A System to Organise My Priorities Through Sticky Notes
A Simple Process to Stay Focused on What Matters
Introduction
I’m famous for buying notebooks and diaries, only to use them once or twice. And of course, I’ve tried Trello, OneNote, and many other digital solutions for organizing important stuff without much success.
I found that I kept returning to colored sticky notes for everything, and why wouldn’t I? It works best for me because I can:
- Quickly write down something and stick it on the wall without distracting me from my main job.
- Easily set the task's urgency by writing on red, yellow, and green colored stick notes.
- Keep progress visible, rather than having to open a notebook or Trello where I’d quickly forget about it.
In this concise article, I’ll share how I organize my priorities through a simple colored sticky note system, helping me stay focused on what needs to be done.
RED: (1 Month)
These are the most critical tasks that need to be done before moving to the next color. They should be grouped with other red sticky notes in a column on your wall.
Examples:
- Revise NgRx code before the next Sprint, which involves significant front-end code changes.
- Complete a CSS refresher.
- Review the existing workflow of the platform in areas due to be upgraded.
YELLOW: (1–3 Months)
These are still essential tasks; however, they either can’t be done immediately or don’t require urgent attention. For example, it could be an important long-term goal that requires days of training and practice.
These tasks should be grouped with other yellow sticky notes in another column on your wall.
Examples:
- Prepare for Microsoft Azure Fundamental exam.
- Revise data structures and algorithms.
- Join a local Angular meet-up group.
- Build a personal wiki with cheatsheets, advice, and valuable links.
- Write blogs, prioritizing Angular, working with TypeScript to deepen knowledge.
GREEN: (4-6 months)
These are the lowest priority tasks and should be grouped with other green sticky notes on your wall.
It wouldn’t be a problem if these tasks aren't achieved; however, they still contain some value and are worth keeping.
Examples:
- Write blog articles to better understand how asynchronous C# code works.
- Complete all Angular-related training on Pluralsight.
- Set up Instagram and website for mother’s flower shop.
- Join a volunteering group to advise schools and colleges about programming careers (and improve public speaking confidence).
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments section below, and don’t forget to subscribe. 👍
