How to Organize a Bullet Journal with the Master Task List

[@nicolasnobre-g8x]

Loved this video. I started using the Astirna New Tab extension to help me manage my daily tasks better. It pairs well with the bullet journal system you’re teaching.

[@MattRagland]

Nice, I had not heard of that, but I will check it out. Thanks for watching!

[@TheSokodelic]

Oh man, where has this been all my life!?! Thank you so much man! This is a game changer.

[@itsjohnnyy9626]

I think Ryders method originally meant for you to write tasks once and then at the end of the month you go through and rewrite the ones you want to transfer to the next month, cross out the ones that you aren’t gonna do, and write the ones you’ll do in the future in your future log and that’s how I’ve always handled unfinished tasks in my bullet journal

[@missnurseeri]

Indeed

[@maurelioneves]

How can we control the tasks not completed in a day, if we don't rewrite them for the new day, how are we going to keep them in sight to carry them out? Please see my comment above.

[@denisewenke8323]

I like it! My weekly list is usually made up of stuff migrated from last week and things I think of as I am setting it up. I finally learned not to migrate tasks between days, but to look through previous days for open tasks when I have time for them. If I plan to pick up an old task today, I jot a keyword and page number to thread back to the original task. Not the most linear approach, but it works for me.

[@CraigLaMar]

Denise Wenke i use that in combo with a digital app that I can auto review uncompleted tasks and forward to a future date. Most efficient as some of my tasks do not have to be completed today or this week or month but do have to be done within 6 months or it impacts my long term business.

[@PumkinPeanut]

Where do you jot the keyword & pg #? Is it on the current day and you jot the pg # of when the task was first written or do you mean you go back to the original task and add a note near it with the pg number/date you finally completed that task?

[@denisewenke8323]

@@PumkinPeanut It's on the current page, and I flip back to the original page to see the details. When I put the abbreviated task on the current page, I will mark the original task with the migration arrow so that I know in future reviews that it was picked up later.

[@paolaverteramo8638]

I recently started using this method at work and I love it! I don't have an actual book. I use Word to add all my tasks for the week. Then copy and paste each task into the day it needs to be done. If it doesn't get done that day, I can simply copy and paste it to the next day. If I need to pass on the tasks to someone else, I have the option to print the list and give it to them. So far it's working great! Thank you for this video.

[@briteddy9759]

I use what has been referred to as the Allistar method. I write the tasks once and then I have columns for each of the seven days of the week. If I know which day I need to do the task, I note that with a dot. I mark completed tasks with an X. A slash, / means I got the task started. There are variations on how this method is worked, so searching for KZbin videos is probably best. I still have a section for each day, but they are reserved for appointments or meetings. I just can’t do the transferring of any task on a daily basis, even only one or two. Plus, for me this gives a better overview.

[@LettyLynn-i7b]

This video really helped me streamline my bullet journal. I've also been using the Astirna New Tab extension lately, and it makes organizing my tasks even easier. It's nice to have everything in one place.

[@MattRagland]

It's great to hear you've found a system that works for you!

[@Sarah-ss2mb]

since i’m a kiddo and dont have too much going on every week besides school, i have a monthly master task list with stuff that doesnt have a specific day to be completed. when i decide on a day to do a task, it goes into my vertical monthly spread (traditional bujo monthly) on that day. since i rapid log and write down my dailies at the beginning of each day, i go check back at the vertical monthly for any tasks scheduled for the day. wow i just realized how complicated all of this sounds lol

[@katie.zhang21]

I want to try that!

[@sakanade12]

I do the same!

[@TristanBailey]

Sitting in the morning sun doing my daily and catching up on YT.

[@frankm.2850]

Hey Matt, I'm curious how you handle repeating tasks in your bullet journal?

[@vonniepeterson9901]

I used a steno book for a year and a half at work and would rewrite the tasks, as Jake did. it just seemed to take too much time. So I started a bullet journal, and I wrote everything down I knew I had to do that week on Monday. Then, for the rest of the week, I would only add new tasks each day that popped up, and when I completed a task, no matter the day, I then note the date that I completed it beside it, and any note about it on the current day or around the original task, if there is room. Kind of like your master task list. and if I have spare room, I write notes for the week, or lists. and then I would only migrate uncompleted items to the next week. I have a future log in the back of the bullet journal, and a cheat sheet of things in the back too. My bullet journal is 5.5 x 7 and works just as I need it too. working out great.

[@RayneBlue]

I started doing this about a year ago in my work BuJo. One page is weekly ToDo (Master Task List) and the facing page is Weekly Highlights (Events and/or Assignments that were completed on the day they were done/completed). These are usually bigger/important items. My daily ToDos are the mundane items that need done but aren't really highlight worthy (i.e. weekly status update, reminders via email, docs to share, etc.) Good practice. Thanks for sharing, Matt!

