7 life hacks for those who want to complete 100 tasks a day

You won't procrastinate because you know what task needs to be done next.
When you need a break, you can take notes on the task list. This will distract you, but it will be easier to return to work later.
Your attitude towards yourself will change. By completing 100 tasks a day, you will be satisfied with your productivity.
Such a list helps to enter the flow state.
The excitement turns on: there is a desire to close as many tasks as possible within an hour.
By the end of the day, you will have 40 to 120 completed tasks.

This system works best with a regular text file and applications,, or. Doesn't work as well with Trello, Todoist, Things, and most other to-do list services.

1. Work with cloud storage

Using the to-do list is a habit. This means that you should always have access to it. Therefore, it is best to maintain and store your list in the cloud.

All the apps I have recommended above do this automatically.

I'm used to working with a regular text file todo.txt that I keep in Dropbox, so I can work with it anytime, anywhere. Every day I just add a new list above the old one. My todo.txt includes several years of completed tasks.

2. Learn hotkeys

All programmers know that if you never take your hands off the keyboard, your work will be more productive. This is true for people of different professions, but most often it is programmers who constantly use hotkeys.

Every time you reach for the mouse, you exit the flow state.

Hotkeys are useful when working with a task list. The most common option is to press Alt + Tab to go to the to-do list, mark the task you just completed, write down one or two new tasks, and press Alt + Tab to get back to work.

But you can do it even faster, and hotkeys in applications will help with this. Here are the ones I recommend:

Remember The Milk: "i" to choose, "c" to complete the task.
OmniFocus: ⌘N to create a new task and press the space bar to complete it.
Evernote: ⌘ + Shift + T to create a new task. There are no shortcut keys to complete.
Wunderlist: Tab + arrows to select a new task, ⌘D to complete it.

Text files are a little more complicated. I use "_" to select a task and "×" to mark it complete, so my task list usually looks like this:

Text files are the best option for advanced users who are comfortable working with macros. In many editors, for example in Sublime, it is possible to independently define macros and customize keyboard shortcuts.

3. Track all tasks, even the smallest

The essence of the alternative approach is to break down tasks into small, easily accomplished items. This is very similar to the next step in GTD.

Tasks like "Write a blog post" are too big to complete at once. It can take you an hour to write a post, if not more. Instead, start with the Open Text Editor task. That's it, just open your text editor. This is the first step of the task that you must complete.

For example, this is what my task list looked like when I wrote this text:

× start writing about task list formats [12:31]

× wunderlist [12:48]

× things [12:48]

× todoist [12:48]

× omnifocus [12:48]

× remember the milk [12:48]

× answer questions [14:26]

× recommend: text file, RTM, OmniFocus, Evernote [14:26]

× return to writing [14:59]

× rewrite introduction [14:59]

× list of benefits [14:59]

× add Gist [14:59]

× add technology section [15:00]

× add a section about tasks on the go [15:01]

_ put the current state of the task list into the Gist

And now there are 15 ready-made tasks. I had to interrupt, so there are two tasks in the list about opening a post in a text editor.

The amount of work done is always a matter of pride. Taking small steps helps to maintain attention and avoid procrastination, so I always know what to do next, and I'm not afraid that it will be difficult.

4. Add tasks on the go

The standard way to use a to-do list is to add many, many items that you are going to do in a day, then look at it and think that you will definitely not get so many things to do. And you start to mess around.

When you have too many options, it makes you nervous and negatively affects productivity.

According to the alternative system, you simply add one, maximum two tasks, and indicate the approximate time when you plan to start work.

5. Mark completed tasks

Always mark the end time of a task.

Remember The Milk and Wunderlist do this automatically. If you're using OmniFocus, go to Preferences: View → Show View Options → Custom Columns → Completion Date.

If you know how to work with macros, you can program the installation of a time stamp. This is why I still use Vim: my macro automatically adds a timestamp at the end of each line.

Another way to do this is to manually set the time. It is not necessary for every task, it is enough to check in once an hour.

The point of time stamps is that they help you see how focused you have been in the last hour.

At the end of the day, you will be able to gauge how well you are concentrating. On a good day, you will complete 80 tasks. On an excellent - 120. On the most inspired day, I managed to make 250.

6. Cheat

This system includes the ability to cheat a little. You will be tempted to set yourself very small tasks so that at the end of the day you can see a lot of completed tasks with peace of mind.

The easier the task, the more likely you are to finish it. But completed tasks push you to keep working.

7. Catch the "flow"

Sometimes, you can complete multiple tasks without writing them down to your to-do list. Then add them later when you open the list tab.

A long list breeds pride. I often add tasks after the fact. The first task on my to-do list today was Walk the dog in the park. It happened an hour before I turned on my computer, but I needed a little nudge to get started.

Conversely, when you feel stuck, switch to your to-do list and make sure you have a tiny next action.

The goal of the alternate to-do list approach is to enter a flow state, which is easier to accomplish if you complete tasks one by one.