Getting Started with Bento
Your ultimate guide to optimising the Bento app and method
First off, welcome to the Bento app.
We’re excited to have you here and show you around the Bento app and methodology. This is a helpful guide to all you need to know and everything you need to get started with Bento.
Just so you know, if you have any questions — you can always email Francesco direct: francesco@keepproductive.com and we’ll aim to help out.
✅ 1. Choose Tasks
The first port of call is tasks.
It’s fair to say we have too many tasks on our lists. This isn’t the problem. Our attention to each task is the problem. With Bento, we recommend you pick 3 tasks for your day, this tends to be the optimum amount of tasks — not too little, and not too much.
So what about your 3 tasks? What should I choose?
As part of the Bento Method, we’d recommend 3 tasks — one large one, one medium one, one small one.
- 🍣 A large task consists of a task that is 90+ minutes, with a need for deep focus — that means as little distraction as possible including meetings.
- 🍚 A medium task consists of a task between 45–60 minutes, with a medium level of energy and focus, but not all your attention.
- 🥗 A small task is an easy win consisting of a task up to 30-minutes, with a small task it can be an administrative task or a personal wellbeing time.
Limiting yourself to 3 tasks — broken into 3 compartments is a more relaxed way to approach a workday. With the goal of reducing task overload and improving chances of feeling successful at the end of a long workday.
👩🏻💻 2. Apply Workflows
This is the second phase of the Bento Method.
Once you have your 3 main tasks, separated into large, medium and small — it’s time to apply workflows. This sounds harder than it is, but it isn’t. With Bento, we’ve made it as easy as humanly possible.
There are three workflows you can apply:
- 🐸 Eat That Frog
- 🗻 Climb The Summit
- 🏃🏼 The Slow Burn
Workflows essentially allow you to order your tasks, in the order you’ll complete them in and can help you to feel more in control of your day.
- 🐸 Eat That Frog (L>M>S) starts with a large task, moves into a medium task and ends with a small task — allowing you to accomplish your biggest task as you begin your day.
- 🗻 Climb The Summit (M>L>S) starts with a medium task in an effort to get you started on something reasonably energetic for your mind, then once you’re bedded in — you can conquer the large task — and finish small.
- 🏃🏼 The Slow Burn (S>M>L) starts with the smallest task on your list. For some, this works great — as it allows them to get warmed into the day with an easy win to help get the ball rolling.
Workflows can be applied to every new Bento box you create, with a goal of being adapted each day — so you best apply a workflow for your energy level on that specific day ahead.
The “Eat That Frog” concept is derived from the Brian Tracey book “Eat That Frog” — which is a fantastic productivity classic focused on channeling your attention on the biggest task (the frog) as you begin your day and brilliant practices to apply around that
⚡️3. Focus & Zone-In
The final stage of Bento is more about best practices.
Focus is really important as we work. The goal should be to complete the task at hand. Whilst we limit you down to 3 tasks, in an effort to help narrow down that backlog of tasks, we still want you to focus on the task at hand.
Bento (app) has two features that can help:
- ⚡️ Focus Mode — We want you to focus on one task at a time. Tapping into a task allows you to focus on one task at hand, allowing you to block out the other 2 tasks on your list, for true focus.
- ⏰ Timer — Set a timer and working to a set time can be an effective way to allocate a set period of time and work to a time. Sometimes we get carried away with a task, and a timer can be a great projected time to complete a task — especially good for perfectionists.
Bento can be not only applied through the app, but through everyday task management — so feel free to use the Bento Method with your app or trial it using paper too. We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Although, the Bento app is the best place to apply the method every single day, with features planned to make Bento — the perfect place to focus on tasks.
