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71 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
[#]: collector: (lujun9972)
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[#]: translator: ( )
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[#]: reviewer: ( )
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[#]: publisher: ( )
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[#]: url: ( )
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[#]: subject: (3 stress-free steps to tackling your task list)
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[#]: via: (https://opensource.com/article/21/1/break-down-tasks)
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[#]: author: (Kevin Sonney https://opensource.com/users/ksonney)
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3 stress-free steps to tackling your task list
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======
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Break your larger tasks into small steps to keep from being overwhelmed.
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![Team checklist][1]
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In prior years, this annual series covered individual apps. This year, we are looking at all-in-one solutions in addition to strategies to help in 2021. Welcome to day 14 of 21 Days of Productivity in 2021.
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At the start of the week, I like to review my schedule and look at the things I either need or would like to accomplish. And often, there are some items on that list that are relatively big. Whether it is an issue for work, a series of articles on productivity, or maybe an improvement to the chicken enclosures, the task can seem really daunting when taken as a single job. The odds are good that I will not be able to sit down and finish something like (just as an example, mind you) 21 articles in a single block of time, or even a single day.
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![21 Days of Productivity project screenshot][2]
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21 Days of Productivity (Kevin Sonney, [CC BY-SA 4.0][3])
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So the first thing I do when I have something like this on my list is to break it down into smaller pieces. As Nobel laureate [William Faulkner][4] famously said, "The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." We need to take our big tasks (the mountain) and find the individual steps (the small stones) that need to be done.
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I use the following steps to break down my big tasks into little ones:
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1. I usually have a fair idea of what needs to be done to complete a task. If not, I do a little research to figure that out.
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2. I write down the steps I think it will take, in order.
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3. Finally, I sit down with my calendar and the list and start to spread the tasks out across several days (or weeks, or months) to get an idea of when I might finish it.
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Now I have not only a plan but an idea of how long it is going to take. As I complete each step, I can see that big task get not only a little smaller but closer to completion.
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There is an old military saying that goes, "No plan survives contact with the enemy." It is almost certain that there will be a point or two (or five) where I realize that something as simple as "take a screenshot" needs to be expanded into something _much_ more complex. In fact, taking the screenshots of [Easy!Appointments][5] turned out to be:
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1. Install and configure Easy!Appointments.
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2. Install and configure the Easy!Appointments WordPress plugin.
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3. Generate the API keys needed to sync the calendar.
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4. Take screenshots.
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Even then, I had to break these tasks down into smaller pieces—download the software, configure NGINX, validate the installs…you get the idea. And that's OK. A plan, or set of tasks, is not set in stone and can be changed as needed.
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![project completion pie chart][6]
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About 2/3 done for this year! (Kevin Sonney, [CC BY-SA 4.0][3])
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This is a learned skill and will take some effort the first few times. Learning how to break big tasks into smaller steps allows you to track progress towards a goal or completion of something big without getting overwhelmed in the process.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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via: https://opensource.com/article/21/1/break-down-tasks
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作者：[Kevin Sonney][a]
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选题：[lujun9972][b]
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译者：[译者ID](https://github.com/译者ID)
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校对：[校对者ID](https://github.com/校对者ID)
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本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创编译，[Linux中国](https://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出
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[a]: https://opensource.com/users/ksonney
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[b]: https://github.com/lujun9972
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[1]: https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/styles/image-full-size/public/lead-images/checklist_todo_clock_time_team.png?itok=1z528Q0y (Team checklist)
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[2]: https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/day14-image1.png
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[3]: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
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[4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Faulkner
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[5]: https://opensource.com/article/21/1/open-source-scheduler
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[6]: https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/day14-image2_1.png
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