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Time Hacker: Be Clear with Data Analysis

Previously, I was looking for professional books on data analysis to check if there were any new publications in this field, and I happened to find this book "Time Hacker: Be Clear with Data Analysis." After buying it and taking a look, I found that it wasn't very related to data analysis. This is a book about time management, and besides discussing time management, it also emphasizes the author's early struggles. In the author's words, it describes how someone from an ordinary family and school, starting from the grassroots level of customer service in the internet industry, managed to rise from a monthly salary of 1300 to an annual salary of a million, and bought a house in Shenzhen. Before writing this book, the author also published a professional book, which is one of the few on the market that focuses on the field of game operations: "Game Operations: The Path to Mastery."

In Peter Drucker's book "The Effective Executive," the author states at the beginning that managers need to clearly know where their time is spent, but the book does not provide specific recording methods, as Drucker's management books are more aimed at senior managers in large companies. Therefore, the author even suggests that secretaries record the consumption of time. In "Time Hacker," the author details how to record and manage time, which can be seen as an effective supplement to "The Effective Executive."

To summarize a few aspects of time management:

Time is a resource. Management is an action. Time management is about squeezing out this precious resource through some management actions.

Avoid doing too much repetitive work. If you have to face a lot of repetitive work that does not lead to growth, find ways to summarize and refine it: either automate it, develop tools to complete it quickly, or summarize experiences and hand them over to others. This is a way of working that the author understood during his early days in customer service.

Keep good records to clarify where time is spent, and then find ways to create more time through parallel (e.g., listening to audiobooks while commuting on the subway; playing on the phone while in the restroom) and off-peak (e.g., traveling before the morning rush, having lunch at 1:30 PM).

Before recording, it is necessary to classify time. The author divides time into three main categories:

• Necessary Time: Rigid time that is difficult to compress or repurpose (but some can be used in parallel), such as eating, bathing, sleeping, commuting, and washing up, which are time investments required every day.
• Work Time: The time spent selling labor to earn a living.
• Discretionary Time: Time that can be freely allocated.

According to these three classifications, time can be expressed in the following table:

The table above has two dimensions: time and actions. Theoretically, time and actions are not closely related. For example, you can engage in entertainment during work hours (slacking off); you can also do independent work during discretionary time (voluntarily working overtime). So this classification is not strictly defined; it merely indicates that within these time types, the main activities or actions are generally engaged.

Since health is the foundation of everything, and health is mainly influenced by four aspects: sleep, diet, exercise, and emotions, the first three can be specifically related to actions. Therefore, health is separated out as a major category. The time classification can then be transformed into the following:

With the time classification established, you can record your daily time and then optimize it. The time recording table might look like this:

With this table, you can clearly see where your time is spent. After that, you can optimize accordingly, focusing on several aspects:

1. Reduce commuting time, such as moving to a place next to the company;
2. Increase the parallelism of time, for example: exercising while watching a show, listening to audiobooks while commuting, or running with your child (achieving both family companionship and physical exercise);
3. Avoid anything that requires queuing, with the core being to travel during off-peak times;
4. Avoid repetitive work that does not lead to growth;
5. Reduce meaningless time wastage, such as excessive sleeping, ineffective socializing, and excessive entertainment.

The author gives an interesting example: when your phone is fully charged, spending more time charging it is pointless; sleeping is similar; if you wake up naturally, you can get up; staying in bed longer is just a waste of time.

Regarding parallelism, it also needs to be distinguished; not everything is suitable for parallelism. However, some activities can be completely parallel. I think many people have experienced listening to music while driving, right? But driving and listening to music are two different actions that can be performed independently.

After squeezing out time, where should we use it to maximize its value? The author lists a table and specifically mentions that although it consists of only a few simple sentences, it is a table that he has painstakingly iterated on, as follows:

These are all important matters in life. But it is important to note:

1. Based on different values, the weight will vary;
2. Based on different life stages, it will also vary; for example, when young, one focuses more on self-growth and work performance, while after marriage and having children, more time is allocated to maintaining family ties and companionship.
3. Entertainment and leisure are not entirely a waste of time; they can bring us joy and relaxation, allowing us to feel the joy of life. The only thing to note is not to become addicted and not to spend too much time.

Finally, work occupies most of our daily time. How to effectively record and manage work time? The author also uses a tool called "Flow Diary" for management, as shown in the table below:

Overall, this is a good book. You can feel the author's sincerity, as he almost wants to share everything he knows. It is a good motivational and time management book, recommended to everyone.

This article shares with everyone the time management challenges that a manager may encounter and how to use OmniFocus to address these challenges.

Manager Zhang works at an IT company. After five years of hard work starting as a programmer, he became a project manager due to his authoritative technical skills, managing three projects, but the troubles followed.

Technical skills and management require completely different abilities. An excellent programmer does not equal an excellent project manager, so Manager Zhang quickly fell from being adept to being overwhelmed.

The three projects he is responsible for always leave him feeling uncertain, not knowing when problems will arise, making him very passive.

Advice for Transitioning from Technical to Management Roles#

In simple terms, Xiao Qiang believes that Manager Zhang has been promoted, but his perspective has not elevated. He still spends most of his energy on controlling project details, such as fixing bugs and quality testing. He should stand at a higher position to oversee the three projects at hand and then communicate and coordinate effectively.

Therefore, Xiao Qiang gives some advice to those who feel uncomfortable after transitioning from a technical position to a management position:

1. The focus of work should be on communication and coordination with people, rather than just getting things done. You need to complete this role transition in your mindset first.

2. Upgrade your time management methods: from simply writing a to-do list to a method that incorporates context and review concepts. The introduction of context can help you "merge similar items" across multiple projects, improving efficiency. The review concept can help you shift your focus from "doing" to "thinking."

3. Appropriately suppress perfectionist tendencies. Others may not do things as perfectly as you, but you should consider the overall harmony of the project rather than the perfection of a specific part.

4. Multi-project management is a basic skill for knowledge workers. There should be no one who is only responsible for one project. Even if you are only responsible for one project at work, adding personal projects means you are managing multiple projects. For multi-project management, you need to learn to switch between different projects. Opening drawer A is project A, and opening drawer B is project B, so that your mind won't be chaotic.

From the diagram below, it can be seen that what is important for a project manager is to know who needs to do what and coordinate their relationships while also paying attention to the progress of these people's actions.

