I learned what Dandori is from a game called "Pikmin 4", made by the Japanese video game developer Nintendo. In this game you control a 2 inch tall, space-fairing rescue ranger and receive a distress signal from an unknown planet that you will unmistakably recognize as Earth, albeit from a far smaller perspective. With this being the 4th game, many aspects and characters have already been established so I wont go into too much detail, but essentially the space ranger is eventually joined by dozens of plant-like creatures called "Pikmin". The concept of Dandori is introduced as a way to describe the act of managing these Pikmin to complete various tasks, such as removing nearby aggressive fauna, collecting resources, or constructing new paths forward, and delegating this work to individual groups of Pikmin to more quickly pave your path forward. The idea is pushed even further when a new area opens up where the entire goal is to complete every task listed within a time limit. These areas are referred to as "Dandori Challenges" and include a scoring system that tallies the amount of tasks finished with bonus points granted for however much time remains after all tasks are complete. (Also, there are additional sections of the game called "Dandori Battles", but I wont get into that at this time.)
When I started to understand that Dandori could essentially be defined as "the art form of efficiency and task management", I knew I finally had a word to describe my work ethic. I am a multitasker. I find enjoyment out of completing multiple tasks at once, or even how to complete multiple tasks at once. "Do this thing while that thing is happening and you get to check off both things simultaneously." This appeals to me. Can I perform 3 tasks at the same time and still complete them all properly? How can I do everything as quickly as possible? What is the best way to do all these things? This is Dandori.
"What is the most efficient way to do this?" and "How can I be more efficient at this?" were the two most used phrases in my thoughts while tasking. Now I think, "What would be better Dandori?" Even using the term "Dandori" is good Dandori. This word defines the way I think about things down to the littlest details, and I hope I may bring you enjoyment through the silly thoughts and musings I have about Dandori.
Extra Musings
According to an interview with the developers, the entire Pikmin franchise was built off of the concept of task management, but the term "Dandori" only started to be used internally during the development of the 3rd game. By the time the 4th game came around, "Dandori" would define the gameplay.
I've never been one to keep up with planners, as much as I love them. You'd think I'd see planners as the ultimate Dandori tool, but I'll only get as far as filling out my calendar and coming up with a layout to fill out on each page. After a few weeks, what used to be a fun, aesthetic way of organizing my life becomes more of a chore that just takes more time out of my day. Perhaps making my own template would be better Dandori... but Hobonichi products are just so darn appealing.
Fun fact: if you take a shot for every time I use the word "Dandori", you will die.