The Real Reason You’re Not Getting Things Done

Sorry everyone. I lied.

Last week I said we'd jump into talking about tools, but what I should have said is that we would talk about a framework for getting things done. That’s like a tool right? I've actually already written a pretty good post (if I do say so myself) about tools you can find here.

But this week I want to talk about your to-do list…assuming you have one. You DO have one, right? Mine used to be obscenely long. A digital junk drawer where everything from "grow my fledgling newsletter" to "buy more scotch" lived in uncomfortable equality. Important ideas mingled with mundane errands. Half-formed thoughts competed with urgent deadlines.

And my poor list in TickTick would just grow and grow. Each day became this gauntlet of things to get through or move to the next day in mild shame. But over time I realized something: I wasn't failing at productivity, I was failing at classification. I was treating wildly different types of tasks as if they were all the same thing.

Lately, I've started classifying my to-dos into buckets, or what I now call "modes." This isn't a fresh revelation; it's something I've been mulling for a while now. And since it's actually improved my life, I figured it was time to write it down and share it with you. And who knows, maybe write a book about it…I dunno, there’s a lot of mulling going on.

So this week, let's talk about the five distinct modes of doing, what makes each one unique, why understanding these differences matters for your productivity and peace of mind, and how you can improve your approach to getting things done by finally calling things what they actually are.

The Problem: We Mislabel Our Work

Ever been haunted by the same task on your to-do list week after week? It sits there day after day, not because you don't want to tackle it, but because it's not actually a task. It's an entire project with multiple steps, decisions, and possibly copious amounts of caffeine.

We are basically terrible taxonomists of all the things we’re trying to do. We throw everything, from "buy toothpaste" to "rethink life," into the same bucket and then wonder why we're drowning. Most of our to-do list chaos comes from one simple problem: we treat everything like a task. But not all work is created equal.

Think of it this way: we'd never confuse "make dinner" with "learn Italian," yet somehow they end up side by side in our task managers with the same little checkbox waiting to be ticked. One takes 30 minutes and some basic cooking skills. The other might take years and a trip or two to Rome.

When we mislabel what we're trying to do, we set ourselves up for frustration before we even begin. We allocate the wrong amount of time, bring the wrong mindset, and then beat ourselves up when it somehow doesn't work.

The solution isn't to try harder at managing our misclassified mess. It's getting honest about what kind of work we're actually dealing with. When we recognize the true nature of our tasks, projects, and other work, we actually have a chance at progress.

The Five Modes of Doing

Let's break down the five fundamentally different ways we engage with our work. Each mode demands its own approach, mindset, and management style:

• Ideas (I) are flickers of possibility—the "what ifs" and "maybe somedays" that deserve capture but not immediate action. When I write down "create a podcast version of the newsletter" or "train my cat to fold laundry??" I'm not making a commitment. I'm giving a thought space to percolate. The mindset here is maybe. Treating ideas like tasks too early is like pulling up a seedling to see if it's growing.

• Tasks (T) are the one-and-done actions our to-do lists were built for. "Pick up prescriptions." "Pay the mortgage." "Order new alarm clock and claim it as a business expense." They have clear boundaries and a satisfying finish line. The mindset is do this. These are what actually belong on your to-do list, and checking them off feels good because it means you're done. No ambiguity.

• Checklists (C) are collections of related tasks that belong together. "Publish newsletter" isn't one action; it's a sequence: draft, edit, format, schedule, promote. The magic of checklists is the organization and clarity they bring. You can track progress through the sequence. The mindset is follow the steps. Whether used once or repeatedly, checklists transform scattered tasks into a coherent plan of attack.

• Projects (P) are the big efforts we often try to flatten into a single line item. "Redesign website." "Plan vacation." These aren't tasks—they're coordinated efforts requiring time, planning, and multiple sessions to complete. The mindset is achieve this. Unlike checklists, which follow known steps, projects involve multiple decisions, possibly collaboration, and navigation through uncertainty.

• Disciplines (D) are committed routines that don't get "done" in the traditional sense. "Daily writing." "Weekly finance review." "Morning walks." These aren't about finishing; they're about showing up. The mindset is become this. Disciplines aren't about urgency but identity. Over time, they do something no single task ever could: they change who you are.

Each mode carries its own momentum. When I started recognizing what I was actually looking at, I stopped trying to force everything into the shape of a task. I brought the right energy to the right kind of activity. Ideas got space. Projects got plans. Disciplines got patience.

Things didn't just get done; they flowed with less resistance and more purpose.

And in case the wall of text was too much for you, here’s a handy table that breaks it down.

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The Power of Proper Classification

I'm a huge fan of capturing everything. Notes, ideas, tasks, half-baked dreams—just get them out of your head and into a trusted place. Our brains aren't built to store information. They're built to process it.

But your inbox shouldn't double as your to-do list. When everything from "buy light bulbs" to "reinvent my business model" ends up in the same pile, it drains your mental bandwidth.

So how do we apply these five modes? Consider this simple classification system:

• I - Ideas: Move these to an idea vault or notebook. I use Apple Notes and Notion (more on this in a future edition).

• T - Tasks: These belong on your daily to-do list.

• C - Checklists: These can also live in your to-do list but should be properly grouped as a sequence rather than scattered individual tasks.

• P - Projects: Move these where you can have proper planning space. Something like Trello or Asana or a good old fashioned binder with tabs (Leslie Knope would be proud).

• D - Disciplines: Track these in a habit system or calendar. Even keep them in your to-do list but just label them for what they are.

This isn't about spending hours tinkering with a productivity system. It's about gaining clarity. Here's how this plays out with items from my own list:

"Buy Seattle Storm tickets" → T (Task: One clear action with a finish line)
"Poker prep for Saturday game" → C (Checklist: A sequence of related actions)
"Overhaul onboarding experience" → P (Project: Multiple steps that need planning)
"Morning meditation" → D (Discipline: Ongoing commitment that shapes identity)

None of those things changed, but how I relate to them did. That's the power of proper classification.

Here's a quick way to run your own review:

1. Skim your entire list without judgment or action.

2. Re-label each item using the five modes (I-T-C-P-D).

3. Move each type of work to its proper home.

This doesn't need to take more than 10 minutes. Remember, it's not about doing the work. It's about getting honest about what the work actually is.

Conclusion: The Clarity of Calling Things What They Are

There's a certain kind of magic in giving things a name. When I started sorting my work into these five modes, something shifted. My days weren't suddenly less busy, but they became less bewildering.

In a lot of ways, this isn't so much about productivity as it is about peace of mind. It's about approaching each kind of work with the right expectations and the right energy.

Your homework this week: Spend 10 minutes with your to-do list. How many projects are masquerading as tasks? How many disciplines are you trying to "complete" instead of embody? How many ideas need space to develop before they're ready for action?

Be honest. Be clear. Call things what they are.

Because the real power isn't in doing more things. It's in knowing exactly what you're doing.

As always, thanks for reading,
— Derek
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