Kanban board for personal tasks: how to set one up and use it

What Kanban is

Kanban comes from the Toyota factories of the 1940s, where cards signalled when parts were needed. Software teams adapted it in the 2000s, and Jim Benson and Tonianne DeMaria Barry popularised a simple version for individuals as "Personal Kanban". Their two rules are all you need:

• Visualise your work. Every task you've committed to is a card you can see.
• Limit work in progress. Only a few cards can be in Doing at once.

Seeing everything in one place stops tasks hiding in your head, inbox and sticky notes. The limit stops you starting ten things and finishing none.

How to set up a personal Kanban board

1. Make three columns: To do, Doing, Done. Resist adding more until you need them.
2. Empty your head onto cards. Everything you've agreed to do, one card per task.
3. Write each card as an action with a verb: "Book the boiler service", not "boiler".
4. Order To do by priority, most important at the top.
5. Set a limit on Doing: two or three cards is a good start.
6. Pull, don't push. When a card is done, move it to Done, then pull the next card from the top of To do.

Example boards

Keep one board per area of life so each stays short. Some starting layouts:

A Waiting column is useful for anything stuck on someone else, such as a reply or a delivery. It keeps those cards out of Doing without forgetting them.

The weekly review

Once a week, maybe on Friday afternoon or Sunday evening, spend ten minutes on the board:

• Clear the Done column and notice what you finished.
• Move anything stuck in Doing back to To do, or split it into smaller cards.
• Re-order To do for next week and delete cards that no longer matter.
• Check due dates for the week ahead.

Deleting cards is allowed. A to-do list full of things you'll never do makes the important ones harder to see.

Using the Kanban app

Kanban is a free board that runs in your browser, with no account. Boards start with To do, Doing and Done.

• Add a card by typing at the bottom of a column and pressing Enter.
• Move it by dragging. On a phone, press and hold until it lifts, then drag; the board scrolls at the edges. Or open the card and pick a column.
• Open a card to add notes, a due date, a coloured label and a checklist (start a line with [ ]).
• Set a limit from a column's ⋯ menu. Its count turns red when you go over.
• Keep several boards: tap the board name to switch or make a new one.
• Keyboard: arrow keys move between cards, Shift and the arrows move a card, N adds one.

Boards are saved in your browser only. Back up to a file, or use Copy as text to send someone a snapshot. Deleted something by mistake? Tap Undo.

Common mistakes

• Too many cards in Doing. If everything is in progress, nothing is. Set a limit.
• Vague cards. "Website" isn't a task. "Write the About page" is.
• Too many columns. Start with three and add one only when a real step needs it.
• Never clearing Done. Clear it weekly, after you've enjoyed it.
• One giant board for everything. Separate boards for work, home and projects stay readable.
• Keeping dead cards. If you won't do it, delete it.