# Taming Your Infinite Queues

"It never ends," you say.

Chores choose to camp on your todo-lists without invitation. "We'll just be here
for a day or two," they say. Fifty months later, you still haven't replaced that
lightbulb.

## Common Queues

Most people encounter garden-variety infinite queues:

- emails, messages, calls, etc.
- personal projects/ambitions
- eating, grooming, sleeping, exercise, etc.
- commitments; obligations
- caretaking
- books, films, etc.
- career; money; bills
- repairs

Queues flow at inconsistent rates. Some days are trickles; others are torrents.

Those queues also oscillate in importance. Emergencies
[preempt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preemption_%28computing%29).

## Tools to Fight the Infinite

You have [~16 waking hours per day](/10-minutes) to chip away at your infinite
queues.

But your bandwidth is mostly fixed. Fools burn themselves out in pursuit of
perpetual overclocking. Unsustainable output is waste.

Strategy is your best weapon against the infinite. Bad algorithms invite
anxiety, overwhelmedness, and frustration. Good algorithms create pride, peace,
and accomplishment.

Unfortunately, you've got scant strategic tools for your algorithms:

- [drop packets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packet_loss): ignore optional
  work, lower your standards, or tame your desires
- [parallelize](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_computing): convince
  another human to do your work
- [buffer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_buffer), sort, and process:
  prioritize work and make progress in chunks

## Using Your Tools

Drop unnecessary packets first. You've got a limited life -- don't waste it on
side-quests. Pick a plotline and stick to it.

Of the non-optional stuff, delegate as much as possible. Most people fail to
delegate because they're afraid to choose their core competencies. To cede
control, you must decide who you want to become.

After you've rejected the nonsense and delegated your trifles, it's time to
divide-and-conquer. Design a daily system that _consistently_ allows you to keep
up with your queues. **If you frequently feel "behind", your current system is
not working**. To fix your routine, write down how many hours you want to spend
on things, and then observe/measure/compare how many hours you actually spend on
things.

## Chunking and Sorting

Many productivity systems are secretly
[buffering](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_buffer) methods.

Chunking models:

- [Pomodoro Technique](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique)
- [timeboxing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeboxing)
- [SMART goals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria)

Proritization models:

- [order by amperage](/how-i-do-things-cf)
- [Eisenhower Matrix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management#The_Eisenhower_Method)
- [POSEC Method](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_management#POSEC_method)
- [effort/value matrix](https://fourweekmba.com/value-effort-matrix/)
- [Eat That Frog](https://www.briantracy.com/blog/time-management/the-truth-about-frogs/)

Starter kits:

- [agile project management](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development#Agile_principles)
- [Getting Things Done](https://hamberg.no/gtd)
- [Theme System (Journal)](https://www.themesystem.com)