5 EASY Steps To Create A Personal Productivity Backlog

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If you want to be known as the person who is always getting things DONE then you need to set up a personal productivity backlog ASAP.

As a Mindset and Productivity Coach for perfectionists, I am always encouraging my clients to streamline their productivity systems and focus on one thing at a time so that they stop their cycle of procrastination and burnout.

This often means setting up a personal productivity backlog so that future tasks are captured and not forgotten. At the end of the day, it’s all about organisation and prioritisation when it comes down to getting things done.

Also, as a project manager, I am always finding ways to incorporate structured project management techniques into my and my client’s lives because I am such a nerd for systems and processes!

But don’t worry you don’t have to be a productivity nerd like me to learn how to create a backlog. I’ve broken this topic down into the fundamental bits of information you need to know so that you can become the most productive version of yourself.

Open notebook with post-it notes and stickers inside of it to show a personal productivity backlog

Table of Contents

What is a backlog?

A personal backlog system is a strategic method for managing your task projects and ideas in a way that prioritises the things that truly matter to you. It is basically a giant list of everything you need or want to do without the pressure of having to tackle everything right away.

I like to think of it as a structured brain dump because you can capture and organise tasks as they come into your mind yet still focus on the things that you need to do in your day-to-day life.

It’s a great way to reduce your mental clutter and externalise your thoughts so that you can stop overthinking.

The term ‘backlog’ is often used in Scrum project management teams that work in an agile (iterative) way.

How is a backlog different from a to-do list?

Backlogs and to-do lists look very similar however they have different purposes when it comes to managing your productivity system.

To-do lists tend to focus on daily or immediate tasks that need to be completed whereas a backlog contains pretty much anything and everything that you might want to do in the future.

A to-do list often lacks structure as it’s just a running list of tasks that need to be completed. So having a long to-do list feels overwhelming because every task feels urgent. Whereas a backlog is prioritised based on importance and urgency so you can focus on high-value tasks without completely forgetting about your less urgent tasks

There is no real pressure to complete all of your tasks in a backlog because its main purpose is to capture information so that it’s not stored in your mind. You can pick out relevant tasks in your backlog and work on them in a productivity sprint or you can leave tasks in your backlog for a future date without feeling any pressure. Whereas a to-do list can feel rigid and stressful especially if there are too many tasks in a single day.

What are the benefits?

There are many benefits to maintaining a backlog in your personal life because it allows you to capture all future activities in one place and prioritise them based on your needs. It’s great if you want to take a more mindful productivity approach to achieving your goals.

Clears your mind
Reduces anxiety and overwhelm
Allows you to prioritise your tasks based on values and goals
Stops you from being busy for the sake of it
Better flexibility
Improved long-term planning
Balanced and holistic productivity

Realistic examples

In the past, I have used Notion or Google Sheets to keep track of my backlog and I like to use categories for each area of my life such as:

Personal and spiritual growth
Health and fitness
Friends and family
Romantic relationship
Career and business
Financial health
Fun and Recreation
Physical environment

I’d basically dump any activity or task that needed to be done in the table or spreadsheet, categorise it and then allocate it a prioritisation level.

Then in my quarterly or monthly review, I decide which high-priority tasks to complete during that time period.

For example:

Personal and spiritual growth

Read the bible in one year – medium priority, ongoing task
Learn to speak intermediate French – low priority, one-day task
Complete a mindfulness meditation course – medium priority, next year

Health and fitness

Run a marathon – low priority, one day
Develop a daily yoga practice – medium priority, ongoing
Learn how to swim – high priority, next quarter

How to create a personal backlog system

1. Create a filing system

You need to create a reliable filing system so that you can capture and store all of your tasks, ideas and projects. This step is so important because it ensures that you don’t forget anything and allows you to easily access and organise your backlog without stress or confusion.

Choose an appropriate task management system that suits your preferences such as Notion, Google Keep, Google Sheets, Trello or a bullet journal. I tend to prefer using digital tools for my backlog specifically because it’s much easier to edit and move things around
Set up categories in each area of your life (personal and spiritual growth, health and fitness, friends and family, romantic relationships, career and business, financial health, fun and recreation, physical environment)
Whenever a task or idea comes to mind add it to the relevant category in your filing system

2. Organise your list

Taking the time to organise your backlog will help you SO MUCH in the future when it comes to planning productivity sprints. Try to prioritise your tasks based on the importance, urgency and alignment with your core values.

