Task Tracking Methods

How I stayed "locked in" for 4 years (and 3 lateral moves) at Google. 1) It was hard. 2) Some days I wondered: Am I even making progress? 3) I kept going. After Tuesday's post, many reached out asking how I actually manage to "stay locked in" when the finish line is months away—and especially when the finish line (ranging from promotion, taking on new scope, etc.) isn't clear yet. For me to stay motivated, I have to be able to see movement. Even if it’s just getting alignment on a plan—that’s a win. In any position you’re in, you can track the daily steps progressed. How do I do it? I use a simple Google Sheet for bi-weekly tracking. When there are so many moving pieces, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Maintaining organization via project tracking is what allows me to stay proactive instead of just reacting to the week's chaos. It decreases that "heavy" feeling and keeps my motivation high because I can actually see the work adding up. Why is this important? - Stakeholders: They need to know what’s happening in real-time. - 1:1s: It makes your meetings with your manager focused and productive. - Performance Reviews: No one is going to remind you of your own wins. You have to own your story. If you don’t track the "small" victories (like XFN alignment or dashboard creation), they’ll be forgotten by the time your review rolls around. Here is the 5-column system I use: 1) Project Name & Overview: What am I actually doing? 2) Due Date / Status: When is the finish line? (I include a status update here). 3) Teams Collaborating: (Crucial!) These are the stakeholders you’ll need for your promo review. 4) Impact: What was the actual business result? 5) Link Artifacts: Direct links to the docs, emails, or decks. When do I do this? I block time on my calendar every other Friday to update this. I’ve found that a bi-weekly cadence works for me—it keeps the task from feeling overwhelming. (There’s no right or wrong answer for frequency; it depends on the project and the person!) This sheet is my savior lol. It’s easy, searchable, and gives me the data I need when it's time to advocate for myself. Small wins build the trust that leads to big responsibilities. But you can't share those wins if you don't remember them!

Executive function is the operational engine of your brain. When it works well, your effort aligns with your most important work. When it struggles, effort fragments. If your current system feels like a barrier, you do not lack discipline. You are simply using the wrong tool. Below are 9 distinct pathways for organizing your week, spanning clinical psychology, agile project management, and behavioral science. The Goal is Experimentation: There is no single "correct" way to work. Test different methods until you find the one that does. 1. The "Heavy Stone" Protocol (MIT / Eat the Frog) Select the three highest stress tasks and do them first. This was my primary survival system for years. The immediate relief creates a dopamine wave to carry you forward. Best When: Facing high anxiety or analysis paralysis on where to start. 2. The Eisenhower Matrix (Quadrant Mapping) Sort your list by "Urgent" versus "Important." Stop spending energy on loud distractions while strategic work suffers. Best When: Drowning in "loud" tasks (emails/messages) and neglecting long-term strategy. 3. Timeblocking (Deep Work) Stop working out of a chaotic inbox. Assign specific blocks of your day to specific categories of work, defend those boundaries. Best When: Your day is fragmented by context-switching and interruptions. 4. Visual Flow (Kanban) Keep work from hiding in your head. Use physical columns to move tasks from "To Do" to "Doing" to "Done." Making the work visible lowers cognitive strain. Best When: You have too many active projects at once and lose track of status. 5. Interval Sprints (Pomodoro) Work in short, defined bursts (e.g., 25m on, 5m off) followed by rest. This creates urgency to jumpstart the brain. Best When: Procrastinating on boring, difficult, or under-stimulating tasks. 6. Energy Mapping Time Management is useless without Energy Management. Track your natural biological peaks and match them to your heaviest work. Best When: You feel chronically exhausted despite working normal hours. 7. The Mind Sweep (Getting Things Done) Write every single open loop on paper to clear the mental static before you attempt to schedule anything. Best When: Your brain feels full of loose ends and mental clutter. 8. The Values Bullseye (ACT) Identify your core values as the center of a target. Map specific actions that move you closer to that center. Best When: You feel busy but directionless or disconnected from purpose. 9. The N.I.C.E. Protocol (Joy Based Goals) Traditional SMART goals can trigger resistance. Ali Abdaal suggests N.I.C.E. goals: Near term, Input based, Controllable, and Energizing. This is the framework I currently practice to prioritize sustainable inputs over rigid outcomes. Best When: Traditional goal-setting triggers shame, avoidance, or perfectionism. Pick the tool that matches your operational reality. How are you organizing your week ahead? #ExecutiveFunction #Neurodiversity #ProjectManagement #Productivity #ClinicalStrategy