Programmers focus on knowing how to do things and completing tasks on time.

Action System for Project Managers#

The action management system for project managers should look like this:

1. See the to-do items for multiple projects simultaneously and grasp the overall situation.

2. Concentrate on displaying the to-do items that are about to expire across multiple projects, and comprehensively consider which to do first and which to do later.

3. Display items that can be batch processed across multiple projects to improve work efficiency.

4. Remind yourself to regularly review all projects, check for omissions, control progress, and trigger reflection.

Clarifying Two Concepts:#

1. The difference between sequence and continuity

The next action in each project is marked in purple, indicating the next task to be done for that project.

Sequential projects: You must complete the previous task before continuing to the next task. For example, software development must go through software testing before it can be officially released, and only after the release can there be subsequent online, publicity, and promotion work. At this time, all remaining tasks in the project, except for the top one, become unusable gray.

Parallel projects: The order of tasks in the project is not sensitive, and there is no need to complete them in a specific order. Clicking will reveal that all remaining tasks in the project become available in black.

2. The difference between inspection and repetition frequency

Selecting a project and opening the inspector allows you to see the options for "repetition frequency" and "inspection." The difference is:

Repetition frequency: Many tasks in life and work need to be repeated. For example, I set my weekly review for Sunday morning at 6:30. When the time comes, OmniFocus will remind me, and after checking them off one by one, they will not be marked as "completed" like other tasks but will turn gray "unavailable" until the next Sunday when they will turn black "available actions" again.

Repetition frequency can be set to daily/weekly/monthly/yearly (I heard it can be quarterly, but I haven't tested it).

Inspection: This function directly corresponds to the review phase in the GTD method. Every so often, review the projects at hand to give you more control over them. Repetition frequency is also daily/weekly/monthly/yearly, so why not just use repetition frequency instead? The reason is simple: some projects repeat weekly, but are only reviewed once a month. One is at the level of doing things, and the other is at the level of reviewing; distinguishing between these two concepts can clarify the difference between repetition and inspection.

As mentioned at the beginning, for those who are just starting project management, the painful part is that the position has risen, but the working method has not upgraded.

In my experience, the key points for upgrading working methods are two:

1. Shift the focus from "doing things" to "being a person."

2. Shift the emphasis of actions from "getting things done" to "reviewing."

By mastering actions and projects, one can then focus on role balance, annual goals, and future visions. Therefore, this is a basic skill; let's work hard together!

Through your email, I see that you are already thinking about your personal and social value, which is very good. Every successful person in the workplace is a winner in the competition with themselves, a planner of their career, and a practitioner of life planning. Since you want me to share my values, I will share my professional values with you, which is a concrete manifestation of values in work.

• 1. Management: The purpose and value of work lie in obtaining the management and control over others or something, being able to command and dispatch people or things within a certain range.
• 2. Sense of Achievement: The purpose and value of work lie in continuous innovation, continuous achievement, continuous praise from leaders and colleagues, or continuously realizing what one wants to do.
• 3. Social Interaction: The purpose and value of work lie in being able to interact with various people, establishing relatively broad social connections and relationships, and even getting to know famous people.

Once I found my professional values, I became much more adept at handling work affairs. For example, when two things need to be handled simultaneously, how do I decide their priority? One task is to solve a technical problem that no one in the company can handle, and the other is to host the management of a new project. According to my current values, management is definitely the top priority, so I would choose to host the new project; if it were ten years ago, my values would have been different, and I would have focused more on the sense of achievement, thus passionately engaging in the technical challenge. What insights do you gain from this small example?

The "Monkey Rule" originates from a thinking model aimed at helping us efficiently manage time and tasks, thus achieving better results in life or work. Its core idea is: like a monkey, focus on one thing, avoid external distractions, and keep working hard. It encourages us to eliminate distractions in our work and focus on important rather than urgent tasks, effectively stepping out of the "third quadrant."

In the four-quadrant time management method, tasks are divided into four quadrants based on their importance and urgency:

• Quadrant One: Important and Urgent (crises and urgent matters)
• Quadrant Two: Important but Not Urgent (planning and goals)
• Quadrant Three: Not Important but Urgent (urgent matters required by others)
• Quadrant Four: Not Important and Not Urgent (time-wasting activities)

The "Monkey Rule" is particularly useful for helping us escape Quadrant Three, avoiding distractions from urgent matters imposed by others and the outside world. To achieve this, consider the following steps:

1. Determine Priorities:#

• Clarify which tasks are crucial to your long-term goals and try to focus on tasks in Quadrant Two. Although these tasks are not urgent, they significantly impact your growth and success.
• Place tasks in Quadrant Three in a secondary position, assessing whether they truly require your immediate attention or if they can be delegated to others.

2. Learn to Say "No":#

• If a task is not important but very urgent, decisively refuse or postpone it to avoid becoming someone else's "monkey."
• Set clear boundaries and learn to manage others' demands on your time.

3. Focus:#

• Use the "Monkey Rule" to concentrate on the current task without easily switching, avoiding the inefficiency caused by multitasking.
• Employ techniques like the Pomodoro Technique to maintain high levels of focus, ensuring each task is completed efficiently.

4. Do the Most Important Thing:#

• Regularly check your task list to ensure that what you do each day is genuinely the core task driving your goals forward, rather than being occupied by urgent but unimportant matters.

5. Reflect and Adjust:#

• Periodically review your time allocation to see if too much time is being consumed by tasks in Quadrant Three. If so, adjust your plans to invest more time in Quadrant Two.

By implementing these strategies, you can better escape the "third quadrant" dilemma, avoiding a busy yet ineffective state, and focus on tasks that truly yield long-term benefits, achieving a more efficient and meaningful work and life.

The four-quadrant rule is a time management theory proposed by renowned management scholar Stephen Covey, which divides tasks into four quadrants based on their importance and urgency.

1. Important and Urgent.

2. Important but Not Urgent.

3. Not Important but Urgent.

4. Not Important and Not Urgent.

Quadrant One: Important and Urgent. Example: Dealing with negative media coverage of the company, filling out college entrance exam applications for children, etc. These tasks must be done immediately; otherwise, the consequences could be severe. However, when you are about to do them, consider: Are there really that many important and urgent tasks?