You can use the Eisenhower Matrix to divide tasks into four categories: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, not urgent and not important
Try to categorise each task even further based on the priority level e.g high, medium, low
You might even want to add 2 additional categories to show how time or energy-consuming each activity is
Do a final review of your tasks to check if they are in alignment with your core values and purpose. The last thing you want to do is waste time completing tasks that are out of alignment with your true self

3. Plan your sprints

Productivity sprints are short highly focused periods of work that our dedicated to completing a specific task or goal. It’’s a great way to tick off a lot of activities on your backlog in a short space of time so that your workload feels manageable and less overwhelming. You can find out more about creating and implementing productivity sprints here.

Pick one or two high-priority tasks from your backlog to focus on
Choose a sprint length that enables you to complete those tasks effectively (E.g. one week – four weeks)
Set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Empowering and Reflective goals (SMARTER) that you want to complete by the end of this sprint
Identify all of the resources that you need and gather them
Plan out your sprint on a day-by-day or week-by-week basis
Start your sprint

4. Reflect on lessons learnt

It is incredibly important to regularly reflect on your progress and identify any lessons you have learned while working on tasks from your backlog. This will help you improve your backlog system and productivity practices over time so that you can be more efficient and better able to plan.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What tasks did I complete successfully during this sprint?
Which tasks were not completed, and why?
Were my initial priorities aligned with my core values?
Did I overestimate or underestimate the time required for certain tasks?
What challenges or obstacles did I encounter?
How effectively did I use my chosen tools and systems?
Were there any distractions or interruptions that impacted my productivity?
Did I maintain a healthy work-life balance or work-life flow?
What strategies or techniques worked well for me?
What improvements or adjustments can I make for the next sprint?

5. Clear out your backlog

Your backlog is not a tool for you to hoard every single idea that ever comes into your mind. If it’s not relevant and not in alignment with your values then it has no place in the backlog.

It’s gotta go!

This step requires you to be honest with yourself and be in the right mindset to let go of things that aren’t working for you. Having a long complicated outdated backlog holds you down and keeps you feeling overwhelmed.

Do yourself a favour and get rid of those tasks that are no longer in alignment with you.

So you need to ask yourself some challenging questions such as:

Does this task still align with my current goals and values?
Will completing this task significantly impact my personal or professional growth?
Is this task urgent or has its relevance diminished over time?
Am I holding onto this task out of a sense of obligation or guilt?
Does this task contribute to my overall well-being and balance?
Have I been procrastinating on this task because it lacks importance or clarity?
Can this task be delegated or simplified?
Does this task add unnecessary stress or pressure to my life?
Is this task a distraction from more important priorities?
Would letting go of this task create more space and focus on what truly matters to me?

What are some steps you can take to make sure you keep your backlog at a reasonable size:

Schedule regular review points to go over your backlog (e.g. weekly, monthly, quarterly)
Evaluate whether each task is relevant important urgent and in alignment with your values
Delete or archive tasks that are no longer necessary
Whenever your life situation changes or new information becomes apparent reflect those changes in your backlog

Top tips for using a backlog in your mindful productivity system

Use your values to help you prioritise and filter your tasks
Review your backlog at monthly and quarterly intervals to help you stay up to date and reprioritise when needed
Use the Eisenhower Matrix if you are struggling to prioritise effectively
Break down large tasks into smaller actionable steps
Don’t worry about what other people are using and find a system that works well for you (e.g. Trello, notion or Bullet Journals)
Life is unpredictable so you need to be willing to adjust your backlog as needed without feeling guilt or shame
Try to incorporate mindfulness into your planning routine so that you can stay present and grounded
Celebrate your progress no matter how big or small. This will help you stay motivated to chip away at your life goals

Are you going to create a personal productivity backlog?

So, now you know all you need to know about setting up a backlog in your personal life. How are you going to incorporate this productivity technique into your current system and processes?

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