Thread by @rjnestor

Since I get the question a lot, here’s my current (2022-03-31) #productivity workflow laid out in a thread.

I use @RoamResearch, but Tools for Thought (TfTs) in general are the magic ingredient. If you use @obsdmd, @logseq, @amplenote, etc., the concepts will translate. 1/

My system has five components:

Front End:
1. Agenda
2. Log
3. Inbox

Back End (essentially #GTD-driven)
4. Projects
5. Recurring Actions 2/

There are four front-end processes:

1. Choose your work (Agenda)
2. Track your work as you do it (Log)
3. Capture your ideas, tasks, projects, etc. (Inbox: Capture)
4. Connect what you capture to your system (Inbox: Processing) 3/

There are two back-end processes:

1. Structure: Organizing what I connect to my Back End so it will surface properly
2. Surfacing: Presenting appropriate tasks to myself to choose from when I’m making my agenda. Surfacing is automated whenever possible. 4/

There is one meta process:

1. Reviews: Processes that go over my system and my work at periodic intervals.

These are structured into—and surfaced from—my Recurring Actions, so it doesn’t require an additional component. 5/

As I mentioned, the Back End of Projects and Recurring Actions functions as a #GTD system.

The Projects are organized on a page, and each project is its OWN page. I use that page as a hub—references to the project in meetings, daily work, etc., show up in the backlinks. 6/

My Recurring Actions are one simple SmartBlock, with commands that surface the correct tasks based on the day of the week, month, or year.

It’s not complex in SmartBlocks terms, but it’s incredibly useful, and covers 95% of the types of recurring time periods I use. 7/

Now. The Front End. The TfT magic.

The image here is my Daily Cycle SmartBlock, which walks me through preparing my daily Agenda and provides me the Log to track what I do and the Inbox to capture my ideas.

Let’s break it down. 8/

The DATEBASIS command sets the SmartBlock to treat whatever Daily Notes page (DNP) I’m on as “today.” Meaning, I can set up tomorrow’s agenda today, as long as I’m on tomorrow’s page.

My Agenda section breaks down into several different parts. 9/

First, my “routine” tasks are daily, system-oriented tasks. Processing my Inbox, planning tomorrow’s Agenda, etc.

My “today” tasks are brought in by running the Recurring Actions SmartBlock WITHIN my Daily Cycle SmartBlock. Super useful. 10/

Then I have a staging area that automatically populates with block refs to my morning & evening routines, and also brings in any Linked References to this date (and any that might be Overdue Linked Reference to previous dates). 11/

I also use this staging area to—manually and intentionally—bring in block refs from my #GTD-style Next Actions queries.

Once tomorrow’s tasks are staged, I use that empty block in the Agenda to build time blocks into my day and organize my tasks into them. 12/

The Log area is where I track my work.

I have a prompt, first, for weighing myself as part of my weight loss intention.

Then a little SmartBlock button that triggers a time tracker so I can log work. I indent my work and notes under these log entries. 13/

The GOOGLECALENDAR command, not surprisingly, automatically imports the day’s calendar. I block reference the events into my Agenda so I can time block around existing appointments.

I also take meeting notes indented under the appropriate calendar blocks in my Log. 14/

Last, I have an Inbox scratchpad.

For most Inbox items, I just tag them [[Inbox]] whereever I am (usually a Log entry) and trust that they’ll show up in my Inbox later.

But if I’m ever not sure where to put something, this scratchpad solves that. 15/

Important notes:

1. This is MY system. Build YOURS. Feel free to model on mine, but iterate to find your workflows.

2. Re: iteration. I’m still always iterating. The main bones of this system took me 15 months to refine (March 2020 - June 2021). 16/

3. Build a system that pushes you to ACT. #GTD is great, but it nudges us to gather & organize tasks. A good Front End pushes you to action.

That’s why the Log is so critical to me (& why I automate as much of it as possible). It forces me to choose what I’m focusing on NOW. 17/

If this was helpful for you, follow me!

I’m the Productivity in Tools for Thought guy.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need me—and check out my newsletter and courses (link in bio)! 18/18