Ever end a long day thinking… Where did all my time go? ➭You answered messages. ➭You jumped on calls. ➭You checked things off. But the important work? That's still waiting. I’ve tried a lot of productivity systems. Some helped, some made things worse. But over time I noticed something: The best systems all solve the same problem. They force you to decide what actually deserves your time. Here are a few that changed how I work: ✔️The Pomodoro Technique keeps you focused. ➭Pick one task. ➭Work 25 minutes. ➭Take a short break. After four rounds, take a longer break. ✔️The Eisenhower Matrix is even simpler. ➭Ask two questions: Is it urgent? Is it important? ➭Then choose: Do it. Schedule it. Delegate it. Or delete it. Some methods are about momentum. ✔️“Eat the frog” means do the hardest task first. ➭Once that’s done, everything else feels easier. ✔️The 3-3-3 method balances your day: ➭3 hours of deep work. ➭3 shorter tasks. ➭3 maintenance tasks. Another powerful one is: ✔️The Warren Buffett rule. ➭Write your top 25 goals. ➭Circle the top 5. ➭Ignore the other 20. Yes, ignore them. ✔️Visual thinkers love Kanban boards. ➭Tasks move from: To do → Doing → Done. ➭Seeing progress changes motivation. ✔️Then there is the MoSCoW method: ➭Must have ➭Should have ➭Could have ➭Won’t have Give each of these a try and let me know which one is your favorite in the comments. If all this feels like a lot, start small. Try this simple reset ↡ Day ➊ Write everything on your plate. Day ➋ Circle the few tasks that really matter. Day ➌ Block time for those tasks. Day ➍ Do the hardest one first. Day ➎ Remove one task that doesn’t matter. Time doesn’t magically appear, but clarity creates it. And when you protect your time, you start winning your days back. 🎁 Want PDFs of my top infographics + growth tools? 👉 Go Here: https://lnkd.in/g2xbnwhp ______________________ 📚 Join my free workshop to turn what you already know into a digital product people buy. 👇 ➡️ Save your seat: https://lnkd.in/gNc9zSx6 Please repost to help others out there! ♻️

Here's my 4-step system to make sure nothing slips through the cracks: I know when it comes to keeping track of everything—commitments, tasks, and all the tiny details—it can be easy to get lost. To stay on top of it all, I follow a simple mnemonic: Every Commitment Needs Tracking (ECNT). It stands for the four key areas where I manage my responsibilities: email, calendar, notes, and tasks. Here’s a quick look at my process: 1. Email: I start by reviewing my inbox. I check for anything that needs to go on my calendar, save resources to my notes, and tasks that require action to my to-do list. This first step lets me pull essential information from my emails into my downward systems. 2. Calendar: Next, I review my upcoming week. Any meetings or deadlines I need to prep for get turned into tasks. This way, my calendar and to-do list stay aligned. 3. Notes: Moving down the ladder, I review my note-taking app (Evernote) to catch any ideas or project notes that need action. Anything relevant gets added to my task list, ensuring no loose ideas or insights are overlooked. 4. Tasks: Finally, I pull it all together in my task manager (Things). This is where everything actionable lives. I prioritize my day and week here, choosing what’s urgent and what can wait. By following this routine—usually several times a week and especially during my Weekly Review—I gain clarity on what’s on my plate and prioritize with confidence. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, try this sequence. By processing each source of information in order, you’ll capture everything you need to move forward with clarity and focus.

→ Are You Really Tracking Progress or Just Guessing? Burn Down Charts have quietly revolutionized how agile teams stay on track. But are you truly leveraging them - or merely scratching the surface? Let’s uncover the mystery behind this essential tool that can make or break your sprint success. → 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐚 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲? • Plots remaining work over time during a sprint or project. • Visualizes if your team is on pace to deliver. • Highlights risks before they become issues. → 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭 • Determine Total Work - count tasks or story points upfront. • Set Up Chart - X-axis for time, Y-axis for work remaining. • Update Daily - track remaining work every day using Jira, Trello, or manually. • Compare Progress - match actual vs. ideal progress to identify gaps. → 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞 • Time Axis (X) - sprint days or cycles. • Remaining Work Axis (Y) - hours, points, or tasks left. • Planned Progress Line - your steady, expected pace. • Actual Progress Line - real progress, telling the truth. → 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞-𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 • Real-Time Tracking reveals hidden blockers early. • Transparency empowers the entire team and stakeholders. • Predictability sharpens your delivery forecasts. • Boosts Motivation through visible accountability. → 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫 • Jira - built-in burndown for Agile teams. • Trello - Power-Ups add visual tracking. • Azure DevOps - integrate third-party apps for charts. • Google Sheets - DIY for full control. → Here’s the Truth Most Teams Miss: The burn down chart isn’t just a graph. It’s a mirror reflecting your team’s health and sprint reality. Ignore it, and you risk derailment. Master it, and you gain a powerful ally guiding your success. follow Carlos Shoji for more insights

