Ever wonder why those exciting creative projects on your to-do list never seem to get completed, no matter how much you accomplish day-to-day? You’re not alone.
We move through the day, checking off tasks, only to realize that we’re mostly handling the small stuff.
Meanwhile, the larger creative work that could truly move us forward lingers on the list day after day, week after week, causing shame, doubt, and confusion about whether we really have what it takes to succeed in creative endeavors.
The truth is, you absolutely have what it takes—but you need to adjust how you approach your creative work.
The Hidden Productivity Problem You Didn’t Know You Had
Too many creatives treat every type of work—action, errand, project, and task—the same way.
They gather everything they need or want to get done and toss it onto an ever-growing to-do list. Rather than pushing you forward, this growing list adds stress, shame, and overwhelm.
Our daily to-do lists often look something like this:
- Walk the dog
- Take the kids to school
- Work on novel
- Design a website
- Fix dinner
- Design a newsletter
This is where a lot of productivity gurus start preaching about waking up at 3:30 a.m., reconnecting with your inner child, taking cold showers, or using their specific tool—or worse, buying their $3,000 program.
But the path to solving this problem is much simpler.
It starts by recognizing that the list above contains both Tasks and Projects.
If you want to decrease overwhelm, confusion, and stagnation you need to start by separating the two.
Why Differentiating Between Tasks and Projects Matters
Tasks and projects are both frameworks of information we use to manage behavior (usually work to be done).
The structure of these frameworks is drastically different however.
Tasks as Information Units
Tasks represent discrete pieces of information. They are like atoms of productivity – small, self-contained, and carrying specific data about a single action.
Projects as Information Systems
Projects, on the other hand, are more like molecules. They contain multiple interconnected pieces of data, including tasks, resources and even other projects.
To expand on this concept let’s look at some of the key qualities of both.
Qualities of a Task
1. Single-step nature: A task typically involves one primary action.
2. Short time frame: Most tasks can be completed in a single sitting, usually within a few hours at most.
3. Clear completion point: You know exactly when a task is finished.
4. No sub-components: A task doesn’t need to be broken down further to be actioned.
5. Immediate actionability: You can start and finish a task without additional preparation.
Qualities of a Project
1. Multi-faceted: A project involves multiple actions, resources, or other projects.
2. Extended time frame: Projects typically span days, weeks, or even months.
3. Evolving goals: The end point of a project may shift as you progress.This is especially true with creative work.
5. Management is necessary: If you jump into a project without some forethought and planning you are going to struggle to finish and avoid overwhelm.
What this means is that you need to manage tasks and projects differently. Why?
The Benefits of Using the Right Tools for the Job
By consciously separating tasks and projects in your mind and your productivity systems, you gain several very important advantages:
1. Reduced Cognitive Load: When you treat tasks and projects as distinct entities, you reduce the mental effort required to process and act on your to-do list. This will reduce overwhelm and confusion about what to work on.
2. Improved Decision Making: Clear separation allows for better prioritization. You can more easily decide which tasks to tackle immediately and when. Projects require strategic planning that tasks do not. By separating the tactical from the strategic you can better do both.
3. Enhanced Focus: By isolating tasks, you create clear, actionable items that your brain can focus on without the distraction of larger project complexities.
4. Better Information Tracking and Retrieval: When you need to recall information about your work, having separate frameworks makes it easier to locate and contextualize the data you need.The types of information you track and retrieve on a task or project level is different.
Now that we have a strong understanding of what projects and tasks are and why it is important to differentiate between them. Let’s get that to-do list in a better place by finding a more appropriate home for our projects.
Your First Step: Audit Your To-Do List.
Start by taking a look at your current to-do list.
Now go through each item and try and determine if it is a Task or a Project.
When you’re unsure whether something is a task or a project, ask yourself these questions:
| Question | Yes | No |
| Can you complete this in a single sitting? | Task | Project |
| Is it a single, specific action? | Task | Project |
| Can you start working on this right away without additional planning? | Task | Project |
| Can you do this without breaking it down into smaller steps? | Task | Project |
| Can you finish this without coordinating with others? | Task | Project |
| Is it something you can easily delegate to someone else? | Task | Project |
This is a guide rather than a set of strict rules. Use your judgment and consider the context of your work when making the final determination. The goal is to help you organize your work more effectively, not to create rigid categories.
Your Second Step: Get those projects out of your to-do list!
Take all the items you determined were a project and put them into a separate list or project management system.
Don’t get too caught up in tools.
A simple list on google sheets is a fine starting point. We can always develop stronger systems later.
Your Third Step: Celebrate!!!!!
I’m serious. Give yourself a high five.
You’ve just taken a huge first step to organizing your work and life in a more intentional, coherent, and effective way.
There is still a lot of work to do to develop both your task and project management systems, but you’ve started the process by taking the time to differentiate your tasks and projects.
Remember that distinguishing between tasks and projects is a skill that develops over time.
Be patient with yourself, and soon, this differentiation will become second nature allowing you to focus on integrating tasks and projects and setting yourself up for success in all areas of your creative and professional life.