Inside StrikeThru – The Analog System Tripling My Productivity

The author says he has been more creative and has made more progress in the last six weeks, and he attributes most of that to a new habit called the StrikeThru method. He uses it to manage to-do lists and keep track of his thinking in a physical notebook.

Reading notes

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• He describes three main sections: the live list for daily work, the dump for free-form thoughts, and the vault for ongoing project lists.
• He also includes a calendar section for tasks set for specific days.
• Each item can have a tag so it can be moved into the live list by writing the tag number.
• At the end of the day, items can be crossed out if finished, marked with x if no longer a priority, or marked with > if carried over.
• He says the notebook should be carried everywhere to keep the habit going.
• He uses a Moleskine notebook and partitions it himself.
• He skips much of the referencing and tagging from the examples because he wants each item written as a commitment to himself.
• He also uses an online project management system for the team, but keeps personal lists in the notebook.
• He added a section at the bottom of each day for fitness items.
• He says the system works because it is offline, keeps everything in one place, and gives limited space for nine things a day.
• He says the limit pushes specificity and completion.
• He also says crossing things off a physical list feels satisfying and helps creativity.
• He credits Chris Kyle for StrikeThru and Ryder Carroll for Bullet Journal.