Quadrant Two: Important but Not Urgent. For example, formulating family investment strategies, attending training courses, etc. These tasks, while not urgent, cannot be neglected. If you do not pay attention to them now, they could develop into important and urgent tasks at any time. For example, you may have discovered that the market for children's toothbrushes has not yet been occupied by competitors. However, if you delay formulating a product strategy for this market, one day while shopping, you may find that a competitor's children's toothbrush has already been launched, at which point formulating the product strategy will shift to Quadrant One. Therefore, even if tasks in this quadrant are not urgent, you should still create a time plan to push them forward.

Quadrant Three: Not Important but Urgent. Example: A client suddenly calls for an impromptu meeting, etc. Many people are often deceived by the illusion that urgency equals importance. In fact, urgency and importance are not related at all. For example, if a client suddenly calls to tell you to modify a certain part of the code, do not rush to do it immediately; instead, evaluate the importance of this task relative to other tasks at hand before making a decision. How can we minimize tasks in Quadrant Three?

Quadrant Four: Not Important and Not Urgent. Example: Watching boring TV shows, wandering around aimlessly. Tasks in this quadrant are merely time-wasters. They can serve as a diversion from the first three quadrants, but if you become too immersed in this quadrant, your productivity will suffer significantly. Should we allow ourselves to enter this quadrant at work? We can reasonably allocate our weekly tasks across these four quadrants. We should adopt different attitudes and handling methods for tasks in these four quadrants. Let's look at how to handle these tasks:

Quadrant One: No need to say much, just do it immediately. Most of the pressure we face at work comes from Quadrant One, and most of the crises in our lives also stem from Quadrant One. Quadrant One is a minefield; the fewer times we enter this quadrant, the better. Eighty percent of tasks in Quadrant One come from tasks in Quadrant Two that were not handled well. In other words, this pressure and crisis are self-imposed. For example, I have to spend an entire day accompanying an important client for shopping, dining, and entertainment because our product issues have caused significant trouble for the client. We must do these important and urgent tasks to appease the client.

Quadrant Two: Plan to do it. We should invest time in Quadrant Two. Just because it is not urgent does not mean we should neglect it. We should break it down into tasks at the first opportunity and create a timeline. Then, we can complete it with minimal daily time investment.

Quadrant Three: Delegate it to others. The mistakes in Quadrant Three stem from our busy and numb state. It is best to delegate tasks in this quadrant to others.

Quadrant Four: Try not to do it. This quadrant serves as a means of relaxation. When you are tired, you can engage in some unimportant and non-urgent tasks to adjust your mindset and body. However, you should not invest too much time and energy in this quadrant; otherwise, it will be a waste of life. For example, when you are physically and mentally exhausted, you can go out for a meal and drinks with friends, which is a good balance between work and rest. But if you do this every day, it becomes unproductive.

Using the Monkey Rule, step out of Quadrant Three. The Monkey Rule is a theory proposed by William Ury called "the monkey on your back." He likens tasks to lively monkeys that can jump on you at any time, and he calls this unique time management theory the art of monkey management. The things that truly matter to you are actually in Quadrant Two. They relate to the quality of work that requires long-term investment and your growth. Therefore, our goal in planning time and tasks should be to step into Quadrant Two. Work is like lively monkeys that can jump on you at any time. The reason managers feel they lack time is that they have not delegated enough. You may be efficiently handling responsibilities that are not your own, but how well are you completing your own tasks? You need to clarify your responsibilities.

From methodology to practice, mastering time management GTD. The previous article discussed how to manage your knowledge; this article focuses on how to manage your time.

The previous article was about managing your knowledge; this article mainly discusses how to manage your time. This article will detail GTD and, combined with personal practice, tell you how to use TickTick to implement GTD.

Do you often find yourself staying up late to finish work before deadlines due to procrastination?

Do you find that time is insufficient, leading to low work efficiency?

Do you suffer from headaches due to chaotic work arrangements?

If so, this article is very suitable for you.

This article is lengthy, so it is recommended to mark the information you need and watch it step by step.

I. Introduction#

Previously, I used Notion to create a GTD to-do list. However, for various reasons, I rarely opened it, and it remained more of a record than a true execution. In fact, it was not very suitable for this task.

Without a tool to manage tasks, it is easy to mismanage priorities. Recently, just before a launch, I discovered a requirement had been overlooked and had to rush to complete it. At that moment, my self-expectation was just to get it done. Occasionally, that is fine, but if it happens too often, I would be in a state of "busy but ineffective" every day.

I have previously used Thing3, Google Calendar, Microsoft To Do, Minimalist To-Do, etc., but none of them were sustainable. It wasn't due to a lack of patience; it was genuinely uncomfortable to use.

So, what capabilities does a qualified GTD tool need to have?

I summarized the following:

To-do lists, categorization, search, reminders, view filtering. Many tools have these functions, but very few are truly efficient; "TickTick" is one such tool that meets these criteria.

However, having a tool alone is not enough; you must understand the working principles to truly utilize it. Since everyone's situation is different and the problems encountered vary, it is essential to understand the underlying principles and extract the essence to form your own system.

Therefore, in addition to reading articles from various platforms, I also studied some theories from GTD author David Allen's book "Getting Things Done 3."

Relying on Systems Rather than Feelings to Get Things Done#

The human brain is not suitable for remembering tasks. Human short-term working memory is very limited, and can only think of a few things at most; beyond that, it is easy to forget and often distracted by other things.

What to do if the brain is unreliable? Utilize external systems to share the workload of recording tasks, such as a note-taking system, which serves as an extension of the brain, akin to Evernote's slogan: Your second brain.

In addition to notes, there are many "tasks" in life and work that also need to be outsourced.

Thus, in a sense, "TickTick" can serve as a third brain.

Using these external brains liberates mental capacity, allowing the brain to focus more on thinking.

II. The Principles of GTD#

GTD stands for Getting Things Done. It is a method that helps you get things done and can solve the specific problem of "what to do next."

1. Target Audience for GTD:

   Those with many daily affairs, pursuing efficiency, procrastinators, anxious individuals, forgetful people, and those with some execution ability but lack methodology.

2. Core of GTD:

   Calmness: Separate "thoughts" from "actions" to achieve focus.

   Prioritize Important Tasks: Prioritize doing "important" tasks to bring maximum value.

