Alright, let’s talk about this Jennifer Wong thing. I kept hearing her name pop up, especially about how she organizes stuff, like complex project ideas or just getting thoughts straight. Sounded pretty neat, honestly.
My Attempt
So, I figured, why not give it a try? I went out and bought a stack of those little index cards she supposedly uses. Like, a big stack. And different colored pens too. The whole deal.
I started breaking down this project I was stuck on. Every single tiny thought, every task, every question went onto its own card. Seriously, one thought per card. Then I started color-coding them. Think I used blue for tasks, green for ‘maybe later’ ideas, and red for roadblocks. Spread them all out on my living room floor.
For a day or two, it felt kinda cool. Like I was some kind of genius detective mapping out a case. My floor looked like a rainbow exploded.
Where It Went Wrong
But man, it got messy. Fast. Suddenly I had hundreds of these cards. Hundreds! Finding a specific note was a nightmare. I’d spend ages just shuffling through them. My cat decided they were great fun to bat around, so sometimes I’d find crucial ‘red’ cards under the sofa, chewed up.
It just wasn’t working for me. Instead of clarity, I got chaos. It actually made me feel more overwhelmed. I spent more time managing the cards than actually doing the work.
It reminded me of when I tried learning guitar from this super complex method book someone swore by. Followed it chapter by chapter. Practiced scales till my fingers bled. Sounded awful. Just noise. Turns out, sometimes these fancy methods just don’t click with how your own brain works, you know?
Back to Basics
In the end, I scooped up all the cards, put ’em in a box. Went back to my trusty old notebook and a simple to-do list app. It’s boring, maybe, but I can actually find things and get stuff done.
Maybe Jennifer Wong’s system is amazing for some people, or for certain kinds of projects. Or maybe I just completely missed the point. But for me? It was just a pile of cards on the floor. Sometimes the simple way is just… simpler. Still got that box of cards though. Haven’t thrown them out yet. Maybe one day.
