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setup guide · 5 min

Projects versus tasks: stop putting outcomes on a task list

Separate outcomes, projects, and next actions so your list stays actionable.

Published August 3, 2026

NoticeDecideDo

“Redo website” is not a task. It is a project: multiple actions, decisions, and a finish line. Putting it on a task list is a small lie—it looks actionable while hiding the work required to start.

Use this test:

  • A task can be completed in one sitting with one visible action.
  • A project needs more than one task and has a defined outcome.
  • A goal is the larger result the project supports.

Turn “redo website” into a project. Then give it one next action: “collect three examples of product pages I like.” The task list becomes a list of doors you can open, not a list of rooms you must somehow enter all at once.

Next guideWhen you cannot start: make a task small enough to begin