3. Principles of GTD:

   Clear the brain's memory. The occupation of the brain's memory can make us feel anxious, so GTD specifically addresses this pain point by proposing that "the brain is for thinking, not for remembering."

Calmness#

There is a psychological effect called the "Zeigarnik effect." It states that unfinished tasks create mental pressure. For example, if you have a task that must be completed today and also want to watch a movie, you should ideally finish the task before watching the movie. Otherwise, the "unfinished task" will continue to bother you, making it hard to enjoy the movie. If there are too many tasks, you will definitely feel overwhelmed and not want to do anything.

But what if there are too many tasks to handle? GTD requires you to use an "external system" to record what needs to be done at what time and in what context, rather than relying on your brain to remember. The brain is for thinking, not for remembering.

Therefore, using an external task list externalizes the brain's thoughts, serving as an extension of the brain.

With a reliable task recording system, you can worry less about what tasks you still need to do at any time, achieving a state of calmness, allowing you to enjoy work itself, thus improving your efficiency.

This is the essence of GTD (Getting Things Done): Done. Once you complete a task, you no longer need to think about it. Not thinking is the goal; done is the means.

Prioritize Important Tasks#

Just thinking about "Done" is not enough; you also need to consider what is important.

Because important tasks reflect the most value, we should follow the principle of "prioritizing important tasks," categorizing tasks based on "importance" and "urgency," and prioritizing those that are "important but not urgent."

In fact, important tasks are generally not urgent, while urgent tasks are generally not important. The reason tasks become urgent is partly due to not being handled in a timely manner, leading to procrastination.

Using an external task list to achieve calmness, combined with prioritizing important tasks, forms the fundamental principle of time management.

Knowing what to do is sometimes not enough; there is also the issue of "self-control management," which is another topic and will not be elaborated on here.

Next, I will detail the steps and practical operations of GTD.

III. How to Use GTD#

The GTD method consists of five steps: Collect, Process, Organize, Review, and Execute.

1. Collect: The concept of INBOX, which means throwing everything you think of into the INBOX.
2. Process and Organize: Sort the contents of the INBOX collected in the previous stage into corresponding lists, dividing them into action and project lists.
3. Review: After sorting the INBOX, conduct an overall review to plan for the next steps and check.
4. Execute: Start executing! Choose actions based on duration, context, and energy levels.

Collect#

People who do not clear the weeds in their brains are easily pricked by them. — Horace Walpole

Clear the brain. The purpose of collecting is to clear the weeds in the brain, such as thoughts, tasks, goals, inspirations, ideas, etc., all collected in one place.

In other words, whenever you have something on your mind, record it.

There are two principles when recording:

1. Simple and quick.
2. Do not overthink; do not be bound by form.

I have found that if I am too lazy to record things, the reason is often simple: I do not have a quick recording tool at hand. If recording an idea takes several minutes, I will likely give up. Therefore, it is best to make recording simple and easy, without any inconvenience.

When recording, it is best to avoid analysis and thinking about how to do it. Of course, if you already have the details and existing materials, you should record them together to avoid forgetting and to facilitate quick retrieval during execution.

For example, if you receive a requirement with a clear deadline and contact person, you must record it together. If you discover a problem with the product, there is no need to think about the solution while recording; just record the environment in which the problem was discovered.

Practical Operations#

Various Collection Methods in TickTick

Use whatever device you have, prioritizing faster methods based on the actual scenario, such as voice recording.

Mobile

• Siri

For example, generally at home, I will use "voice" recording.

"Hey Siri, add 'pick up the package downstairs at 6 PM' to TickTick," or simply, "Remind me to pick up the package at 6 PM."

Because in TickTick, you can automatically import from iOS's "Reminders" and "Calendar."

Often, when I am wearing AirPods and cannot easily take out my phone, I can still create tasks; Siri is really considerate ❤️

Note: Sending messages with time information will automatically recognize the task date, such as "Go to the meeting at 3 PM today" or "Play ball at 9 AM on Saturday."

More content can be found in the app settings - Quick Add Tasks.

• WeChat

If I happen to be using WeChat, I will directly send a message to the "TickTick public account" to create a task. If the environment allows, I prefer using voice.

• 3D Touch

In addition, I can also quickly create tasks by long-pressing the "TickTick" app using iOS's "3D Touch."

Mac

• Quick Add Bar

Use a shortcut key to add tasks without opening the main window of TickTick.

Tip: I change the default shortcut to "CMD + Space" because my Alfred shortcut is "Alt + Space," creating a unified understanding of operations without needing to memorize multiple shortcuts.

• Batch Add Multiple Tasks

If I copy dozens of tasks from elsewhere, adding them one by one would be too cumbersome. The quick way is to ensure each task is on a separate line, then copy it into the "Add Bar," and a pop-up will prompt, "Do you want to create multiple tasks?" Confirm to batch create them.

• PopClip

When I see tasks or ideas on WeChat or other applications, I quickly add them using the PopClip tool by selecting text with the mouse.

More task creation methods: https://guide.dida365.com/iOS/task.html

Organize and Process#

Organizing is about filtering and processing, while organizing is about categorizing.

Why combine processing and organizing? In the GTD steps, they are separated, but these two steps need to be done simultaneously, so discussing them together is easier to understand.

Processing Flowchart for the Collection Box

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The process for clearing the collection box is:

1. Clarify Significance: Is this task necessary? Judge based on goals.

2. Does it require action? Judge based on time; does it need to be done this week?

3. Does it involve multiple steps? Often, a task consists of multiple steps, and multiple tasks form a complex task (project). Projects require multiple collaborations, so establish a list based on the project name.

   When breaking down complex tasks, you can choose another more ample time slot to complete them, comprehensively planning and breaking down upcoming projects.

   • Break Down Tasks: If it is a complex project, break it down into several smaller tasks, then specify each small task. Set "next actions."
   • Next Actions: Set the 3Ws (Who do What by When), which means: executor, task content, deadline. The sentence structure includes: date + verb + event + key person.

4. After detailing each action, judge the completion time.

   • Can it be completed within two minutes? If yes, "do it immediately";
   • Can it be delegated to someone else? After delegating, follow up;
   • Schedule it into your daily agenda and set reminders.

In "Getting Things Done 3," the author places tasks and materials into GTD, but "TickTick" is not suitable for storing materials, so it is better to keep them in "Evernote."

