Modest task management
I've always been the sort of person that gets more done under the pressure of more to do. I struggle with perfectionism and procrastination. And apparently some of that can be attributed to ADHD.
A year ago, I worked with a friend and client that uses Sunsama for task planning. It's a great tool in that it guides you through the planning process: week plan, day plan, day review, week review. It encourages you not to overplan; you need to leave some time in your day for things to take longer, for unexpected tasks, that sort of thing. I used it consistently, for a while.
But I didn't stick with it. Right now, this is my task system: one index card.
One index card
I use one blank index card per day. I use the card in vertical orientation and put the day and date at the top. I list maybe three items I want to get done. When I finish an item, I strike it through. If something unexpected comes up that I have to take care of that day, or that takes a fair amount of time, I add it to the list and strike it through. Appointments go on the list, start time included.
Something I picked up from Sunsama is to add an estimated time and actual time for how long something will take. This helps with time perception, or "time blindness".
Sometimes I add more than three things. Sometimes they get done and sometimes they don't. If necessary, I add them to the next day's index card, without any special indicator. Who needs a special indicator? As if I don't already know that it didn't get done. 🙄
The index card gets thrown away at the end of its day. Sometimes, not journaling is cathartic.
Be reasonable
Two Bible verses that I appreciate say that I need to be reasonable and modest. (Mic 4:8; Php 4:5) I try to remember this when it comes my expectations of myself and others. A reasonable, achievable task list at the start of the day is a helpful guide. If I get more done than that, great! If not, I can try again tomorrow. This is not an easy or natural thing for me to think, it takes effort. But it's so much healthier than chastising myself.