I hate planners so I made a Quest Board instead

Jess’s “Do It” Quest Board

Jess says planners and notebooks are easy for her to forget about, so she made a large, visible “Do It” quest board to make planning feel more like a game. After several months of using it, she says it hasn’t solved every productivity challenge, but it has helped her organize productive days and enjoy the process.

Making the Board

Jess started with a small bulletin board after realizing a larger one wouldn’t fit where she planned to hang it. She designed a medieval-style sign and printed calendars and task cards on beige paper, then laminated them so they could be reused.

To create an aged-wood look, she textured foam board and XPS foam, assembled them around the bulletin board, and painted them with layered brown shades using dry-brushing. She hung the finished board with small shelves for markers and wooden tokens, along with a card holder and a dice tower.

How She Uses It

• Monthly calendar: Displays the current month and a preview of the next month. Jess limits planning to that two-month window rather than worrying about the distant future.
• Daily and weekly quests: Cards hold recurring reminders and to-do items. Larger tasks can be split into smaller steps.
• Time quests: Tasks are assigned specific time slots and arranged in order. Jess can move the cards around if plans change. She finds this helps her switch between tasks and avoid spending too long on one activity.
• Side quests: Jess writes tasks on a card, numbers them, and rolls a die to choose what to do. Breaking a larger job—such as cleaning the kitchen—into smaller tasks can make it easier to start and reduce decision paralysis.
• Rewards: Enjoyable breaks or activities can be added to the random choices. Alternatively, tasks can be worth “gold coins” based on their effort, which Jess can save up for a small treat. Rewards can motivate her to tackle tasks she has been putting off.

The system can also be adapted without a physical board: time blocking and task lists can be done on paper.

Returning to Creative Work

Jess says a mental health crisis contributed to her lengthy YouTube hiatus. She describes the board as a gentle, enjoyable way to return to creative work and hopes to share more videos, including footage from past LARP events.

People, Places, and Materials Mentioned

• Speaker: Jess Less
• Pet: Mambo, also transcribed as “Mumbo” in places, appears in the video.
• Locations: Brandywine Festival, IKEA, and Dollar Tree.
• Products and materials: Bulletin board, basswood craft panels, wood stain, foam board, XPS foam, acrylic paint, Mod Podge, laser cutter, laminator, dry-erase markers, D&D dice, and a 3D-printed dice tower.