Practical Operations#

Syntax Transformation in Tasks

For example, an unprocessed task looks like this:

• Ask Jack for the format

To ensure accurate understanding during execution, we need to perform a simple syntax transformation: Next Action = Date + Verb + Event + Key Person.

• By 8 PM (deadline), call Jack (key person) to ask for the format requirements of the data analysis report (event).

You can further determine the context of the action and add corresponding tags.

• By 8 PM, call Jack to ask for the format requirements of the data analysis report (# WeChat Voice).

Break down tasks in the "task list."

• For simple projects that you can complete independently and have fewer steps:
  • Switch to "subtask mode" in "TickTick," then write each step as a subtask in the task details for the first step;
  • Perform syntax transformation while setting subtask reminders.
• For complex projects that require multiple collaborations or have many steps:
  • Create a new list named after the project. Then delete and move the original task.
  • The benefit of this is that you can easily see the project's progress and use the "TickTick" Kanban feature; those who have used Kanban will definitely enjoy it.

Categorization and Tags in TickTick

When there are many tasks, reasonable categorization can ensure the system operates smoothly. The corresponding functions are as follows:

• "Lists" correspond to the "categories" of tasks, grouping similar tasks together;
• "Dates and Reminders" correspond to the "urgency" of tasks, planning when to do which tasks;
• "Priority" corresponds to "importance," determining what to do first today and what to do later.

In addition to these three dimensions, there are also two dimensions—context and status—achieved through "tags."

Categorization, as used in the previous article "How to Establish a Closed-Loop Note System?," has two points:

• Coding for quick directory location.
• MECE principle (mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive), meaning they are independent and non-overlapping but together cover everything without omission.

List Categorization

The categorization of lists should correspond to the flowchart above, but some lists do not need to be created and can be replaced with existing functions:

• Next actions and schedules: Use "Today" and "Calendar" for viewing.

Tags

Context usage: When you open the "Calendar" view at work to check today's tasks, you find many personal tasks mixed in. How can you focus more?

You can use the "filter" function to select the "Work" project group list, and only work-related tasks will appear. But what if you want to do some personal tasks after work?

Simply add the tag "At Work" to the tasks.

The benefit of context categorization is that it is the first hurdle to limit your choices, preventing you from thinking of things you cannot do.

Custom Smart Lists

On the smart list management page, click "Add Smart List" at the bottom to create a smart list based on five filtering criteria: "List," "Tag," "Date," "Priority," and "Assigned to."

Quadrant usage

For example, the filtering criteria for "Important and Urgent" can be set as follows:

• Select "Today" and "Tomorrow" for dates.
• Select "High Priority" and "Medium Priority" for priority.

Moreover, you do not need to manually adjust the status of tasks; if an important but not urgent task is not handled in time, it will automatically shift from important but not urgent to important and urgent. However, you probably do not want this to happen.

Smart lists combined with tags and categories can create many personalized lists for viewing and management, such as "Most Urgent Tasks After Work" or "Tasks Without Syntax Transformation."

My "Future List" is much longer than my commonly used project list. I feel that many of the ideas within seem a bit "wishful thinking," such as paddling a canoe down the Mississippi River; there are also some more "practical" ones, like scanning and saving photos as digital files, rewriting parts of the company's website introduction, etc. These tasks do not have specific next actions attached, which is their defining feature.

Review#

Reviewing is placed as the fourth step not because you must review before executing, but because reviewing and executing are mutually reinforcing. You can only review effectively after you start executing, and you can execute more purposefully after reviewing.

The purposes of reviewing are: (1) updating content; (2) aligning goals.

The author in "Getting Things Done III" replaces "review" with "reflection," but I still think "review" is more understandable in terms of what to do. The book mentions: "Reflection" is an essential step. If you do not look at the tasks marked on your schedule, there is no need to mark them in the first place. If you do not check your phone list when making calls, why bother creating a phone list?

Therefore, once you have created a list, you must look at it. Do not "feel good while listing, but never look at it again."

Regularly check and review different lists, ensuring your task system operates smoothly, checking for omissions and expired tasks, and ensuring all matters align with the latest situation.

On a daily and weekly basis:

• First dimension: Next actions, daily review.
• Second dimension: Current projects, weekly review.

Learn to pause... If you run too fast, you will leave valuable things behind.
— Doug King

Practical Operations#

Daily Arrangements and Timely Reviews

The first thing I do every day when I open TickTick is to enter the "Today" smart list. Then, we can perform a simple check to determine if today's arrangements are reasonable.

Click the "circular" icon in the upper right corner of the "Today" smart list to enter "Daily Planning" mode, where we can review all the tasks to be done today one by one and conveniently adjust them.

• If the timing of a task is okay, just click "Next."
• If a task is only scheduled for "today," but you need to specify a definite time, click "Today" and select "At a certain time today" to set the time.
• If you feel that you cannot complete a task today and need to postpone it, click "Later" and choose to postpone it to tomorrow, next week, or another date.
• If a task was left over from yesterday and not handled in time, you can choose to place it in "Today" or "Later" as needed.

Using the "Summary" Function for Weekly Summaries

Weekly summaries are familiar to everyone, but the hassle is that you need to check the list and copy and paste to create a weekly report. This efficiency is too slow; TickTick's "Summary" function can automatically generate weekly reports.

You can also filter by list and tag, sorting by completion, list, time, and priority.

Execute#

Only by daring to take action, rather than just fantasizing, can one master this world. Doing is more important than watching... The hand is the sword of thought. — J. Bronowski

Select suitable actions to execute based on the current context from the "Calendar."

• Selection Principle: Choose suitable actions based on factors such as location, duration, and energy levels.
• Execution Principle: Prioritize actions on the list, and for unexpected tasks, collect them into the inbox to delay execution, avoiding interruptions to the current focused action.

For example, if you have 10 minutes of free time while waiting for food, you want to use this time efficiently, so it is best to choose some relatively relaxing tasks.

Thus, I have established a relaxation list, with tasks like browsing "Quick Knowledge" and handling "Must Collect." These can all be done in fragmented time.

Practical Operations#

Scheduling Tasks

The schedule is the most basic focus of to-do tasks. It marks your next actions down to specific dates and times, thus forming the basic framework for most of your work.

