3.3Personal Kanban (to do / doing / done)
The essentials in 30 seconds
- The board: three columns — To do, Doing, Done — where each task is a card moving left to right.
- The golden rule: the work-in-progress limit (WIP, often 2-3 cards) — you forbid yourself starting while the limit is reached.
- The effect: finishing before starting fights scattering and multitasking; watching cards pile in "Done" motivates.
Running mini-case — Anis and his seven open fronts
Anis emptied his head (GTD) and starts on timer (Pomodoro), but everything is "in progress": seven open fronts, nothing finishes. He tries Kanban on a wall with sticky notes in Algiers: three columns, a strict 3-card limit in progress. Displayed rule: limit reached = forbidden to start, finish first. Within a week, two stagnating cards reveal a hidden blockage — which he treats instead of opening an eighth front.
Sequel to cases 3.1-3.2 — Anis tries finishing.
1. A visual board
Personal Kanban applies to your own organization the visual method from project management: a three-column board — To do, Doing, Done — where each task is a card moving left to right.
At a glance, you see all your work, what moves, what is stuck — where a linear list hides clutter. Anis sticks his GTD tasks as "To do" cards and moves only three at a time.
2. Limit work in progress
Its most precious rule is the work-in-progress limit (WIP): you forbid yourself too many simultaneous "doing" tasks — often 2 to 3.
This forces finishing before starting, fights scattering and multitasking, and brings the motivating satisfaction of watching cards pile in "Done". Assumed paradox: reducing work in progress speeds up the whole — you deliver faster by doing fewer things at once. Cards stagnating = limit still too high.
🔎 Concrete example — The WIP limit in action
Few tasks in progress, tried by Anis.
Strict limit: max 3 "Doing" cards.
Limit reached? → forbidden to start a new one, finish first.
→ stagnating cards = limit still too high.Outcome: you finish before starting, scattering recedes.
Reflex: reducing work in progress paradoxically speeds up the whole.
Section vocabulary
- Personal Kanban
- Visual board (To do / Doing / Done columns) to steer your own tasks.
Simple example: Anis's sticky-note wall with his three columns.
What it is not: a linear list with no flow or limit notion.
Reflex: at a glance: see everything, see what is stuck.
- Column / card
- Column = progress state; card = a task moving left to right.
Simple example: The "report" card moves from To do to Doing then Done.
What it is not: a card that never moves or shifts.
Reflex: one card = one finishable task, not a vague project.
- WIP limit
- Maximum number of tasks allowed "in progress" simultaneously. Forces finishing before starting.
Simple example: Max 3 cards in progress at Anis's: the 4th waits.
What it is not: as many in-progress tasks as wanted, with no limit.
Reflex: limit reached = finish, don't start.
- Flow visualization
- Seeing all your work and progress at a glance, rather than a linear list.
Simple example: Seven in-progress cards at once: clutter jumps to the eye.
What it is not: an endless list where everything seems equally urgent.
Reflex: what stagnates must show, not hide.
- Scattering
- Spreading over too many tasks at once, which the WIP limit directly fights.
Simple example: Seven open fronts, nothing finishes: Anis's scattering.
What it is not: a shielded focus on a single finished task.
Reflex: too much in progress = finish first, don't open more.
In practice — Setting up your personal Kanban
- Create a board (paper with sticky notes, or an app like Trello) with 3 columns: To do / Doing / Done.
- Write your tasks on cards and place them in "To do".
- Set a strict WIP limit (e.g. max 3 "Doing" cards): don't start a new one if the limit is reached.
- Move cards along; savor those reaching "Done" — a powerful motivation engine.
Ready-to-say script — announcing your limit (30 s)
"I have seven open fronts and nothing finishing. I switch to three maximum in progress: while it is full, I start nothing, I finish. If my card stagnates, I say what blocks instead of opening something else."
Say to yourself and others: a displayed limit makes holding the "no" to new items easier.
Copy-paste template — express Kanban board
BOARD: To do | Doing (max ___) | Done
TO DO: _______________
DOING (max 2-3, what blocks?): _______________
DONE (celebrate): _______________
LIMIT REACHED? (finish first: yes / no): _______________Very small business / tight budget
A wall and sticky notes are enough: three marker-drawn columns, cards moved by hand.
SME in Algeria
Anis adds a "waiting on client / supplier" note: what blocks outside doesn't count in his limit, but shows.
Team / pair
A shared Kanban (Trello, whiteboard) with a limit per person: each finishes before taking the next card.
Combined to-do + Kanban
Global GTD list to capture everything, Kanban for the week's active tasks: the active flow stays limited.
✓ Best practices
- Set a strict WIP limit (often 2-3 in progress).
- Finish in-progress cards before starting new ones.
- Savor cards reaching "Done" (motivation).
✗ Common pitfalls
- Leaving too many tasks "in progress" at once.
- Stagnating cards (sign of a too-high limit).
- Multiplying redundant boards with your to-do list.
Key takeaways
- Personal Kanban: To do / Doing / Done, one card per task.
- The WIP limit forces finishing before starting.
- It fights multitasking and scattering.
- Watching cards reach "Done" is highly motivating.
48h Challenge — apply tomorrow
Build a 3-column Kanban with a max 3 in progress limit, place your real tasks in it and hold the rule 48h: finish before starting.
- I can describe the 3 columns and the WIP limit.
- I know what to do when the limit is reached.
- My Kanban runs with max 3 in progress.
Frequently asked questions
Personal Kanban or to-do list, which to choose?
Kanban is a visual to-do list with, additionally, flow notion and work-in-progress limit. If you scatter over too many tasks at once, Kanban and its WIP limit are especially suited. If a simple prioritized list suffices, stay with it. You can also combine: a global list and a Kanban for the week's active tasks.
How many "in progress" tasks maximum?
The principle is few: often 2 to 3. The idea is not a magic number but forcing yourself to finish what you started before opening new fronts. If your cards stagnate in "Doing", it is a sign your limit is still too high. Reducing work in progress paradoxically speeds up the whole.
Anis has seven open fronts and nothing finishes. What is the key rule?