Yesterday we looked at Behance’s Action Pads. Today we are going to give a few away to random commentors on this post. Specifically we are looking for comments, ideas, suggestions, or random thoughts about how to make a better todo list. So anything you’ve done to let you better manage, capture, or execute your list of actions is fair game.
So to get things rolling, here are a few suggestions for todo lists based on my experience:
- Braindump list — keep a list of all the random "todo someday" items that you think of. This gives you a place to capture them without cluttering up your daily list.
- Use objects — sometimes using objects to represent your list instead of a written list can be beneficial. This is especially true if the object is part of what you need to complete the task. For example, setting out my work out clothes to help remind me to exercise can help motivate me much more than just seeing "exercise" written on a list.
- Limit Items on Daily List — if there is no way you are going to actually accomplish 40 items on your daily todo list, don’t fill your list with things you aren’t going to get done. You should develop the habit of regularly completing all the items on your daily list. If you aren’t getting the list done in its entirety at least 50% of the time, you probably are putting too much on it. Developing the habit of completing all the items is more important than how many items you have listed.
- Write on your mirror — dry erase markers and your bathroom mirror can be a handy way to leave yourself a note to start your morning routine.
- Cross reference — this is particularly useful for your braindump list. If you reference an email or other piece of information, make sure you include enough information to be able to find it later. For example, recording the sender and date of an email, is usually enough to locate it using your email client’s search functionality.
- Quality list — how you make your list sends yourself a subconscious message about its importance. That doesn’t mean you need to write on gold paper, but an old receipt doesn’t convey the importance of your todo list. Write neat on good paper so every time you look at the list it conveys quality and organization.
- Add to your list — everyone has experienced a day where they did a lot of work, but nothing that was on their list. In these types of situations, go ahead and add the tasks that came up to your list and mark them off. This helps keep you in the habit of using your list and lets you see your achievements even if it wasn’t what you planned to do originally.
What are things you do to help you be effective in using your todo list? Do you have any type of special paper, layout, computer program or other tool that you use? Please leave a comment below and don’t forget we’ll be giving away several Action Pads to the authors of random comments.
I use the todo.sh script created by Gina Trapani of LifeHacker. I wrote my own PHP scripts to generate HTML output based on the todo.txt files. I use it mainly to colour code based on priority. I have this HTML output on on Windows Active Desktop.
I use slickrun magicwords to perform various todo.sh operations.
I’ve been doing this for years and I still fall back on it when I have something that MUST be done an I feel like I might forget it. I write a a couple letters on the back of my hand– like “CA” for Call Amy or “P” for pick up prescription. That’s a last resort but one that always works.
For everything else I’ve been using http://www.todoist.com I’ve been using it as a kind of “experiment” this semester as a replacement for my usual to do notebook, and I LOVE it. It is under constant development and handles different projects nicely. It makes me want to check the little box that says somethings done. And you can see what you’ve accomplished, which is great motivation to do more.
For really complicated one-time lists (like everything I have to do in one chapter draft) I use OmniOutliner (free with macs). I can print out the list and follow it while I work– it works great!
In the past I’ve got some mileage out of using post-it notes for lists, their main obvious advantage being that you can stick them to something to ensure that they’re always in the right place. But post-it notes on their own are boring, so I have used the templates at DIY Planner to add some eye candy to them. Just use 5×3 post-it notes, together with the HPDA version of the DIY Planner templates. I found it easiest to use the 4-up version of this template: print out a template on normal paper, then position 4 blank post-it notes in the appropriate places on the template, put it back in the printer, and print again. You have an instant, attractive to-do list template on a post-it note. (And, of course, you can use any of the other templates provided by DIY planner in the same way.)
I have three ways of organising my Todo lists, which may seem like over-kill but it gives me the kick in the backside I need.
Firstly I write down everything in my moleskine which then gets a two or three letter code next to it. These are just general “To Dos” and don’t really contain any “Next Actions” in the GTD sense.
If the To Do is a project then I’ll write a list of all my next actions out on a form I’ve designed called the ktGTD Project Form. This lists all of the actions for the project and their status; This then gets stuck in my moleskine.
If I’m feeling highly unproductive (which is a normal state for me!) then I move whatever actions I need to get done that day onto my ktDPlan which lists the hours of the day, the task and the status, that way I can see what I need to be working on, and for how long as I often find it easier if I bounce from task to task as I have a short attention span!
If anyone’s interested in my forms, they can be downloaded from my website (see the featured posts section for links)
Well, I’ve been trying out the behance stuff, using the tester from their site. In meetings, I no longer have my MacBook open. I take a notepad, w/ a stack of Behance testers, and I take notes on the testers, and add action items as they come up. When I get back to my desk, I dump the action items into iGTD, and file them away.
One to-do item on one 3×5 card tacked to the wall behind my computer. So if I have 15 important to-dos then I see 15 cards staring me down. This bold visual approach really gets things moving for me.
One fairly simple item that helps me quite a bit is a calendar. If I can see my “hard landscape” for a day (the commitments I’ve made with myself and others) it’s easier for me to tackle the items on my to do list. I try not to schedule work on projects (unless it’s something that absolutely HAS to get done) but I will record meetings, meals, and free time. For example, instead of putting “exercise” on my list I’ll schedule it on my calendar because I know that there are only a few times during my day that are good for that — so I pick a time, schedule it and stick with it. Having these firm commitments on the calendar also helps me see how many quality hours I’ll have during a day to actually work on my todo items, and it helps me pace myself through the day.
