For diagnosing problems with time management, the best thing I’ve found so far is Francis Wade’s idea of “skill ladders”, described in the 2014 Perfect Time-Based Productivity: How to rescue your peace of mind as time demands increase (Amazon; book website).
For instance, the “capturing” ladder has 7 levels, with the bottom “not even trying to commit tasks to memory” and the top “always using a backed up electronic device that is never far away”:
He lists multiple ladders:
- Capturing
- Emptying
- Tossing
- Acting Now
- Storing
- Scheduling
- Listing
- Switching
- Interrupting
- Warning
- Reviewing
A downloadable PDF form provides a checklist to identify where you are on each ladder.
A summary of his diagnosis-based approach to managing time demands is available from The Evergreen Guide to Choosing Your Next Task Management App (2017).
More recently he organized the Task Management & Time Blocking Virtual summit (2020 & 2021 & 2022, with the 2023 event planned for Thursday through Saturday March 2-4). You can find more of Francis Wade’s recent thinking via Framework Consulting and in his Quora answers.