We all need help being a bit more productive at times.
Fortunately, there are plenty of productivity methods out there designed to help you get the most out of your workflow. The best methods will help you keep your to-do list simple and prioritized as you move through your day. While some strategies are complicated, others make it incredibly easy for you to see what you need to do next in your schedule. One of the best systems around right now, has to be the “Personal Kanban” methodology.
Personal Kanban is a productivity strategy that’s easy to use and evolve. There are only two rules that you need to follow, and the system is intended to help you see where your priorities are, what you need to get done, and what you’ve accomplished so far.
Getting Started with Kanban
Kanban is one of the most popular agile methodologies on the market today, similar to the Pomodoro Technique. It has a basic structure to follow, and there are plenty of tools out there that can help you with mastering the Kanban strategy too.
Launching your personal Kanban routine is easy enough. Essentially, all you need to get started is a place where you can arrange your to-do list on something called a Kanban board. The key to making the most out of your productivity, is starting a chart with three columns, featuring:
- To-do
- Doing
- Done
These three columns guide your workflow, similar to a Scrum board. While some people struggle to tell the difference between Kanban and Scrum boards, the main thing to remember is that Kanban is all about only having a specific number of tasks in any column at any given time. Your “Doing” section will feature the things you’re working on right now, while your “To-do” section highlights what you need to work on. You should only have a specific number in each section. That means if your max is five and you want to move another item into your “Doing” section, but it’s already full, you’ll need to move something into the “Done” section before you can make progress.
The Benefits of Using Personal Kanban
Not only does a personal Kanban board show you what you need to get done in more manageable chunks, but it can also help to keep you motivated by showing you what you’ve already accomplished too! Additionally, because you can only have so many tasks in any given section at a time, it forces you to prioritize. You’ll need to make sure that you get the main tasks done first, and you can avoid multi-tasking and ruining your productivity.
There are plenty of ways to get started with Kanban today, from using a patch of wall covered in post-it notes, to downloading your own personal Kanban apps. You can even use Kanban-based systems online today like Kanban Flow or Trello! Once you’re used to using it, Kanban should make your productivity, and life a lot easier to handle.
