So, you’ve probably bumped into the name ‘joe toye’ floating around some of those productivity forums, right? Always someone raving about how it completely changed their workflow, made them a zen master of tasks, or something equally dramatic. I see those posts and I just kinda chuckle to myself now.
My Little Adventure with ‘joe toye’
It all started a while back. I was in a bit of a weird spot, work-wise. My brain felt like scrambled eggs most days, and I was desperately trying to find some new way to get my projects, and honestly, my thoughts, in order. My usual to-do lists and calendar blocks just weren’t cutting it anymore. I felt like I was just moving tasks around without actually getting deep work done.
So, I stumbled upon ‘joe toye’. The descriptions were all very… ethereal. Lots of talk about ‘flow’ and ‘intuitive organization’. It sounded like exactly the kind of magic bullet I thought I needed. I figured, what’s the harm? Let’s give this a shot.
First, I tried to find some solid instructions. That was challenge number one. Most of the guides were super vague, full of philosophical musings rather than actual steps. Eventually, I pieced together what I thought was the core method. It involved a lot of colored pens – specific colors for specific types of thoughts, apparently – and a big, unlined notebook. No digital stuff, which was a bit of a throwback for me.
The main idea, as I understood it, was to not just list tasks, but to ‘map their energy’. Yeah, you heard that right. I spent a good hour trying to decide if ’emailing Brian back’ had ‘green calm energy’ or ‘red urgent energy’. It felt pretty silly, if I’m honest. Then, I started drawing these weird, looping connections between items, supposedly representing their ‘synergistic relationships’. My notebook began to look like a toddler had attacked it with a pack of highlighters.
- I drew circles for ‘core concepts’.
- I used wavy lines for ‘flowing tasks’.
- I attempted to assign ’emotional weights’ using different pressures of the pen.
After a few days of diligently trying to ‘joe toye’ my life, I just had to admit it. I was spending more time trying to figure out the system than actually doing any work. My desk was a mess of pens and confused scribbles. Instead of clarity, I just got a headache. I looked at my ‘joe toye’ notebook and it was just a colorful blob. Nothing was getting done any faster. In fact, I felt even more disorganized.
So, why did I even bother, you ask? Well, that’s a bit of a story. This was right after I’d parted ways with that soul-crushing corporate gig. You know the type – endless meetings about meetings, TPS reports that no one ever read, and the constant feeling that you were just a cog. I had a bit of severance, a lot of free time, and a burning desire to do anything differently from how ‘they’ did it. I was on a quest for the unconventional, I guess. I binged on articles about alternative productivity, minimalist lifestyles, anything that promised a break from the beige cubicle mindset. ‘Joe toye’ was just one of the many weird things I dug up from the internet’s dusty corners during that phase.
In the end, ‘joe toye’ wasn’t for me. Maybe it works for some super artistic, free-spirited folks. But for my practical, project-based brain, it was a confusing detour. I went back to my trusty digital tools, maybe with a newfound appreciation for their straightforwardness. Sometimes, the old ways are old for a reason, you know? They just work. So, yeah, that was my little experiment. Live and learn, I suppose!
