Sign In

By The TaskFire Team · Updated October 2026

Short answer: A productivity method is a repeatable way of deciding what to work on and when. The best-known ones are Getting Things Done (GTD), the Eisenhower Matrix, time blocking, the Pomodoro Technique, the 1-3-5 list, eat the frog, mind dumping, the to-don’t list and the weekly review. None is “the best.” Pick the one that fixes the problem you actually have, try it for two weeks, and keep what works.

We make TaskFire (formerly Appigo), and people have created more than 70 million tasks with it and the Todo apps that came before it. One thing that makes obvious: the method matters less than sticking with it. Below is a short tour of each method, who it suits, and how to try it in TaskFire with features you can check on our features and pricing pages.

Which method should you start with?

If your problem is… Try Effort to start
Too much in your head; things slip GTD or a mind dump Medium (GTD) / Low (mind dump)
Everything feels urgent Eisenhower Matrix Low
Your day disappears into meetings and messages Time blocking Medium
You can’t get started or stay focused Pomodoro or eat the frog Low
Your list is endless and demoralizing 1-3-5 list or a to-don’t list Low
Your system slowly falls apart Weekly review Low

New to all of this? Start with how to make a to-do list, then add one method at a time.

1. Getting Things Done (GTD)

What it is: David Allen’s GTD has five steps: capture everything that has your attention, clarify what each item means, organize it where it belongs, reflect (review) regularly, and engage (do the work) (Getting Things Done®). The idea is that your head is for thinking, not storing.

Who it suits: people juggling many projects and roles who want one trusted system.

Try it in TaskFire: capture fast with quick task creation. Tasks with no list land in your inbox. Premium adds Siri and Add Tasks via Email. Clarify each item into a list, then use tags as GTD “contexts” like #calls or #errands, and Smart Lists as your next-action views (both Premium).

2. The Eisenhower Matrix

What it is: a four-box grid that sorts tasks by urgent and important: do it now, schedule it, delegate it, or drop it. The name comes from a 1954 speech in which President Eisenhower quoted an unnamed college president: “I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important” (American Presidency Project). The four-box grid itself came later (Quote Investigator).

Who it suits: anyone whose day is run by whatever is loudest.

Try it in TaskFire: TaskFire doesn’t have a built-in matrix view. Instead, set a priority (Low, Medium or High) on each task, which Free includes, and add due dates. With Premium, build four custom Smart Lists that filter on priority and due date, and use task assignment for the “delegate” box. Read more about Smart Lists.

3. Time blocking

What it is: instead of working from an open-ended list, you give each important task (or group of similar tasks) its own block of time on your calendar, such as “9:00–10:30 write report.”

Who it suits: people with lots of meetings, or makers who need long stretches of focus.

Try it in TaskFire: keep the list in TaskFire and the blocks in your calendar. Give each task a due date, use reminders so you get a nudge before its block (1 per task on Free, up to 10 on Premium), and use the calendar view to see which days are already loaded. Pair it with our older piece on finding focused think time.

4. The Pomodoro Technique

What it is: created by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s with a tomato-shaped kitchen timer. The classic version is 25 minutes of focused work followed by a short break, with a longer break after four rounds (Pomodoro® Technique).

Who it suits: procrastinators and anyone who gets pulled off task easily.

Try it in TaskFire: TaskFire doesn’t include a timer, so use any timer you like. TaskFire’s job is to tell you what the next Pomodoro is for. Before you start, break the task into a checklist (Free), then tick off one item per round. Our post on context switching and interruptions pairs well with it.

5. The 1-3-5 to-do list

What it is: each day, plan one big task, three medium tasks and five small ones, and nothing more. It forces you to choose.

Who it suits: people whose daily list is always longer than the day.

Try it in TaskFire: use priority as your sizes: High for the 1, Medium for the 3, Low for the 5. Read the full guide, the 1-3-5 to-do list, and our take on how many items should be on your to-do list.

6. Eat the frog

What it is: do your biggest, most important task first, before anything else. Brian Tracy popularized the phrase, and he credits the idea to a saying attributed to Mark Twain about eating a live frog first thing in the morning (Brian Tracy).

Who it suits: people who are fine on small tasks but keep avoiding the one that matters.