Jumping into Last Planner System (LPS) can feel big, but the best results come from starting simple and practical. Here are three ways you can get moving right away: 1. Start with Weekly Work Planning Gather your trade partners for a short, consistent weekly meeting. Ask each team to commit only to the tasks they know they can complete (not guesses or “hope work”). Capture those commitments on a shared board (digital or physical). 👉 This builds accountability and transparency fast. 2. Track Percent Plan Complete (PPC) At the end of each week, check: Did we do what we said we would? Calculate the ratio of promises kept vs. promises broken. More importantly discuss the reasons why tasks weren’t completed. 👉 This shifts the focus from blame to learning. 3. Introduce Lookahead Planning (3–6 weeks out) Work with trade partners to identify constraints (permits, materials, approvals, etc.) that could block future work. Assign responsibility for removing those roadblocks before the work comes due. Keep it light, start with sticky notes or a simple digital tool. 👉 This helps your team move from reactive firefighting → proactive planning. Pro tip: Don’t wait for the perfect rollout. Start small, let the team build trust in the system, and expand as the culture grows. 💡 Which step feels most doable for your current team: weekly commitments, PPC tracking, or lookahead planning? Reverse phase pull planning, Takt, or line of balance are other areas to look into and are worthy of examination.

The other week I was chatting with an industry mentee who was feeling the heat 🔥 (and not the good kind!). His event portfolio was overflowing, the holiday season was gearing up and he was starting to feel that all-too-familiar anxiety creep in. 😥 We've all been there, right? 🙋♂️ So, I paused, channeled my inner zen master ( 🧘♂️ kidding... kind of!), and walked him through some of my favorite prioritization methods. Because let's face it, in the whirlwind world of event marketing, staying organized and keeping our mental well-being intact is essential. 🌪️ Here are a few techniques that I shared that always help me conquer the chaos: 1. Eisenhower Matrix (aka Urgent-Important Matrix): This classic method helps you categorize tasks based on urgency and importance. "Do, Decide, Delegate, Delete" - it's like magic! ✨ Seriously though, delegate those "Do Later" tasks, my friends! You don't have to do it all. 2. Red-Amber-Green (RAG): Who doesn't love a good color-coding system? 🌈 With RAG, you can visually prioritize tasks: Red for urgent (🚨), Amber for those needing attention soon (⚠️), and Green for the "I've got this" tasks (✅). Think of it as a traffic light for your to-do list.🚦 3. Kanban Board: This visual workflow system is a lifesaver for keeping track of your projects and identifying any bottlenecks. Plus, moving those sticky notes across the board is oddly satisfying. It's the little things, right? 😉 (If you have a project management tool, this may already be a template) Prioritizing effectively not only boosts productivity but also protects your mental health (Gotta keep that top of mind!). Remember, you can't pour from an empty cup. ☕️ So, take care of yourselves, event pros! 💖 Now, tell me, what's your go-to prioritization method? 🤔 Share your tips and tricks in the comments below! 👇 Let's help each other out! Jitter Garcia Mimi Abdulkadir Lauren Singer Perry Maggie Barton Baird, CMP Kathy Kaden, CCTE, GLP, CMM Shayna Anderson, CMM Carol Rossi Nicole Kovacs, CMP #eventprofs #eventplanning #prioritization #mentalwellness #leadership #productivity #eventmarketing #corporatevents #anxiety P.S. I STILL can't believe I am someone's mentor LOL

I’ve noticed follow-ups are a real struggle for many job seekers. Because it’s too much to remember. • Applications. • Referrals. • Emails. • Tasks at work. The real load is remembering, following up, and carrying it in your head. I didn’t want another app. Or extension. Or dashboard. • So I built a simple Google Sheets task tracker. • Five minutes to set up. • Lives where most people already work. Once it’s running, it quietly: → highlights overdue tasks automatically → sends reminder emails only for open items → sends a weekly summary so nothing slips → stops reminders the moment a task is marked Done • No constant checking. • No reminder anxiety. • You don’t have to remember to remember. How to use docx. and an Excel Template in the comments below. Enjoy :)