[@4kassis]

To do for Monday: color code my library. Looks better that way on KZbin!

[@shirleystack4704]

I journal. It IS a benefit! An organized journal such as this will help even more. Thank you.

[@Beriffic]

I've been using this method for a while (except I call it Weekly Backlog) and have found it to be really effective.

[@MrMoxyrocks]

Thanks for this Matt. Will give it a go. As always cheers for your help.

[@KaitlinGrey]

Yes Matt!!! Loving the cinematography (and the bujo hack of course) 🙌🏻

[@MattRagland]

Thanks for saying that! Have really tried to change things up a bit more 🙏❤️

[@hudsonkelly72]

Great suggestions to create a master task list! Thank you

[@yellit1975]

I don’t use a daily task list. I use a weekly one with a column for each day. I mark the day I want to do the task on. Tasks only get migrated if I need to move it from week to week.

[@MattRagland]

Good idea too!

[@briteddy9759]

My way of handling tasks also. I have seen it referred to as the Alistair method on KZbin.

[@melthoniel992]

I use this, too!

[@00calimon]

The weekly column is also called the Alastair Method.

[@sudarshanpokhrel2996]

Hp

[@Dreblueskies]

Great idea! I have a master project list and use it like that.

[@sawomirsliwicki5373]

Hi Matt, good subject. Good film! However it is not so simply to implement master task list if you have a lot of ideas, consepts, proposals etc generally more than few. My master task list have ca 200 tasks and is recorded electronically because it is easier to control all the tasks, limits duplicates and allows me to find what I look for at the very moment quite quick. For bullet journal puproses I make a list seleceted taks every month that I plan to do . I gather this task on Alaistair's table and assign to the particular weeks in the month. Every week I review this list and put the link in my weekly register to have hint to look in the monthly planner. It works quite good. It limits rewriting task too often.

[@MattRagland]

Good ideas! Glad you have a process that works for you, that's all that matters :)

[@estherlum9045]

Hi Matt, I'm so glad to have ran into this video. In my current system, I am way too anxious 😰 😰to budget how many pages for brain dumps that I have an entire other notebook just to do that. It's a whole book that's one running task list week after week and I don't migrate anything unless I feel like it'll be too far back to flip and reference. Then I'm considering adding the "Master task list" page like you have to refine my brain dump into the week's load of tasks.

[@maurelioneves]

Please see my comment above.

[@sheilaoreilly6826]

Check out Derek Reinhardt's GTD with Bullet Journal method book.

[@UmiChan358]

I was experimenting the migration task problem, but this solution I will try It, thanks!

[@jmartinezhdz]

I use a master task too, but on the other side, when I rewrite a task two or three times, I wonder why I can't get that task done, and work to get that done, or like you said of it's not important, get rid of it...

[@katie.zhang21]

This is really helpful. I want to use this technique to create a master task list.

[@MattRagland]

Glad you like it Kate :)

[@TvNetJunkie]

I adopted this method recently because, like Jake, I was tired of migrating tasks lol.

[@TheFitmar]

Definitely good idea what I am going to try. Thanks 😊

[@Exercises10]

Great idea, Matt, I will give it a try!!

Hey Matt, thanks so much for the video. I personally came up with a monthly spread with all four/five weeks layed out where I put my tasks for each week in. As I use a modified Alastair method, I can also assign tasks to a specific day. And that brings me to my question: When you put a task/deadline into a specific day some weeks ahead, how do you make sure that you become aware of that task early enough to tackle it (e.g. if it needs some preparation or can't actually be done in one day). Keep up the great work! I'm constantly inspired by your style and approach.

[@AVigortsson]

I think you’ve mentioned this in a previous video, but what software do you use for when you showed your digital to-do and drag/dropped it to the next day? Always nice to get new ideas 😊👍🏻

[@rendan66]

It looked like Notion to me

[@TristanBailey]

I know you don’t have a lot of space in your little book but have you thought of a frankenlog 5 day columns on the side of your weekly so you can ckeck days you worked on it. I like this as shows I did push the task the whole week “I was going to” and so end of week decide to drop it or I must prioritise it more.

[@IAmSherry12]

Everyone is unique and what works for one person....well, you know. Something that works for me IS the actual writing out of tasks. It ingrains it in my mind and intentions. I don't mind rewriting. Also, if I end up rewriting something for weeks on end, it provides the opportunity to evaluate that item and possibly eliminate it from my list - perhaps it's something I feel I should do, but it's not something that is right for me (at that time). Keeping a simple Bujo that isn't all fru-fru is a key for me. I've watched videos of journalers who spend half their waking hours learning to write in cool fonts, practice drawing skills, etc... their journals are pretty to look at, but...that's a time such (for me). Most of us have journals to make our busy lives easier, not the other way around.