TickTick's task scheduling function allows you to easily arrange daily/weekly time; you can simply drag tasks to do so.

The ideal effect is that when you are surprised to find that an unexpected event will occupy your time, you can quickly glance at your schedule to see if you can immediately free up time to handle it.

Pomodoro Technique

The purpose of the Pomodoro Technique is to maintain focus, not to record duration, so you do not need to worry about fancy data. Wearing noise-canceling headphones while listening to white noise or light music can instantly "quiet" the environment. When the time is up, you can choose to take a break or continue focusing; during this time, breaks feel more valuable.

TickTick has a built-in Pomodoro timer, allowing you to start or begin a task at a certain time, sometimes serving as a reference for judging task duration or checking your best focus times.

IV. Conclusion#

In the end, you may feel that GTD is too complex. I need to reiterate its target audience: busy people and those pursuing efficiency.

If you lack the motivation to implement it, it may indicate that you are not the target audience or that the time is not right.

If you genuinely want to give it a try but do not know how to start, I suggest you:

• Micro Habits: The best way to start a habit is to begin with micro habits (the simplest tasks that the brain will not resist), such as collecting; then you will encounter the problem of how to organize too many tasks, and tackling problems step by step will provide the most motivation.
• To-Do List: A to-do list, when first approaching GTD, can start here. Specifically, establish a "Must-Do List" or "The Six Most Important Tasks Today."

In summary, action is key. As long as you take action, even if that action is "incorrect" or not the best method, it will give you a stronger sense of control than hesitating and remaining stagnant.

This wardrobe organizing method is a method in time management, targeting various tasks in our lives and work. The operational principle is similar to the steps we take to organize clothes in a wardrobe. When organizing, we first collect clothes on the bed, then clean, organize, and categorize them before putting them back in the wardrobe. The end result of organizing is that we can easily find a suitable outfit from the wardrobe.

Wardrobe Organizing Method Flowchart

Step One: Capture and Collect to Clear the Wardrobe#

Use a collection basket to gather everything that catches our attention; we call this process capturing. The collection basket needs to be emptied daily, and the contents collected are called miscellaneous tasks.

Collection Tools#

1. Paper notebooks, sticky notes, memos.
2. A real work collection basket.
3. Electronic mobile list tools or notebooks, recording devices.

Notes:

1. The fewer and more unified the collection tools, the better.
2. Ensure you can enter recording mode within 5 seconds, which requires carrying your collection basket with you.
3. Regularly empty these tools; clear the collection basket daily of tasks assigned to others and remove completed tasks. Start each day with an empty collection basket.

Step Two: Clarify Significance: Categorize Clothes#

Once the collection basket has gathered a pile of tasks, we can clear it at an appropriate time. We need to clarify the significance of each miscellaneous task, quickly distinguishing which can be acted upon and which cannot.

When clearing the collection basket, we should follow these principles:

1. Start processing from the top item, assess the essence of the task, decide on the next action plan, and place it in the appropriate location. Try to quickly reach the bottom of the work basket without avoiding any task.
2. Process one task at a time; after completing one task, move on to the next.
3. Never put anything back in the collection basket (except for interrupted tasks). When taking out a task from the collection basket, immediately assess its essence and processing method, striving to do it well in one go.

Note: Three types of tasks that cannot be acted upon:

1. Trash.
2. Future tasks: e.g., traveling to Beijing.
3. Reference materials.

Note: Six types of tasks that can be acted upon:

1. Two-minute actions.
2. Projects.
3. Tasks.
4. Actions.
5. Tasks assigned to others.
6. Tasks to be done at a specific time.

Keep Only One Task in Mind#

The benefits of keeping only one task in mind are:

1. Focus.
2. Sense of achievement.
3. Relieve pressure.
4. Better results.

Which task should you keep in mind?

Only keep the next action in mind: our focus should be solely on the next action.

Step Three: Organize and Store Categorized Clothes#

Let’s reorganize our thoughts:

1. We have a collection basket filled with miscellaneous tasks.
2. We have clarified the significance of each task, knowing that different types of tasks require different next action methods.

Next, we will sequentially process the miscellaneous tasks in the collection basket according to the principles mentioned above, deleting or categorizing them. In less than two minutes, we will have three lists and a schedule.

Schedule: This is where we store tasks that need to be done at specific times, such as meetings, appointments, etc., as it involves reminders and can be synced to the mobile calendar.

Future List: You can use a 32K efficiency manual to manage all lists. The future list may take a long time to execute, so I place it at the end. During weekly reviews, I open it to see if any tasks can be elevated to action.

Action List: This is the main list for daily tasks, placed at the front. When working each day, I keep the efficiency manual to my right, flipping to the action list page to record tasks. Once actions are completed, I can cross them off at any time.

Project List: This list is more complex and may require additional materials. However, adding paper to the efficiency manual is easy, even folding A4 paper to fit in, so there is often a dedicated area to store everything related to the project.

Thus, our list system should be a 3+1 combination.

3+1 Combination

This 3+1 combination forms the list system in work. Browsing through the 3+1 lists every morning gives a clear idea of what needs to be done that day.

Step Four: Review: Keeping Clothes in Mind#

After organizing, tasks will be orderly, and the corresponding pressure will decrease. However, reaching this step is not the end. Good collection habits and the "3+1" list system can basically solve the busyness in daily work, but to address blind spots, we need to reflect.

Why is reflection necessary? Reflecting on your lists has at least three benefits:

1. Incubate miscellaneous tasks.

If we do not reflect, our "future maybes" will grow larger, so we must prune and refine this list. Remove things that do not interest us and think about when the time is right.

2. Generate inspiration.

Find a time when you will not be disturbed to revisit past events and future tasks. Many things that seem tricky will find inspiration during this time.

3. Elevate perspective.

We should not only see the road beneath our feet; we need to choose the path to go further. By re-examining a week’s work, ask yourself: What are my goals? What should I prioritize? When we stand at a new height to view people and things, unexpected discoveries will arise.

Once you know why reflection is necessary, choosing an appropriate time for reflection is crucial. I recommend the following two time slots:

1. Every day after work:

Ask yourself four questions at the end of the day:

a. What did I do today?

b. What am I satisfied with, and what am I dissatisfied with?

c. What important matters did I recommend?

d. What is the plan for tomorrow?

