Get Everything Done

A Different Random Method

I ran into some procrastination while using the 5:2 method when I would resist the first item in the list. This helped me.

Supplies:
Paper, Pen, as many six-sided dice as you like (I prefer the sets of 12 or 36 from Chessex for reasons that may become clear), a clear receptacle for dice (a glass or the Chessex box). I strongly prefer physical objects (paper, pen, physical dice) for this method.

Method:
1. Write down five tasks that do not require a specific sequence to complete. If a task requires a specific sequence to complete, write down the next steps - e.g. "Laundry - washer (dryer/fold)". I feed this list using a larger list, but you might find success with a no-list method.
2. Roll all of your dice and place them in a line.
3. For each die, work as long as you like on the task:

1 - First Task
2 - Second Task
3 - Third Task
4 - Fourth Task
5 - Fifth Task
6 - Player's choice

4. If the task is incomplete, cross it out and re-enter it at the end of your list of five items. For multi-step items, you would re-enter the task with the current step - e.g. "Laundry - washer (dryer/fold)" would become "Laundry - dryer (fold)"
5. If the task is complete, cross it out.
6. In any case, drop the die into your receptacle.

Considerations:
As you work the list, you may find that a die has rolled a number higher than the number of tasks remaining on the list. In this case, add new tasks to the list until you once again have five, then proceed normally.

If you roll a six, always fill up the list back to five and then select which task you would like to do.

If you are feeling resistance to a given task, use the 'just get the folder out' method.

When you have completed all of the dice, you are done! You may need to reroll a new set or move on to some other method, depending on how many dice you rolled.

Areas of Interest/Potential Discussion
1. This kind of list is neither an open list nor a closed list. It acts more like a WIP (Work In-Progress) queue from a Kanban. You might call it a 'fixed' list (or semi-fixed list) since the number of items is (mostly) fixed at five.
2. Dropping the dice into the receptacle is very satisfying. It reminds me of the paperclip trick of moving a paperclip from one jar to another. (e.g. https://primeyourpump.com/2019/07/09/paper-clip-strategy/)
3. I haven't run the math on it, but I suspect that this will give a more focused experience than taking a long-list and running a randomizer on the whole thing.
4. You technically don't need to cross out and re-enter tasks that are incomplete, but that's another area that feels satisfying, so I haven't removed it.

Oh, this looks like a fun one! Might give it a try (with virtual dice).

So if there's a cross-out and re-enter (task actioned but incomplete), do the task numbers also change (shift by 1)?

Virix -

Yes, the task numbers do shift around. You just count each un-actioned line (not struck through) to determine the current task. In practice it's very fast, and I haven't found that tasks lag behind too long before they are actioned.

In the worst case, you could always use a roll of a 6 to catch up a lagging task back to the current part of the list.


Good luck! I like virtual dice but there's something satisfying about dropping objects into a cup.