Keeping a productivity journal stopped me from being such a perfectionist
My relationship with task management was in crisis.
After trying various productivity apps claiming to be compatible with David Allen’s GTD system, I reluctantly returned to paper and pen.
Soon, my handwritten lists were so messy, I lost track of projects.
Then, I met this guy from Mumbai named Ravindra Kondekar. He, too, was a GTD fan. What differentiated him from other productivity coaches and consultants out there was his serene attitude towards work, not to mention his resume that includes developing software for the Department of Space.
The day I started working with him, he gave me a template that I copied into Excel. Over the ensuing months, Ravindra taught me how to use the template, how to deal with demands on my time, how to clarify tasks, and how to stop being such a perfectionist. (BTW, it’s okay to have a ton of “someday/maybe” tasks on a list.)
One of the key elements of the spreadsheet is the “Journal” section. It has four columns or tracks (my categories being personal/learning, family, work, and business). This is where, I paste my accomplished “next actions” each day and switch them to past tense. In doing so, I am reminded of loose ends. It is also a useful reminder of what I did, when billing out my time to clients.
This journaling function is better than crossing items off a list, as the very act of changing verbs from present to past tense helps me to identify pesky loose ends.
Most importantly, rereading my journal helps me realize how much or little I actually do!