My TODO list used to feel like a personal vendetta.
It wasn’t just long.
It was alive.
Every time I crossed something off, two more items appeared, usually marked “URGENT” in all caps like a passive-aggressive coworker.
Some days, I’d open my project board, stare at the backlog, and think,
“Cool. I’m just going to move these tickets around for an hour and call it planning.”
When Task Management Became Task Avoidance
I’m a developer. I like solving problems.
But somewhere between Jira tickets, Trello boards, and sticky notes, I realized I was spending more time managing work than doing it.
The worst offenders were the “small” tasks — documentation updates, minor bug fixes, little refactors.
Individually harmless. Collectively? A swamp.
I started doing what every burned-out dev eventually does:
Ignoring them until they exploded into real problems.
The Unexpected Rescue
The turning point came during a sprint where I was juggling:
A feature release with a hard deadline.
Two critical bug reports from a client.
A half-written API doc I’d been “meaning” to finish for three weeks.
I was already behind when a teammate pinged me a link to Crompt AI.
“Try the Task Prioritizer,” he said. “You’ll thank me.”
I was skeptical.
I’d used AI tools before — most were either too generic (“Work on important tasks first!”) or too invasive (“Let’s integrate with your entire life!”).
But I copied my whole messy TODO list into it anyway.
The Shockingly Simple Output
In under a minute, it had sorted my list into:
Critical Today — actual blockers and deadlines.
This Week — things I could realistically finish without derailing bigger work.
Optional / Parking Lot — nice-to-haves that didn’t need brain space right now.
It also flagged dependencies I’d overlooked — like the bug fix I needed before deploying the feature.
It was… embarrassingly obvious in hindsight.
But having it laid out like that made me feel lighter.
Integrating It Into My Dev Workflow
I didn’t stop there.
I started pairing it with other Crompt tools:
Documentation catch-up — Whenever I was behind on docs, I’d feed my code comments into the Document Summarizer for a first draft.
Bug report clarity — Copying vague client bug reports into the Improve Text tool turned them into reproducible steps without endless back-and-forth.
Meeting prep — Before stand-ups, I’d run my notes through the Make It Small Summarize tool so I could give a tight, clear update.
These weren’t “wow, magic” moments — they were quiet, cumulative gains.
The kind that stack up until you realize you’ve actually shipped more this sprint than last.
Why This Worked (When Kanban Alone Didn’t)
Most developer productivity tools assume you already know exactly what to do and in what order.
But in reality, dev work is a mix of:
Known tasks with shifting priorities.
Unknown issues that appear mid-sprint.
Random “quick fixes” that aren’t quick.
The Task Prioritizer isn’t about replacing your judgment — it’s about cutting through the noise so your judgment actually has space to work.
It’s the difference between starting your day with a single bug to fix versus starting with 37 tabs open, all screaming for attention.
The Side Effect I Didn’t See Coming
Once my TODO list was under control, something else happened:
I started saying “yes” to creative tasks I’d been putting off.
That little “build a CLI tool for fun” idea?
I finally started it.
Refactoring a messy function just because I wanted to?
Did that too.
When you’re not in constant reactive mode, you get back the headspace for the work that reminds you why you code in the first place.
How I’d Recommend Other Devs Try It
If your backlog feels like a black hole:
Dump everything — Put your whole list into the Task Prioritizer. Don’t pre-sort it.
Focus on “Critical Today” — Resist the urge to cherry-pick easy wins until those are done.
Automate the small stuff — Use Document Summarizer for docs, Improve Text for tickets, Make It Small Summarize for meeting prep.
Re-run weekly — Priorities shift; let the tool adapt with you.
Looking Back
I used to think my TODO list was just part of the job — a stress tax for working in tech.
Now it feels more like a to-do guide.
The work hasn’t gotten smaller.
But it’s gotten clearer.
And clarity is a developer’s real superpower.
Lingering thought:
You can’t code your way out of chaos if you can’t even see where the chaos starts.
-Rohit
Top comments (0)