I’ve fallen into the trap of putting get it done by this date dates on my Getting Things Done actions. I know it’s a problem because I often find myself adjusting dates for the actions I didn’t do yesterday/ today so that I’m reminded to do them tomorrow.
The impact on productivity is that actions without dates never get looked at. Over time this can build into ‘guilt’ and pressure. I’m no longer relying on my intuition for prioritisation. Do what you have with the resources (equipment, energy and thoughts) available to you at that moment.
I’m going to remove all dates except where I want a reminder that someone else should have replied to me or finished a delegated action, or to inhibit an action from showing up until I need it (sometimes I have monthly or quarterly reminders).
Still doing it in 2025!
Years later Adding a due date to your tasks is a mistake I still make.