I like to keep it simple. My list has 1 item on it. I work on that until either it’s done (often) or I struggle so much with it that I decide to change plans (rarely).
For the last 2 days, I’ve been writing a model configurator that explodes input parameters into individual objects. I probably have 8 or 9 things dependent on this (not really sure yet), so I plug away until done. Then I’ll figure out the new only thing on my list.
I’ve tried every conceivable “productivity hack” and nothing has worked as well as this. I have scratch pads, paper on the wall, 20 colors of markers, and all kinds of automated tools for scheduling and planning. I’ve varied my diet, my exercise routine, my daily routine, and almost anything else I could vary, and none of it really mattered. All it ever really did was take focus away from the real task at hand.
Just identify your critical path, remove it, and repeat forever.
I started with this and fine tuned what worked for me:
http://paulgraham.com/procrastination.html
Other inspiriation:
“I see only one move ahead, but it is always the correct one.” chess master Jose R. Capablanca