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Comment by ben30 | Hacker News Reader

As an autistic individual, I find task management systems invaluable not for their own sake, but because they help me overcome my natural difficulty in switching between detailed and big-picture thinking. While I excel at focusing on details, I can struggle to identify true priorities. My simple system (voice memos processed through Claude) helps me intentionally zoom between granular tasks and high-level priorities. This isn't about getting lost in productivity tools - it's about having the right support structure for how my brain naturally works.

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I struggle with this as well, but I didn't realize it until reading your comment.

Thanks very much for taking the time to write it.

This. Well, I'm not autistic, but I use them the exact same way.

The funny thing is, I have a personal project where I'm following a TODO list for minimal completion. It has finally reached the point where a single item remains, yet I get lost all the time when I start working on it thinking on extensions or not knowing what to do. So I need to constantly consult that single-item TODO list to actually get something done.

It's weird how helpful it is.

Can you elaborate a bit on your workflow? I also struggle with this.

Here's my daily task management system:

1. Brain Dump: Record a voice memo on iPhone, speaking freely about anything I need to do - from household chores to work tasks. No need for structure, just stream of consciousness.

2. Transcription: Use iPhone's built-in transcription to convert the voice memo to text.

3. AI Processing: Feed the transcription into ongoing chat in Claude, which: - Structures my rambling into a clear task list - Incorporates context from previous days' tasks - Formats everything in markdown with checkboxes

4. Task Management: Import the markdown into Drafts app, which lets me easily check off tasks throughout the day.

It's a simple system that combines the ease of verbal brain dumping with the structure of a digital task list, without requiring manual organisation.

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