[@Maxandroid70]

This reflects how I always thought of the rewriting of tasks - if I find myself rewriting the same tasks, am I avoiding doing them? Are they still relevant? Personally, I don't rewrite daily but I do a reflection weekly or so.

[@barbaracimini1447]

Great idea!

[@MattRagland]

Glad you think so!

[@cullinm]

Nice video! With “master task lists” I always feel that I struggle either putting too much or not enough on the list. Then it virtually becomes useless. I need to revisit this.

[@MattRagland]

Yeah that can definitely be a point of struggle! Do you ever feel good about completing everything on your list though? Or if you put "too much" on it realizing that somethings weren't necessary?

[@garyleeson]

I find that a weekly based task list did not work for me.. Ended having to migrate from week to week tasks. Found better just having a task collection which i picked the next task worked better in general.

[@HustleHue]

Amazing video and perspective thanks!

[@debojyotibanerjee2832]

Can you please make a video for students like how to stop procastination by a to do list of chapters with a dead line of time ?

[@MattRagland]

I'm not sure I understand the question? You can create a to-do list in a BuJo and set a deadline, sounds like the issue is more habits + discipline?

[@denisewenke8323]

@@MattRagland possibly a collection to plan it out? Did I miss the Collections video somehow, or is it still upcoming?

[@debojyotibanerjee2832]

@@MattRagland it's like if you try to set a deadline Should it be hour based or days wise ?

[@JudiJoseph]

What site is he showing at 1:55 ?

[@HopeImbue]

Notion

[@YnnaMendoza]

Just saw your email about your Build a Journaling Habit course, where can I sign up?!

[@MattRagland]

mattragland.podia.com/journaling is where you can sign up!

[@YnnaMendoza]

@@MattRagland I'm all signed up and ready!

[@worldoflewisjames9069]

Thank you!

[@Life_With_Lady]

I have always used one.

[@mikewoods8476]

What I start to do is start with the days, then goal then I doodle or draw in my diary

[@danhoffman6906]

I worry I'm too much of a procrastinator that I'll leave too many tasks for the end of the week :( Having to rewrite them kind of motivates me to get it done just to not have to migrate it forward lol

[@carladegraaf3329]

Look the alastairmethod love it

[@wendybeach1036]

Finding the time in the day to get things done (outside of work) throws me.

[@katherineh9814]

Absolutely the same.

[@clay_9171]

I think another great solution is to write weekly logs instead of monthly

[@GrooDWanderer]

I hate rewriting tasks. I get them done so I don't have to. If I don't, I write them down til they are done. The aggravation is a good motivator for me.

[@Vutha962]

Hahahahaha thank you for telling me to stop rewriting task to rewriting task :))

[@samuele.marcora]

Where does people get the idea that one needs to migrate unfinished tasks daily? Ryder suggests to migrate tasks only once a month

[@katherineh9814]

Because you might have to do a task that is time specific. If you don’t get it done Tuesday, it would perhaps have to get done Wednesday, or by the end of the week, but certainly not the next month. I have tons of tasks that can’t be migrated month to month- I’d lose my job!!

[@samuele.marcora]

@@katherineh9814 agree but those are special kinds of tasks with specific ways to track them. I m talking about migrating all the tasks every day. It's nuts and not suggested by Carroll

[@michelleulrikeskouborgquit6416]

I make a master task list + The Alastair Method (bulletjournal.com/blogs/bulletjournalist/future-log-the-alastair-method) But with days (mon, thu, wen, ...). And den just mark the day i'm doing the specific task.

[@fritzzy.k.]

0:17 breakfree...

[@Najobajo]

meat and potatoes: 3:14

[@michaelkamutzki]

I create a weekly master task list too: michael-kamutzki.com/the-alastair-methode-to-implement-gtd-in-a-bujo/

[@ParisianStreets]

You look a bit like Jim Carry due to the dimple.

[@SirSpaceboots]

thanks jim carrey

[@trmtnzr]

that mistake you're mentioning, but not exactly clarifying: you're not supposed to migrate your tasks on a _daily_ basis - its a _monthly_ migration (or weekly, for those who use weekly cycles).

[@elliott.b]

Thank you! I was looking for that comment. I watched Ryder Carroll's video and at no point does he talk about migrating every day...>.

[@trmtnzr]

Elliott B. He calls it monthly migration in his book - highly recommended! It has lots of details and examples.

[@willydeliege]

You didn"t understand bullet journaling

[@maurelioneves]

Combining the ideas from the video with the comments below, I'm starting a monthly master list. And I will only add the ones I have completed to the diary, crossing them off the master list. At the end of the month I will only migrate what I am interested in moving to the next month. @itsjohnny9629 @estherlum9045