

Alright, reader, while he’s distracted, you’re probably here because you’re working on improving your habits, one of these being sticking to or building from scratch your very own task management system. Well, here’s how my scribbles on an Apple Notes sheet turned into an a robust system that satisfies projects and fulfills goals satisfying areas of my life.

In 4 years of self-teaching myself the art of self-organization, here is a step-by-step list to make everyday tasks impactful on life-long goals:

Step 1: Any task you have, if it is important, is part of a group of tasks. If it is not, it satisfies a truly unique objective.

• Any group of tasks is now a project, no ifs, ands, or buts. 
• Break down any 1-step task into a series of sub-tasks.

Step 2: Any project you’re working on satisfies a goal you’ve set for yourself

• Any project (or group of tasks) satisfies a specific goal you’ve set for yourself.

• This goal has a deadline in plain view to let you know how far you’ve come and how much time you have to fulfill that goal.

• An easy, proven way to create any Goal is to apply the S.M.A.R.T. goals framework:

1. Specific (What’s the root of the goal? i.e. more subscribers, art pieces, or research papers)
2. Measurable (what metric do you use to quantify success?)
3. Achievable (Is this realistic to achieve?)
4. Relevant (to areas of your life you would like to develop)
5. Time-Bound (ref. Parkinson’s Law [Time will expand to fill the time available for its completion])

Step 3: Any Area of you life needs to be tied to your Why:

• Why is this area of your life important to you?

• Most times, areas in our life are easy to determine - they are the things that make us feel whole, comfortable, or fulfilled.

Step 4: “Review” programs - Accountability keeps the ship afloat

• Use a weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly review system to help you understand where your time goes and if it is being spent on the things most important to you.
• Observe how tasks apply to projects and how those projects apply to areas of your life.
• All things you do day-to-day serve a larger purpose. This larger purpose requires consistent upkeep and observation.
  

And there you have it - a rough draft for a more fulfilling life fueled by purposeful day-to-day action.

 “Hey, uh, are you cool if I used your bike trainer while I’m here? Yours is better than mine.” The younger version of myself asks, hellbent on increasing his heart rate FTP.

“Absolutely, the trainer is downstai…” “Okay sweet, because while you were giving the reader that breakdown of your organization system I went for a quick ride. I hope you don’t mind - I left your bike kinda sweaty…”

Alright, reader, I obviously need to attend to the very time-consuming guest in my house, so I will bid you farewell. But remember - the moment you let your everyday get the best you of you, you’re only digging yourself out of a hole; you will never be able to dig the foundation of your life without being proactive and steadfast in achieving goals you set for yourself. This starts with managing your tasks and being clear on why you’re doing those tasks.

Thank you for stopping in today - you are welcome any time, rain or shine. For any pressing questions, please send me an email at hello@connorbyrne.net.

With admiration,

Connor