Personal Kanban

Overview

Personal Kanban applies Kanban principles (visual workflow, WIP limits) to individual productivity, using simple boards to visualize work and maintain sustainable flow through limiting active tasks.

Core Principles

1. Visualize Your Work

• Make all tasks visible
• Use physical or digital board
• Columns represent workflow stages
• Cards represent individual tasks
• See everything at a glance

2. Limit Work-in-Progress (WIP)

• Restrict number of active tasks
• Typical limit: 3-5 tasks in "Doing"
• Forces completion before starting new work
• Reduces context switching
• Maintains focus

Basic Board Structure

Backlog: All captured tasks Ready: Prioritized and prepared Doing: Currently active (WIP limited) Done: Completed work

Advanced Columns

• Waiting/Blocked
• Review
• Testing
• Someday/Maybe
• Custom workflow stages

Implementation

Physical Board:

• Whiteboard or corkboard
• Sticky notes for tasks
• Tactile satisfaction
• Always visible

Digital Tools:

• Trello
• Notion
• Asana
• Monday.com
• Physical.app

Benefits

• Visual clarity of all work
• Obvious when overcommitted
• Satisfying progression
• Reduced overwhelm
• Better priority decisions
• Flow optimization

Best Practices

• Keep board current
• Review and update daily
• Respect WIP limits
• Move cards regularly
• Archive completed work

Target Users

Visual learners, anyone feeling overwhelmed, knowledge workers, freelancers, project managers, people who like seeing progress