Let's take a task as an example and break it down into atomic tasks:
Each atomic task in this list is quick and well-defined.
Each task is also easy to start, because each one only takes a few minutes and is not overwhelming.
Each task is also ready-to-go. For example, by the time you reach "Pay the internet bill," you will already have the bill at hand thanks to the previous task: "Find the internet bill for this month."
Because the first task and the ones that follow are atomic, it will be much easier to get started. And each completed task will build momentum to keep going until the end.
No matter what tool you use to manage your tasks, software or pen and paper, you will get more feedback and a stronger sense of progress because you complete several small tasks instead of one large one.
If your task list is especially boring, you can add time pressure by setting a time goal or using a method like Pomodoro. Of course, if this creates too much anxiety, do not use it. And avoid using time pressure in any environment that could be dangerous for you or for others.
Checking a box in task management software is feedback. But if you want to reinforce that feedback, write each task on a small piece of paper or a sticky note instead. Once a task is done, you can crumple the paper into a ball. You feel it in your hands, you hear it, and the result is more tangible and satisfying than simply checking a box on a screen.
The second advantage is that you can place the task in front of you while you work on it, so it stays always-visible in your field of view.
The third advantage is that you can use a transparent jar to collect completed tasks and make your progress visible.
Why most task tools fail when you procrastinate
It's important to remember that you don't need any software to use this method. However, printing the tasks or breaking them down into dozens of atomic tasks would add a welcome layer of comfort.
When I looked for software to implement the five principles (atomic tasks, progress, feedback, time pressure, and always-visible), I ran into a problem. There is no perfect application to manage this. Overall, we can identify five main issues:
- Overwhelming lists
Given the number of tasks involved, you often end up with huge lists or deep task trees. You spend your time scrolling, getting lost in the list, and the whole thing quickly becomes overwhelming. - Calendar-first
The problem is even more obvious with calendar-based task managers. And beyond that, fine-grained time planning tends to break down in real life: priorities shift, interruptions happen, and the plan collapses, leaving you with frustration and guilt. - Metadata-first workflows
Dates, tags, priorities, and other fields can be useful, but when they become mandatory for every tiny task, filling them in becomes an easy way to avoid the work. - Ergonomics
A common problem is the speed of these tools. On top of the metadata, if creating a task takes several dozen seconds, that adds terrible friction when you need to create many atomic tasks. - Momentum
Most tools are very good at planning tasks, but they are not designed to create momentum during execution.
To be clear, the point here is not to say that these tools are useless. In many cases, they are even the best solution. But for managing solo work where you need to stay focused, they are not always the best fit.
How to solve these problems
Since I could not find an app that suited me, I decided to create it myself. After several years of working on different prototypes, I finally found a solution that worked. I called this app Colonnes. "Columns" in French.
A view that prevents overwhelm
Instead of a long, intimidating tree, Colonnes uses a column view inspired by macOS Finder (Miller columns). You only see what matches your current context, so even a project with 1,000 tasks stays navigable and not overwhelming.
To better understand this concept, here is a classic task tree with tasks everyone has:
