This was very enlightening for me.

But I wonder if it wouldn't be better if it were something like a ncurses list with checkboxable list items which one would progress trough.

Take a checklist for a pilot for example. Wouldn't it be not as good if the next item on the list only appeared after an item has been checked? It could be beneficial if you could peek a couple of items down the line in order to group your actions or get a better overview of the overall task.

"Do I put the water for the coffee in the microwave now or do I first finish this quick item and let the next long-running item start before I go and make my coffee?"