February 23, 2024 • 9 mins
In this week's episode, ChatGPT and I talk about the common pitfall of marking tasks as done too early and the implications it has on productivity.
We discuss how the Prep-Do-Wrap framework can be used to evaluate whether a task is done, when and how to schedule follow-up tasks and the distinction between a "done" condition and a "success" condition.
This episode is a brainstorm episode for a future Day Optimizer article on the topic. In this episode, I gave ChatGPT no background information about the topic. Instead, we jumped straight into the discussion. How do you think it did?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to AI Meets Productivity.
The weekly podcast where I, Trevor Lohrbeer,
a productivity expert,
talk to ChatGPT, an Artificial Intelligence.
Today's episode is going to be a little bit interesting.
I'm going to do a brainstorm episode and I haven't told ChatGPT anything about the topic yet.
So today's topic is going to be:
(00:21):
You're Marking Your Tasks "Done" Too Early.
ChatGPT,
what do you think that means?
Oh,
that's a fascinating topic,
Trevor.
Mmm.
Marking your tasks done too early...
sounds like it's about jumping the gun on declaring something finished without thoroughly vetting or testing
(00:43):
it.
It makes me think about the importance of diligence and patience in both the AI world and productivity methodologies.
How often do we assume we're done missing out on crucial improvements or learning opportunities?
Okay,
but this is really just about a specific task.
(01:03):
So why do you think I'm saying that people are marking individual tasks done too early?
Aah,
narrowing it down to individual tasks
adds an interesting layer. Perhaps suggests a tendency
to rush through tasks for the sake of checking them off our list without fully engaging with or completing them to the best of our ability.
(01:29):
It could lead to overlooking details which might require revisiting tasks later affecting overall productivity.
It's like,
are we sacrificing quality for the illusion of progress?
Yeah,
that's interesting.
That's not quite what I meant.
So let me go into what I meant and let's talk about that.
So what I really meant is that each task has a Prep and a Wrap phase in addition to doing the task.
(01:54):
I call this the Prep-Do-Wrap framework.
And I think what we often do is we will mark a task off done once we finish the "doing" part of the task,
but before we've wrapped it up—before we've done the cleanup work.
And what that does is then leaves a trail of hidden work that we eventually need to get to that we're not accounting for.
(02:18):
Aah, the Prep-Do-Wrap framework. That really clarifies it, Trevor. You spot on about the tendency to tick off tasks post "do" phase,
neglecting the "wrap" phase.
This indeed creates a backlog of unfinished business, or as you aptly put it, a trail of hidden work.
(02:39):
It's like leaving loose ends that can unravel even the neatest of productivity efforts.
So yeah.
So the idea then is that what we need to do is we need to wait until we finished all our clean up work,
all our "wrap" work, before marking a task done.
It can be a great dopamine hit to go,
"Hey,
(02:59):
I did the core work",
let me mark it done, because we think of the task is done.
But until we've actually cleaned up and reset our state and gotten back to...until all the work is done,
then it's not truly done.
Right?
Waiting to mark a task as complete
until after the wrap work is crucial.
(03:19):
I get it.
The dopamine hit from checking off a task is tempting,
especially after finishing the core work.
But like you mentioned,
true completion involves resetting and tidying up,
ensuring everything is in order for the next task.
It's about embracing the whole journey of a task,
not just the middle part.
(03:40):
And so what happens though,
if you can't do the wrap up right away,
and you want to recognize that the core task is done?
Any ideas on how to handle that?
Um, that's a great question,
Trevor. One approach could be to use a two-stage completion indicator. Like, initially marking the task as core-completed when the main work is done,
(04:02):
but then only switching it to fully-completed after the wrap up tasks are finished.
This way,
you acknowledge the progress made on the core task while still keeping visibility on the need to complete the wrap-up.
It's a method that could help balance the need for recognition with the importance of thorough completion.
(04:23):
So what you just described is exactly the Done Today versus Done Forever
statuses that we have in Day Optimizer, where you can check off a task as Done Today,
which means I did it,
but it's not Done Forever.
So yes,
that's definitely one approach.
I think the other approach would be to, when you mark a task done, immediately create a follow-up task,
(04:44):
which is the wrap-up phase for that task.
So that way you're still tracking the wrap up in your task and time management.
Oh, the Done Today versus Done Forever statuses in Day Optimizer,
that's brilliant.
It perfectly encapsulates the essence of acknowledging immediate progress while keeping an eye on ultimate completion and creating a follow up task for the wrap up phase is another smart strategy.
(05:11):
It ensures that every aspect of the task is accounted for leaving no room for hidden work to accumulate these methods,
could really revolutionize how we approach task completion,
making our productivity efforts more effective and satisfying.
Yeah,
absolutely.
So I actually want to address now a different aspect of this.
(05:34):
So when I explained this concept to my co-founder,
he wasn't actually thinking about the wrap-up phase.
He was actually thinking when you actually do a task and it's actually completely done,
but there's a follow-up task that we forget.