Try it in TaskFire: each evening, give tomorrow’s frog a High priority and a due date of tomorrow. Set a morning reminder so it’s the first thing you see.

7. Mind dumping

What it is: set a timer for 10–15 minutes and write down every task, worry and idea in your head, with no sorting yet. Then process the list.

Who it suits: anyone feeling overwhelmed, and anyone starting GTD.

Try it in TaskFire: TaskFire’s quick task creation lets you type task after task and see them stack up before you save. Then sort them into lists afterwards. See mind dumping as a planning strategy.

8. The to-don’t list

What it is: a short list of things you’ve decided not to do, like checking email before 10 a.m. or saying yes to every meeting.

Who it suits: people whose problem is too many commitments, not too little effort.

Try it in TaskFire: keep a “To-Don’t” list and read it during your weekly review. Read boost the power of your to-do list with a to-don’t list.

9. The weekly review

What it is: a regular check-in, usually weekly, where you clear your inbox, look back at what got done, look ahead at what’s coming and update your lists. It’s the “reflect” step in GTD (Getting Things Done®), and it’s what keeps any method from falling apart.

Who it suits: everyone. It’s the method that keeps the other methods working.

Try it in TaskFire: with Premium, make “Weekly review” a recurring task and put the steps in its checklist. Check completed task history to see the week’s wins (free accounts can only see the last two weeks), and use the default “Next seven days” Smart List to look ahead. Use the Quick Menu and batch editing (Free) to reschedule several tasks at once.

Habits and goals

Methods work best when they become habits. TaskFire’s recurring tasks (Premium) can repeat from the due date for fixed routines, like taking out the trash, or from the completion date for flexible ones, like exercise. Our features page explains the difference. For more, read the power of creating habits and, if you’re feeling stuck, “I have no goals or ambitions in life”.

Methods for shared lists

Methods aren’t only personal. A household or team can use the weekly review and a simple “one owner per task” rule. See how to share a to-do list, the family chore list guide, and, for teams, shared task lists and team performance.

TaskFire features used on this page, by plan

Feature Free (Basic) Premium ($2.99/mo or $30/yr) Teams ($4/user/mo)
Tasks, checklists, notes, comments ✓ (50 active tasks, 10 checklists, 3 lists) ✓ unlimited ✓ unlimited
Priorities, Quick Menu and batch editing ✓ ✓ ✓
Reminders 1 per task Up to 10 per task Up to 10 per task
Tags, Smart Lists, recurring tasks – ✓ ✓
Location alerts, Siri and Siri Shortcuts, Add Tasks via Email – ✓ ✓
List sharing and task assignment – ✓ ✓
Completed task history Last 2 weeks ✓ ✓
Team Admin Dashboard – – ✓

TaskFire runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and the web (downloads). There’s no Android app. Comparing apps? See TaskFire vs Todoist, Things 3, TickTick, Microsoft To Do and Apple Reminders.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best productivity method?

There is no single best productivity method. Pick the one that fixes your biggest problem: the Eisenhower Matrix if everything feels urgent, time blocking if your day gets eaten by interruptions, Pomodoro if you struggle to start, and GTD if too much is living in your head.

Can I combine productivity methods?

Yes. Many people combine them, for example a mind dump to capture everything, the Eisenhower Matrix to decide what matters, time blocking to schedule it, and a weekly review to keep the system current. Add one method at a time so you can tell what is helping.

Does TaskFire have a built-in Pomodoro timer or Eisenhower Matrix view?

No. TaskFire does not include a timer or a matrix view. You can use priorities, due dates, reminders, checklists and, on Premium, Smart Lists and tags to apply these methods, and use any timer you like for Pomodoro sessions.

How long should I try a new productivity method?

Give a new method about two weeks of daily use before judging it. The first few days usually feel slower while you build the habit, so keep notes on what works and adjust rather than switching methods every few days.

Is TaskFire free to use for these methods?

Yes, TaskFire has a free Basic plan with tasks, checklists, priorities and one reminder per task. Premium costs $2.99 a month or $30 a year and adds Smart Lists, tags, recurring tasks, up to 10 reminders per task and list sharing.

Sources

Questions? Email support@appigo.com.

Productivity Methodologies