Choosing which task to do first
Rank a handful of tasks with due dates, today's note, time slots, and month sections instead of a priority score.
You have five tasks in the notebook and you don’t know how to rank them.
You do not need a single priority score. Use a few layers that escalate.
Due dates come first
Section titled “Due dates come first”A due date is a commitment. It is not negotiable. You do that work regardless of priority or list order.
Open Today and choose Due. If something is due today and it is still open, that is what you do now. Overdue rows sit at the top.
Today’s plan lives in the Daily Note
Section titled “Today’s plan lives in the Daily Note”In the morning, open Today and switch to Note. Write the checkboxes you want to finish, in order. That list is today’s plan. Amend it as you go: drop a line, add a line, move one down.
The note can change during the day. It is a short ordered list for this day, not a ranking of everything you own.
When the same lines keep rolling over
Section titled “When the same lines keep rolling over”Most days, not everything gets done. If you are tired of moving unfinished checkboxes onto the next day’s note, turn that line into a task with a due date of tomorrow.
Then the first rule takes over. Tomorrow it is due, so it gets done.
Time slots for work that is not due yet
Section titled “Time slots for work that is not due yet”Tasks that are not on today’s note still need a horizon. Create a label group called Time Slot with options such as:
- This Week
- Next Week
- This Month
- Next Month
- Maybe Later
- On Hold
Pin the group so Time Slots appear in the sidebar. This Week is the next pool to pick from.
Month sections inside a project
Section titled “Month sections inside a project”You rotate between a side project, work, and businesses. Those do not get equal time every day.
In a project you keep coming back to, add Sections named for the month, such
as 2026-09 and 2026-10. That is this month’s ordered list for that project.
When you sit down, you already know what to pick up next. The order in the
section is the rank.
This is useful when you rotate between projects on an irregular schedule and you want a fast answer to “what is next here?”
Why the ranking looks the way it does
Section titled “Why the ranking looks the way it does”Due date, daily-note order, time slot, and section order are how you encode what comes next. The reason those look the way they do is the outcome you want right now, and that changes.
See also: Daily Notes, Due Date, Sections, and Priority.