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Task System Guide

Complete Implementation Guide for Todoist and Google Calendar

Overview

This document explains the complete implementation of the Life Operating System using Google Calendar and Todoist. It covers tool setup, task structure, habits, time horizons, and daily routines.

Tool Responsibilities

Google Calendar (Time and Reality)

Google Calendar is the source of truth for:

  • Appointments and events with other people
  • Fixed commitments
  • Travel
  • Time blocks for focused work
  • Optional habit windows

Calendar Rules:

  • If it is on the calendar, it is real
  • If it is not on the calendar, it is optional
  • The calendar always wins conflicts

Todoist (Intent and Execution)

Todoist is the source of truth for:

  • Outcomes you want to achieve
  • Actionable work units required to achieve them
  • Personal habits tracked by weekly frequency
  • Lightweight project organization

Todoist Rules:

  • Todoist holds what you intend to do
  • The calendar holds when you will actually do it

Project Structure (Fixed)

Todoist uses exactly five projects:

  1. Finance
  2. Career
  3. Health
  4. Relationships
  5. Habits

Why fixed projects?

  • Avoids over-categorization
  • Reduces decision fatigue
  • Keeps the system easy to maintain

Everything goes into one of these five projects. No additional projects unless temporary and compelling.

Task Types and Tags

The system uses exactly two tags:

@outcome

Applied only to parent tasks representing outcomes.

Meaning:

  • "This is a result I want"
  • "It should have a deadline"
  • "It provides awareness and direction"

@work

Applied only to subtasks representing executable work units.

Meaning:

  • "This is something I can do in one sitting"
  • "It should have a due date when it enters the commitment window"
  • "This is what actually gets done"

Do not create additional tags.

The Outcome/Work Unit Structure

flowchart TB
    subgraph structure ["TASK HIERARCHY"]
        O["<b>OUTCOME</b> (Parent Task)<br/>@outcome tag<br/>Has DEADLINE"]
        W1["<b>Work Unit</b> (Subtask)<br/>@work tag • Has DUE DATE"]
        W2["<b>Work Unit</b> (Subtask)<br/>@work tag • Has DUE DATE"]
        W3["<b>Work Unit</b> (Subtask)<br/>@work tag • Has DUE DATE"]
    end

    O --> W1
    O --> W2
    O --> W3

    style O fill:#7c4dff,stroke:#5e35b1,color:#fff
    style W1 fill:#00bcd4,stroke:#00acc1,color:#fff
    style W2 fill:#00bcd4,stroke:#00acc1,color:#fff
    style W3 fill:#00bcd4,stroke:#00acc1,color:#fff
    style structure fill:#fafafa,stroke:#bdbdbd

Parent Task = Outcome

  • Has @outcome tag
  • Has a deadline (target realization date)
  • Does not have a due date
  • Never time-blocked
  • Contains subtasks representing work

Subtasks = Work Units

  • Have @work tag
  • Have due dates (day you intend to do the work)
  • Must be completable in one sitting
  • These are what appear in daily execution

Example

Build automated options trading v1 [@outcome, Deadline: May 31]
├── Define strategy rules [@work, Due: Apr 10]
├── Pull option chain data [@work, Due: Apr 12]
├── Validate Greeks logic [@work, Due: Apr 15]
└── Backtest initial strategy [@work, Due: Apr 20]

Deadline vs Due Date (Sacred Rule)

Deadline Due Date
Used on Outcomes (parent tasks) Work units (subtasks)
Meaning Target realization date Day you intend to do it
Nature Soft, movable Commitment
Missing it Signal to adjust scope Move forward intentionally

Never mix these. Outcomes get deadlines. Work units get due dates.

Work Unit Quality Standards

Every work unit must pass this test:

"Can I physically do this in one sitting?"

A good work unit:

  • Has a clear verb
  • Has a clear object
  • Has an implied or explicit duration
  • Requires no additional clarification
  • Feels doable even on a low-energy day

Bad examples: "Work on trading system", "Get healthier", "Fix finances"

Good examples: "Define entry rules for momentum strategy (30 min)", "Book annual physical appointment", "Review last 30 days spending and list top 3 changes (45 min)"

Habits System

Habits are separate from outcomes and work units.

Rules

  • All habits live in the Habits project only
  • Habits are tracked as weekly frequency
  • Habits do not use deadlines
  • Habits do not create overdue debt

Implementation

A weekly habit is represented as multiple identical recurring tasks.

Example: "Workout 3x per week"

  • Workout (recurs weekly)
  • Workout (recurs weekly)
  • Workout (recurs weekly)

When all three are checked off, the weekly habit is complete. Missed instances do not roll forward. The habit resets weekly without guilt.

Time Horizons

flowchart LR
    subgraph horizons ["TIME HORIZONS"]
        H1["<b>2 MONTHS</b><br/>Awareness<br/><i>See outcomes,<br/>stay oriented</i>"]
        H2["<b>1 MONTH</b><br/>Shaping<br/><i>Break down outcomes,<br/>add work units</i>"]
        H3["<b>2 WEEKS</b><br/>Commitment<br/><i>Due dates assigned,<br/>real commitments</i>"]
    end

    H1 --> H2 --> H3

    style H1 fill:#e3f2fd,stroke:#90caf9,color:#000
    style H2 fill:#bbdefb,stroke:#64b5f6,color:#000
    style H3 fill:#42a5f5,stroke:#1e88e5,color:#fff
    style horizons fill:#fafafa,stroke:#bdbdbd

2 Months: Awareness

  • See upcoming outcomes
  • Stay oriented
  • Look at @outcome tasks with upcoming deadlines
  • Do not schedule detailed work

1 Month: Shaping

  • Prepare outcomes for execution
  • Break down large outcomes into work units
  • Identify likely priorities
  • Adjust deadlines if needed

2 Weeks: Commitment Window

  • Decide what you will actually do
  • Everything here should have a due date and rough duration
  • This is where work units become real commitments

Daily Routines

Beginning of Day (5 minutes)

  1. Open Google Calendar and review today
  2. Open Todoist and view Today
  3. For each item, decide: do today, move to another day, or delete
  4. Confirm the day is realistic
  5. Close Todoist and execute

Rules: No future planning. No reorganization. Calendar wins conflicts.

End of Day (10–15 minutes)

  1. Capture loose thoughts into Todoist inbox
  2. Review tomorrow
  3. Quick scan of the next two weeks (all work units should have due dates)
  4. Push unrealistic work forward intentionally
  5. Stop

Goal: Relief, not perfection.

Weekly Review (20–30 minutes)

  1. Ignore overdue tasks (don't start with cleanup)
  2. Scan all five projects
  3. For each project: delete stale tasks, rewrite vague tasks, break large items into work units
  4. Review horizons: 2 months (awareness), 1 month (shaping), 2 weeks (commit)
  5. Calendar reality check: Does next week reflect reality? Are buffers present?
  6. Choose one main focus for the week

This is the most important ritual.

Failure Protocol

If avoidance starts:

  1. Ignore all overdue tasks
  2. Open one project only
  3. Pick one @work unit
  4. Schedule just that
  5. Resume normal routines tomorrow

Never attempt a full cleanup while flooded.

Hard Rules (Do Not Break)

  • Do not put due dates on @outcome parent tasks
  • Do not put deadlines on @work subtasks
  • Do not time-block parent tasks
  • Do not add more tags for structure
  • Do not allow habits to become overdue debt
  • Calendar always wins conflicts