Practical productivity guide

Personal Kanban: make work in progress visible

A simple To Do → Doing → Done board can reveal overload better than a long undifferentiated task list.

KanbanWIP

Editorial review: August 10, 2026 · Claire M. Haverford

Keep columns simple

Start with only the states you truly use. Extra columns add maintenance before they add insight.

Limit Doing

If five items are simultaneously “in progress,” the board may be showing context switching rather than real parallel work.

Show blocked work

A blocked marker separates work that needs action from work waiting on another person or event.

Archive Done

Completed cards can be archived periodically so the board stays useful without losing a record of progress.

This site discusses planning and work habits, not medical treatment or diagnosis. Persistent attention, sleep, stress, or health concerns deserve support from a qualified adult or health professional rather than a productivity hack.