2. Weekly Review: It is advisable to conduct a review once a week, scheduling time based on your actual situation.

How to conduct a weekly review:

a. Clear the collection basket.

b. Review the future list, action list, and project list.

c. Check the calendar.

d. Review the content collected in Evernote this week.

e. Annual goals.

Step Five: Action - Choose the Best Plan#

Let me share six heights proposed by David Allen:

1. Principles (50,000 feet)

Take time to think about your values, principles, and goals, which are the soul of your work.

2. Vision (40,000 feet)

This includes work goals for the next 3-5 years, which can be positional or related to organizational capabilities, coordination abilities, etc. You need to ask yourself: What do I want? Who has achieved it? How did they do it? What will I do when I reach this goal?

3. Goals (30,000 feet)

This is a more detailed aspect, usually resulting in a phased outcome within a year.

4. Responsibility Scope (20,000 feet)

Roles in work, such as sales and management; roles in life, such as family, personal finance, and spiritual aspects; roles in hobbies and interests.

5. Tasks (10,000 feet)

This includes tasks and projects. Although we have a top-down system, we still need to focus on the individual projects at hand.

6. Next Actions (Runway)

These are the most detailed events, putting them all into the action list and eliminating them one by one. Those who pay attention to details will be more successful. At the beginning, we all run in the same runway, but ultimately only those with clear career planning will drive into the fast lane, heading straight for their goals.

The six heights.

When deciding which action to execute, we usually rely on four criteria:

a. Importance b. Environment c. Time d. Energy#

43 folders
Based on 31 days per month and 12 months per year, a total of 43 folders need to be prepared. You will also need a large enough drawer or file rack, and the key is:

1. Easy to browse labels

Folders numbered 1 to 31, and 1 to 12 for each month, should be clearly visible on the folder.

2. Easy to take out and put in

All files placed in the drawer or file rack should be loose enough, allowing for easy retrieval and placement.

Then, the specific operation:

Arrange the 31 folders in order, with the folder for today first. For example, if today is the 17th, the first folder should be labeled 17, and folders for the 1st to 16th should be arranged behind the 31st folder.

Similarly, the 12 monthly folders should be arranged in order, with the current month folder first. For example, if this month is July, the first folder should be labeled July, and folders for January to June should be arranged behind the December folder.

Every day, take out the tasks in today's folder to process, and after completing the tasks in the folder, place it at the end of the other daily folders to cycle through.

Similarly, after completing the monthly folder tasks, place it at the end of the other monthly folders to cycle through.

In this era, the two things that make us feel anxious are wealth and time. I believe that the vast majority of people are thinking about achieving financial freedom and time freedom as soon as possible.

However, reality is often cruel, and there seems to be a significant gap between ideals and reality, so we must work hard and strive for it, at least to increase the possibilities.

The 996 work system, which means working 12 hours a day and 6 days a week, sometimes requires overtime. But even so, it still feels like there is never enough time, and tasks are never completed.

Therefore, we study time management, learn the Pomodoro Technique, and add many tasks to our to-do lists. Time management is indeed important, but even if time is well managed, does that necessarily improve work efficiency? Not necessarily.

You might recall some scenarios at work:

For example:

• You attended a four-hour brainstorming session, and after two hours, you might feel that you cannot concentrate.
• Sometimes in the afternoon, you feel very tired, lack patience, and colleagues easily get into disputes.
• When you return home at night, wanting to chat with family, you feel distracted, with your mind full of work-related matters.
• A friend's birthday is coming up, but after work, you feel too tired to go.
• When making a plan, it feels like your thoughts are stuck, as if your brain is jammed.

These phenomena seem unrelated to time; what is the reason? It is insufficient energy.

Energy can be described as the ability to get things done. If energy is not used properly, the effectiveness of tasks will be greatly reduced.

No matter how efficient time management is, it cannot ensure we have enough energy to handle every task.

Energy is the foundation of high performance, not time. This theory refreshes our understanding of the sources of high performance, and we also recognize the importance of energy, but it is often overlooked in work and life.

The book elaborates on a large number of psychological studies, revealing the essence behind some phenomena we often encounter. Most valuable are the numerous mind maps, quadrant diagrams, problem lists, work schedules, log templates, etc., with dozens of tools and charts, showcasing the author's thoughtful efforts.

We can consider which group needs to maintain high performance under high pressure.

Entrepreneurs? Politicians? Doctors, lawyers, and other professionals? No, the answer is athletes. Athletes spend 90% of their time training to achieve results in 10% of the time. They need precise planning for their daily routines and set strict procedures for energy management—eating, sleeping, training, resting, emotional control, mental preparation, and maintaining focus.

The author's organization has collaborated with many outstanding athletes for decades, researching and guiding them in energy management, while also helping thousands of people improve their energy levels. It should be said that they have rich experience and methods. Therefore, if you follow some of the methods in the book, you will find that your performance in life, work, handling affairs, and emotions will improve.

Part One: How to Fully Engage#

The author draws a quadrant diagram, which you can see in the notes. This diagram expresses the change of physical energy from low to high and emotions from negative to positive.

The more negative the energy and the lower the emotions, the worse the performance; conversely, the more positive the energy and the higher the emotions, the more efficient the performance. The "High-Positive" quadrant brings energy, confidence, willingness to challenge, happiness, and other positive emotions. In this aspect, we are very willing to engage fully.

But how to maintain the energy needed for full engagement?

Managing energy involves three aspects:

1. Goals

2. Facts

3. Actions, all three are indispensable.

The first step to improving energy management is to clarify life goals.

Only by clarifying goals can you know what is most important and fully engage.

Goals involve sorting out what matters most in life and constructing a feasible vision. The reasoning is simple: with goals, you can focus and do meaningful things around them, while also eliminating distractions from excessive information and many things.

To clarify goals, you need to have a clear understanding of the current situation.

The second step is to face reality, examine your work and life habits, and analyze the core reasons leading to decreased energy.

The third step is action, taking practical steps to narrow the gap between "reality and ideals." Establish and cultivate good ritual habits.

A company needs a sense of mission and vision to develop, and individuals are no different.

Life goals are a unique source of energy. Goals bring focus, satisfaction, and passion.

You can test yourself with three questions, scoring each out of 10.

• How excited are you when you go to work every morning?
• To what extent do you enjoy working because of the task itself rather than the rewards it brings?
• To what extent do you feel responsible for your value orientation?