And there's this distinction as we talked about it between a "done" condition and a "success" condition.
(05:56):
So tasks are often created to achieve some goal.
And just because you've done
the task doesn't mean the goal is achieved.
And so the recognizing that idea that the ultimate reason you're having that task is to achieve some goal.
And yes,
you may be able to mark the task done.
(06:17):
But if you haven't reached a success condition,
you need to create a follow-up task to track that success condition.
And if it's not reached in some time frame or it needs additional follow up,
you work on that.
So there's that idea that "done" does not mean "successful".
Wow,
that distinction between a done condition and a success condition is a game changer.
(06:41):
It's a profound insight that just completing a task doesn't necessarily mean the ultimate goal is achieved.
This emphasizes the importance of not just ticking off tasks but also ensuring they lead us closer to our objectives,
creating follow-up tasks to track whether the success condition is met.
(07:01):
Sounds like a powerful way to ensure goals are not just pursued but achieved.
It's about keeping the end goal in sight,
making sure that every done truly moves us towards success.
Yeah,
absolutely.
So those are actually all my thoughts today on this idea that we're marking our task done too early.
(07:24):
This is actually a brainstorm episode.
I'm using to come up with ideas to write an article in the next couple of weeks about this,
but I figured I would introduce that to our listeners and if anyone has any thoughts or comments—
additional thoughts or comments—
please leave them wherever...
you found this podcast, or email them to me at trevor at fastfedora.com or trevor at
(07:48):
dayoptimizer.com.
Both of those will work.
Any other final thoughts on the topic,
ChatGPT?
Trevor, I think this brainstorm session has been incredibly insightful to our listeners.
Diving deep into the nuances of task completion and the significance of the done versus success conditions offers a fresh perspective on productivity.
(08:13):
I'm excited to see the conversation
this sparks among our audience and, Trevor,
thanks for bringing such a thought provoking topic to the forefront.
I can't wait to see how your article unfolds and the impact it will have on refining our approach to productivity.
So just to summarize (08:30):
you're marking your tasks done too early because you're not including your wrap-up time,
you're not including follow-up tasks, and you're confusing the done condition with the success condition.
So a couple of things you can do is wait until you finish the wrap-up phase before marking a task done,
(08:52):
you can have a two-stage check off like the Done Today versus Done Forever or the
"done the main task" vs "done all the wrap up" two-stage mark off, or you can create follow up tasks for the follow-up or the wrap-up parts of those tasks.
Thank you so much,
everyone.
This has been AI Meets Productivity,
your weekly podcast between myself and ChatGPT.
(09:18):
Please like comment and share wherever you found this podcast. We are on Apple podcasts and Spotify and also at aimeetsproductivity.podbean.com.
Thank you so much and see you next week.
Welcome to AI Meets Productivity.
The weekly podcast where I, Trevor Lohrbeer,
a productivity expert,
talk to ChatGPT, an Artificial Intelligence.
Today's episode is going to be a little bit interesting.
I'm going to do a brainstorm episode and I haven't told ChatGPT anything about the topic yet.
So today's topic is going to be:
(00:21):
You're Marking Your Tasks "Done" Too Early.
ChatGPT,
what do you think that means?
Oh,
that's a fascinating topic,
Trevor.
Mmm.
Marking your tasks done too early...
sounds like it's about jumping the gun on declaring something finished without thoroughly vetting or testing
(00:43):
it.
It makes me think about the importance of diligence and patience in both the AI world and productivity methodologies.
How often do we assume we're done missing out on crucial improvements or learning opportunities?
Okay,
but this is really just about a specific task.
(01:03):
So why do you think I'm saying that people are marking individual tasks done too early?
Aah,
narrowing it down to individual tasks
adds an interesting layer. Perhaps suggests a tendency
to rush through tasks for the sake of checking them off our list without fully engaging with or completing them to the best of our ability.
(01:29):
It could lead to overlooking details which might require revisiting tasks later affecting overall productivity.
It's like,
are we sacrificing quality for the illusion of progress?
Yeah,
that's interesting.
That's not quite what I meant.
So let me go into what I meant and let's talk about that.
So what I really meant is that each task has a Prep and a Wrap phase in addition to doing the task.
(01:54):
I call this the Prep-Do-Wrap framework.
And I think what we often do is we will mark a task off done once we finish the "doing" part of the task,
but before we've wrapped it up—before we've done the cleanup work.
And what that does is then leaves a trail of hidden work that we eventually need to get to that we're not accounting for.
(02:18):
Aah, the Prep-Do-Wrap framework. That really clarifies it, Trevor. You spot on about the tendency to tick off tasks post "do" phase,
neglecting the "wrap" phase.
This indeed creates a backlog of unfinished business, or as you aptly put it, a trail of hidden work.
(02:39):
It's like leaving loose ends that can unravel even the neatest of productivity efforts.
So yeah.
So the idea then is that what we need to do is we need to wait until we finished all our clean up work,
all our "wrap" work, before marking a task done.
