Plan your days
If you're hunting for the best planner app or just a better routine, begin here. Timeboxing, ranked first in a Harvard study of 100 productivity hacks, gets a full explanation. Other picks include One Task, Timestripe and Lightpad, plus a take on why your to-do list is really a wish list. 10 picks from the Bez Tytułu newsletter, in reading order.
The picks
Timeboxing in three simple steps
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #41
Time boxing is a three-step productivity method: brain dump, pick the top three tasks, then give each a set time.
The speaker says a 2018 Harvard study of 100 productivity hacks ranked timeboxing first. The method has three steps: brain dump your thoughts onto paper, pick the top three tasks for the day, and assign a time to each task to see how much time you have. The speaker presents it as a simple way to make sure your most important objectives are not overlooked.
Key points- The speaker claims a 2018 Harvard study ranked time boxing first of 100 productivity hacks
- Brain dump your thoughts onto paper first, then identify the top three tasks for the day
- Assign each task a time to see visually how much time you have
To-do lists are often wish lists
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #217
A to-do list often becomes a wish list that overloads the day, so a blocked day plan works better.
The speaker argues that to-do lists are really wish lists, because people underestimate how long tasks take and pile several days of work into one day. The fix is a blocked plan with real time slots. Deep work blocks should be labeled and kept free of distractions for their full length, while shallow tasks such as emails and errands can be batched together.
Key points- Imagining a full to-do list can secretly add three days of work to one day
- The speaker recommends making a blocked plan for the day instead
- She admits she loves to-do lists but accepts they can be wish lists
Estimate new tasks, add 20%, block time
Short · tiktok.com · Issue #211
Instead of a to-do list, estimate a new task's time, add 20%, and block it in your calendar with notes.
The speaker, who worked at Google, says complicated workload systems never stuck for them. When a new task arrived, they estimated the time, added 20 percent, and booked it as calendar blocks with notes in the first block. They also sent colleagues an early heads-up, which made people more willing to help.
Key points- Estimate how long a new task takes, then add about 20% for overruns
- Put the time blocks in the calendar, with instructions and links in the first block
- The speaker says this method changed how on top of her workload she felt
One Task: Mastering Focus
Tool · onetaskx.com · Issue #196
One Task is a minimalist to-do app built around doing one task at a time. Tasks are sorted into two lists, Today and Someday. Its tagline, “One task today > ten half-done,” sums up the idea of finishing one thing rather than starting many.
Timestripe: Goal Planning App
Tool · timestripe.com · Issue #122
Timestripe is a goal-planning app built around Horizons, a system with flexible time frames for linking daily tasks to long-term goals. Other features include calendar time-blocking, shareable boards, Climbs step-by-step programs for areas such as fitness, finance and career, rich-text notes, and recurring goals. Apps are listed for iOS and Android, and the company is based in Tallinn, Estonia.
Lightpad: Calendar With a Spatial Timeline
Tool · lightpad.ai · Issue #109
Lightpad is a planning calendar built around Timeflow, a view that lays out days, weeks, months and hours in one consistent format. It syncs with Google Calendar, supports tags with custom colors, and has a notes mode with a focus setting. It works offline as a progressive web app, and its base plan is free, with paid plans listed on a separate pricing page.
Legend: Productivity App for Deep Work
Tool · legendapp.com · Issue #110
Legend combines documents, notes, to-do lists, emails, files and projects in one interface. Filtered panes surface urgent tasks across projects, and the app supports Markdown documents, an outliner and an agenda view. Sync runs in real time across devices with client-side AES-256 encryption. The free tier includes 10 panes and unlimited documents, and paid plans start at $5 a month.
LayerPx: Tree-Structured Planner
Tool · layer.cafe · Issue #185
LayerPx is a planner where each thought becomes a root that grows branches for tasks, notes or sub-plans. Users press Tab to add a child branch and Enter for a sibling, and can share live boards or fork public ones. Finishing branches earns XP, and a daily streak keeps users returning. The page describes the planner as free while it grows, with no credit card needed.
Taski: Decision-Making and Planning Tool
Tool · usetaski.com · Issue #175
Taski is a planning tool that helps users prioritize tasks and make personal or business decisions with built-in frameworks. Its to-do lists work as checklists, and progress can be exported as an image, Markdown or a document for sharing. More features are planned. It is free for a limited time, and support is requested through donation links.
Emery: A Daily Planner That Doesn't Try Too Hard
Tool · emery.to · Issue #203
Emery is a daily planner app built around a clean slate each morning: you plan the day in about five minutes, and missed tasks do not pile up into a backlog. Tasks are sorted into Fires, Growth, and Extras, and can be dragged onto the calendar as time blocks. It syncs two ways with Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCloud, and runs on web, iOS, and Android.