How I Organize Tasks: From Overwhelm to Actionable Priorities
A step-by-step guide to managing to-dos and projects. How I do it in craft and tips for adapting this system in your favorite app.
Hey guys! Today’s newsletter will be a bit different. Life’s been a busy as I try to get more comfortable with Craft 😄. Not too long ago, I touched on this. I’ve had a lot of fun messing around with the documents side—styling my texts, personalizing how things look, sharing links to docs whenever I have a chance. But I wanted to see if this app could handle my to-dos, too. So I took a big leap spent some time switching my task management from Things—which is a rock-solid, reliable app—over to Craft. It feels wild to make that change because I’ve been using Thing for years (and have cero complaints about it), but I was excited to adapt my system to this app and explore .
Now here’s the big thing: what I want to share with you today isn’t only about Craft. Honestly, the app itself isn’t what matters most. It’s the mindset and the basic structure behind the framework. This task management method has helped me for years, and I’m very excited to finally make a video on it. It’s like a simplified more practical approach to GTD. I’m hoping that with the following you can get some inspiration for your own system, no matter what app or tool you use.
Next week I’ll be back with my usual recap, but for now, feel free to check this video, or read below for some quick takeaways.
The Core of My System
Here’s how I break things down:
1. Capture Everything (Inbox)
First, dump every task, idea, or reminder in one place. Don’t overthink it—just get it out of your head. You can use an inbox in your app, a note, or even a scrap of paper. The key is to free up your brain.
I personally still keep my “tasks” inbox separated from my “knowledge” inbox, but I’m considering about merging everything in one. That is, because the more I do this the more I’ve realized that most of my knowledge-related notes still have at least a few actions related to them.
2. Organize by Area and Project
Next, sort your tasks into “areas” (like Home, Work, or Content Creation) and “projects” (which are like bigger tasks with multiple steps). If something is just a quick, one-off task, leave it as is. If it’s a project, you can make a list or a separate document for the smaller steps. Depending on your app you may even be able to attach files or add important extra details in this project document.
3. Sort by When
This is the trick that keeps things manageable:
Someday: Everything you might want to do, but not soon.
Anytime: Tasks you plan to do in the next week or two.
Today: The small handful of tasks you’re actually doing now.
Every morning (or night), pick the tasks you want to tackle today from your Anytime list. Each week, review your Someday list and promote anything you’re ready to work on. Each month, clean up your lists—get rid of stuff that’s no longer important.
It’s Super Simple
This loop—capture, organize, review—keeps the whole system alive. It stops things from piling up or falling through the cracks. And it works whether you’re using Craft, Things, or even a notebook. The main thing is to keep your lists simple and review them regularly.
Final Thoughts
I know my setup—and my day-to-day life—might look a bit simpler than what a lot of you deal with, especially if you’re managing clients, or many tight deadlines. But really, the basic framework is easy to adapt, no matter which tool you use or how busy things get.
If you’re using Craft, don’t miss the video above—I talk through some tips that are specific to this app. I want to mention that this system draws inspiration not just from GTD, but also from THIS fantastic article about using Things for task management. That guide had a huge impact on how I do things.
If you have questions, thoughts, or insights about this, I’d love to hear from you. I’m pretty excited about Craft and plan to talk more about it soon. I think it fits in with my system in Bear perfectly, so if you’re curious or have ideas, let me know—your feedback could shape future content.
Thanks for reading!
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