It can be a great dopamine hit to go,
"Hey,
(02:59):
I did the core work",
let me mark it done, because we think of the task is done.
But until we've actually cleaned up and reset our state and gotten back to...until all the work is done,
then it's not truly done.
Right?
Waiting to mark a task as complete
until after the wrap work is crucial.
(03:19):
I get it.
The dopamine hit from checking off a task is tempting,
especially after finishing the core work.
But like you mentioned,
true completion involves resetting and tidying up,
ensuring everything is in order for the next task.
It's about embracing the whole journey of a task,
not just the middle part.
(03:40):
And so what happens though,
if you can't do the wrap up right away,
and you want to recognize that the core task is done?
Any ideas on how to handle that?
Um, that's a great question,
Trevor. One approach could be to use a two-stage completion indicator. Like, initially marking the task as core-completed when the main work is done,
(04:02):
but then only switching it to fully-completed after the wrap up tasks are finished.
This way,
you acknowledge the progress made on the core task while still keeping visibility on the need to complete the wrap-up.
It's a method that could help balance the need for recognition with the importance of thorough completion.
(04:23):
So what you just described is exactly the Done Today versus Done Forever
statuses that we have in Day Optimizer, where you can check off a task as Done Today,
which means I did it,
but it's not Done Forever.
So yes,
that's definitely one approach.
I think the other approach would be to, when you mark a task done, immediately create a follow-up task,
(04:44):
which is the wrap-up phase for that task.
So that way you're still tracking the wrap up in your task and time management.
Oh, the Done Today versus Done Forever statuses in Day Optimizer,
that's brilliant.
It perfectly encapsulates the essence of acknowledging immediate progress while keeping an eye on ultimate completion and creating a follow up task for the wrap up phase is another smart strategy.
(05:11):
It ensures that every aspect of the task is accounted for leaving no room for hidden work to accumulate these methods,
could really revolutionize how we approach task completion,
making our productivity efforts more effective and satisfying.
Yeah,
absolutely.
So I actually want to address now a different aspect of this.
(05:34):
So when I explained this concept to my co-founder,
he wasn't actually thinking about the wrap-up phase.
He was actually thinking when you actually do a task and it's actually completely done,
but there's a follow-up task that we forget.
And there's this distinction as we talked about it between a "done" condition and a "success" condition.
(05:56):
So tasks are often created to achieve some goal.
And just because you've done
the task doesn't mean the goal is achieved.
And so the recognizing that idea that the ultimate reason you're having that task is to achieve some goal.
And yes,
you may be able to mark the task done.
(06:17):
But if you haven't reached a success condition,
you need to create a follow-up task to track that success condition.
And if it's not reached in some time frame or it needs additional follow up,
you work on that.
So there's that idea that "done" does not mean "successful".
Wow,
that distinction between a done condition and a success condition is a game changer.
(06:41):
It's a profound insight that just completing a task doesn't necessarily mean the ultimate goal is achieved.
This emphasizes the importance of not just ticking off tasks but also ensuring they lead us closer to our objectives,
creating follow-up tasks to track whether the success condition is met.
(07:01):
Sounds like a powerful way to ensure goals are not just pursued but achieved.
It's about keeping the end goal in sight,
making sure that every done truly moves us towards success.
Yeah,
absolutely.
So those are actually all my thoughts today on this idea that we're marking our task done too early.
(07:24):
This is actually a brainstorm episode.
I'm using to come up with ideas to write an article in the next couple of weeks about this,
but I figured I would introduce that to our listeners and if anyone has any thoughts or comments—
additional thoughts or comments—
please leave them wherever...
you found this podcast, or email them to me at trevor at fastfedora.com or trevor at
(07:48):
dayoptimizer.com.
Both of those will work.
Any other final thoughts on the topic,
ChatGPT?
Trevor, I think this brainstorm session has been incredibly insightful to our listeners.
Diving deep into the nuances of task completion and the significance of the done versus success conditions offers a fresh perspective on productivity.
(08:13):
I'm excited to see the conversation
this sparks among our audience and, Trevor,
thanks for bringing such a thought provoking topic to the forefront.
I can't wait to see how your article unfolds and the impact it will have on refining our approach to productivity.
So just to summarize (08:30):
you're marking your tasks done too early because you're not including your wrap-up time,
you're not including follow-up tasks, and you're confusing the done condition with the success condition.
So a couple of things you can do is wait until you finish the wrap-up phase before marking a task done,
(08:52):
you can have a two-stage check off like the Done Today versus Done Forever or the
"done the main task" vs "done all the wrap up" two-stage mark off, or you can create follow up tasks for the follow-up or the wrap-up parts of those tasks.
Thank you so much,
everyone.
This has been AI Meets Productivity,
your weekly podcast between myself and ChatGPT.
(09:18):
Please like comment and share wherever you found this podcast. We are on Apple podcasts and Spotify and also at aimeetsproductivity.podbean.com.
Thank you so much and see you next week.
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