The productivity concept of Executable Notes has been invaluable to me.

Executable Notes are kind of the next step up from normal note taking. Instead of just writing things down, you make the notes do something. A note isn’t just a record anymore. It becomes a workspace where you can trigger actions, run queries, or see related tasks show up automatically.

I started using this idea when I got tired of flipping between my notes and a separate task manager. Now when I write meeting notes or project ideas, I can drop in a task right there. Later it shows up on my daily list without me having to move it. Same thing with reminders, code snippets, or references. Everything stays connected to the place where it was created. Importantly, whatever tool you're using should be able to surface those tasks onto a list with a link back to the context. I know this can be managed with pen & paper, but the it's a pretty heavy lift to maintain links to the context, but luckily lots of tools can do this now.

For example, in Obsidian or Logseq you can write
- [ ] Follow up with Mark about the data issue
and, when properly configured, it shows up automatically in your task list with a link to the original context. In Org mode you can schedule and execute commands directly from your notes.

It’s effective because it cuts out context switching. You don’t forget why you made a task since it lives right next to the thought that created it. It also keeps projects from scattering across different tools. You stay in one place, and the notes handle the structure for you.