Do you have a ton of random one-off tasks that aren’t routines, don’t have a deadline, would take more than 2 minutes to complete, and aren’t related to your Current Projects? And do you feel like these are really weighing you down?
We typically recommend using your Next Actions List and Current Projects List to manage the tasks in your life, but we’ve received several questions lately like this:
- Where do I put something like a survey that I need to fill out?
- How about “returning a keyboard I borrowed”?
- I need to find a place to bring a few boxes to be shredded. What’s my next step?
The good news is you have a lot of options to choose from!
(1) The first answer is that you generally put them on your Next Actions List. This is a weekly list that you look at each day. You decide what tasks you’d like to work on to move projects forward before the week starts and then your Next Actions List is segmented into the different contexts of your life.
If you need to find a place to shred boxes (from the example above), you could put on your “Computer” section of the list: “Spend 10 minutes searching online for a local recycling center.” But if you have tons of these kinds of tasks, see option 2 below!
(2) Create a second layer of your Next Actions List and review it during your Weekly Review. THIS WEEK’s tasks go on the Next Actions List, but the bigger list of random one-off tasks can sit on the “Next-in-Line” Next Actions List. We do this with projects all the time. We don’t recommend trying to complete more than 7-8 projects each month on your Current Projects List, so any other projects go to the “Next-in-Line” or “Someday” lists.
If you keep the list digitally or have it in a paper planner, you could potentially work on it during the week (if you have extra time in one of those contexts). I would be careful not to pack your list full of tasks because this can make it hard to prioritize things. Some of these tasks could even become part of a “Someday” list. This means that they can sit on the shelf for a while without any issues at all.
(3) As you continue to organize your life, you’ll typically have fewer random tasks that aren’t routines and projects. I personally find that my Next Actions List does the trick–or I put tasks directly onto my calendar on a day that makes sense. I add them to “My Tasks” in Asana and set a due date. Then in the morning, I add the day’s tasks to my paper planner.
(4) Simplifying, delegating, and creating routines also makes this easier. Back to our three examples:
- For the survey, you could create a routine to complete small tasks each day related to paper or email. This way, you know you will complete these kinds of tasks because it’s just part of your daily (or every other day) routine.
- For the keyboard return, you could have a routine to load items in the car and drop them off while you’re out and about. You could have an “errand day” where you drive things around and drop them off–from returns to stores, items to take to friends, things to mail, etc. You can keep a box of items in your car that relate to your errands, but I would personally recommend making a note of each of these items on your “Errands” list just so you can keep track of them.
- For the shredding example, I would try to delegate this if possible. Our teenage son loves to drive and help run errands, so I could do the researching portion (or even ask him to help) and then he could do the actual drop off for me.
I’ve found that getting better at delegating has really helped to alleviate all of the one-off tasks that come into my life.
These are just a few ideas of very manageable solutions for one-off tasks. 🙂 If you have any other situations regarding one-time tasks that I didn’t cover, please leave them in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!
Related Links!
Asana – My Digital Project Manager
LearnDoBecome YouTube Channel!
Our ARISE membership – an amazing gathering place for community members that are using their Command Centrals to refine relationships, health, finances, individual purpose, and more. We focus on a new topic each month, and this is an amazing opportunity to receive coaching and support from Team LearnDoBecome. You can sign up for a free, 7-day trial here.
Thank you. New to your space. Helpful. And short:YAY. I really appreciate a podcast that gets to the point.
Welcome to LearnDoBecome! So happy you are here! (And I like keeping podcasts short, too!) Excited to hear more about your journey!
I bought your lifetime other program. Fell off the wagon. I was in my 70’s when I bought, thinking I could get all these lifetime projects in the basement, closets, drawers, cleared out and organized for the children. In my 80’s now and in way worse shape, organization-wise. Since Covid memory is a challenge. Folks think I’m same age as my grown children and I’m very active but…..help! My desk is only thing organized. So frustrating. So many things, expensive things too good to just give away, tho I’ve given away a lot. If I knew best way to sell stuff it would be wonderful! WDYT?
Sounds like a lot has been going on for you. ❤️ I’m wondering if it might be possible to have a friend come and work with you on the most important projects? To help you move through? Having a simple list of projects—even one at a time could be a good plan. Small, bite-sized steps. Sending lots of love!
I’d already started combining my one-off tasks with my CBNAL, but I love the idea of adding task categories as routines. And I truly appreciate the conciseness of your podcasts. So many times, podcasts are way too long, with way too much extraneous info, causing me to bury them in my Read and Review list, and never go back. Yours are ideal: tell me what I need to know, and skip the fluff. Thank you for this!
So happy to hear the podcast is helpful for you! Sounds like you are on a roll with your Command Central! Keep up the great work!