If the total score of these three questions reaches 27 or above, it indicates that you are living with a strong sense of life goals. If the total score is below 22, it suggests that your life is merely going through the motions.

The key is not what meaning life gives you, but whether you actively make life a carrier of your value orientation.

When the sense of purpose shifts from negative to positive, from external to internal, and from self to others, it becomes the most powerful and lasting source of energy in life.

From a psychological perspective, people are driven to some extent by external incentives or material rewards;

However, to unleash more enthusiasm, the premise is that you must genuinely enjoy the task itself to derive lasting joy from it.

To find your value orientation, the author lists several questions to help you explore, and you can try answering them, preferably writing them down:

• If you learned you only had a month to live, what are the three most important lessons you learned from your life? Why are they so important?
• Who is a person you respect the most? Describe the three qualities in them that you admire the most.
• If you had the chance to be reborn, what kind of person would you most like to be?
• How would you like your epitaph to summarize your life?

By answering these questions, you will find your values.

The more steadfast your values, the more your actions will be guided, and the more powerful your energy will be.

If you find that your daily actions do not align with your values, you need to re-examine whether your values are wrong or your actions are wrong.

Face reality, treating yourself as a research subject.

The author lists some questions: let me give you a few examples.

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your level of engagement at work? What obstacles hinder your performance?
• To what extent do your daily actions align with your values? Where are the disconnects?
• How much does your work sheet reflect your values and align with your vision? How about at home? Where are the shortcomings?
• How do your daily habits regarding health—diet, exercise, sleep, and stress balance—support your core values?
• In what situations do your emotional responses align with your values? Are there differences at work and at home?
• Are you wisely and efficiently investing your energy?

Part Two: The Four Sources of Energy.

Energy mainly comes from physical, mental, will, and emotional sources.

The author, through extensive experiments and tracking surveys, finds that

The main culprit of insufficient energy is lack of physical fitness.

Appropriate exercise greatly helps energy levels. Ideally, one should go to the gym weekly; if it is difficult to find long periods for exercise, the author suggests engaging in interval training.

Interval training emerged in Europe as early as the 1930s, and studies show that through interval training, the body can perform higher intensity work. Recent research from Harvard University and Columbia University has found that a series of short, high-intensity aerobic exercises, even if each lasts only about a minute, can have unexpectedly positive effects. Interval training has long been a core component of energy training systems.

After just eight weeks, health levels significantly improve, emotions enhance, and immunity increases.

The second aspect to focus on is breathing:

From a physiological perspective, energy comes from the chemical reaction of oxygen and blood sugar.

In fact, there are techniques for recovering energy through breathing. We can practice a training method:

Three inhales in one group, meaning dividing one inhale into three parts and exhaling in six parts. This deep, calm, rhythmic breathing can stimulate energy and bring relaxation. When energy is insufficient, try this action.

The third aspect to focus on is food, which is also an important source of energy.

Breakfast is very important; it not only raises blood sugar levels but also strongly boosts the body's metabolism.

Eating five to six small meals a day with nutritious, low-calorie foods can provide stable energy. Many companies provide afternoon tea to replenish energy.

Moreover, it is essential to drink at least 1.8 liters of water daily, which is roughly the amount in a large bottle of soda. If muscles are dehydrated by 3%, they lose 10% of strength and 8% of speed. Long-term insufficient hydration can severely impair the brain's attention and coordination.

The fourth source is sleep; adequate sleep is the most important source of energy recovery.

People cycle through a physiological rhythm of "activity to rest" approximately every 24 hours. Researchers have found that sleep occurs in 90-120 minute cycles. This process is called "active-rest basic cycles."

Further research has shown that whether at night or during the day when the brain is awake, the same 90-120 minute cycles exist, known as circadian rhythms.

Studies indicate that sleep deprivation can reduce cognitive abilities, affecting reaction time, concentration, memory, logical analysis, and reasoning abilities. The human body requires 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night to function well.

In a large study, psychologists tracked the sleep patterns of one million people over six years, finding that those who slept 7-8 hours a night had the lowest mortality rates, while those who slept less than 4 hours had a mortality rate 2.5 times higher than the former.

Reading complex books at night can easily lead to fatigue and drowsiness, and it is advisable to break the habit of bringing your phone to bed. Keeping the phone at a distance has the added benefit that when the alarm goes off in the morning, you have to walk a few steps to turn it off.

Waking up before 7 AM, taking a brisk walk outdoors, and going to bed by 11 PM can completely change your routine in a few weeks.

A Harvard study found that taking a short nap at noon can quickly restore energy. Do not think that taking a nap will delay work; in fact, a short nap can often allow you to handle more work than you might imagine.

The fourth aspect to focus on is emotions:

Activities that provide satisfaction and a sense of security can stimulate positive emotions and restore energy. However, many people feel that watching TV, using an iPad to binge-watch shows, or watching variety shows can also bring satisfaction. Watching TV only provides temporary relief; over time, it can drain energy. Staying home watching TV or videos can also increase anxiety and mild depression. Previously, I was like this; on weekends, I would binge-watch a few episodes of American dramas. While watching, it felt great, but looking back, I realized that not only did I not relax, but I also felt more tired because that sense of satisfaction fades quickly.

Therefore, it is better to engage in more social activities, such as cycling, attending book clubs, or listening to concerts, as these allow for interaction with others, prolonging the sense of satisfaction.

Energy is not only about physical strength but also mental energy.

To perform well at work, one must maintain focus, and mental energy also needs to balance consumption and recovery.

Our usual misconception is that working long hours leads to high output. In many companies, taking breaks is not rewarded, and taking time during the day to be active does not receive praise; only hard work is acknowledged.

However, thinking consumes a tremendous amount of energy. The brain accounts for only 2% of body weight but requires 25% of the body's oxygen supply. If the brain does not receive enough recovery, it will lead to judgment errors, reduced creativity, and in high-risk professions like doctors and pilots, it can result in dangerous consequences.

The key to recovering mental energy is to allow the brain to rest intermittently.

Our left brain is responsible for [logical analysis](https://zhida.zhihu.com/search?content_id=2816424&content_type=Article&match_order=1&q=%E9%80%BB%E8%BE%91%E5%88%86%E6%9E%90%E8%