Come on Behance Action Pads! Big money, no whammies!
Great ideas! For home to do’s I have an “action folder”. This is primarily used to capture mail & bills that need attention. Mail comes in and is removed from envelopes, all recycleable xtras are removed and the important bits go in the action folder. My running list of household todo’s is stored there too. Saturday morning I retrieve the action folder & dispatch the contents. Low tech, but effective for me!
I have experiments to do and if I don’t plan down to the 15 minutes, my whole day gets screwed up and I’m in the lab until 10 or 11pm. I write my list out and then plan the most efficient way to get it done. I schedule in lunch and a time to talk to people so that if someone drops by unexpectedly, I can say hey, I’m busy, but come back at Xpm and we can chat. Having everything strictly scheduled when I’ve a lot to do helps me from wasting time checking email, etc.
If I’m trying to meet a self-imposed deadline, I build in an extra day just because. I tend to get down on myself if I miss a deadline, but having a buffer day usually lets me make it on time and in most cases, early, so I have some more free time.
I usually write my to-do lists on regular notebook paper, and I separate them by time frame: today, this week, and this month. As I finish up each day’s list, I look at the list for the week and begin working on the next day’s list. It helps keep me from feeling overwhelmed while still keeping me on track.
I use ToDoList from Abstract spoon (www.abstractspoon.com), it is a great todolist tool and it is free.
I write my To-Dos on small post-its and line them up on the back of a clipboard, which I then prop up on my desk. Because they’re repositionable, I can move them around as priorities change, and with the addition of a deadline date in the corner, I can keep track of the most urgent ones. Supporting documentation for the tasks can be clipped to the clipboard, along with lower priority tasks.
I set aside the first 2 hours of the day for the “small stuff” – stuff that has to get done, but adding it to the to-do list takes more time than actually completing the task.
I also use the preview feature in Outlook so when I get an email, I can see who it’s from and what the subject is without opening it. This tells me whether or not I need to stop what I’m doing to read the whole message.
I use a combination of things:
For my own to-dos, I use a small notebook opened flat– the left side for personal items, the right for work items. I then scratch out, draw diagrams, annotate, and move to the next day’s page as necessary. I never allow myself more than the one page each per day, because it’s too much. I also try to use general topics with granular to-dos under them to indicate projects.
For my project management work, I’m currently evaluating different tools. I’ve used Remember The Milk and Basecamp and am not happy with either of them for long term projects with multiple employees/resources. Top of my list right now are Zoho Projects and AceProject.
A couple ideas:
1. I like to mind map my lists using Visual Mind 8. This allows you to “roll-up” a project, and then “pop-open” the project and see all the detailed items related to that project, rather like using the Outliner in Microsoft Word for developing a list.
2. I use Microsoft’s OneNote for lab notes, and I have four lists going at all times there. Each list gets a single page, They are: To-Do Today (things that I really am going to do TODAY). To-Do This Week, stuff that has to get done this week, To-Do This month, and To-Do This Year.
Items get transferred from right to left, that is Year->Month->Week->Day
OneNote has check boxes for each item that can satisfy my need to check off things as they are accomplished. It integrates with OutLook if needed (including the calendar), and you can sync it among multiple machines, (desktop and laptop, for example).
3. During a hectic day, I just use Post-Its, one item per Post-It. When my desk gets covered with them, they are transferred into one of the above systems, and then thrown away.
I’m a big fan of Vitalist.com.
It organizes all my actions, inbox, projects, contexts, waiting, etc. – just like GTD told me too.
Great stuff!
The trick I love is to cross out done items with a highlighter. (I didn’t invent this, but i love it). You can still read what you’ve done, and the unhighlighted tasks pop off the page, making a more readable list.
I use yellow for items that have had some progress made, or waiting for items, and then I can use a darker color later if I finish it off. When I make a new list, I can see the half-done items and reword them to reflect their current status (follow up, etc)
Very easy, very satisfying and intuitive.
I use little magnetic whiteboards on my bathroom mirror. They’re like reusable post it notes.
I post my list on the kitchen cabinets or specific ones on the back door so I see them when I leave. Drives my wife nuts.
I keep a “to-search” list by my computer. I jot a note on the non-critical item I think is so important to search for. It helps keep my day free from sidetracks. Better yet, things that I thought I needed to know loose their luster after a few hours.
For my to-do’s, I start with my weekly project list. After writing those down, I then assign times and days to schedule my tasks so that the projects move forward. I also try to avoid over-tasking because I rarely can anticipate the # of interruptions that any day can bring. Hope this helps,
Mike
I use a number of relatively simple tricks to keep myself productive, though I’m not always successful. A new one I like is the use of the Jott service, which allows me to send myself a brief e-mail with action items while I’m driving or otherwise AWFK.
I also find myself rely increasingly on pen and paper, as I’m not alway connected to the internet and find many software packages suffering from feature bloat.
Then, there’s always the golden oldie of just making a note and putting it right in front of my face so I have to deal with it right away.
The toughest hurdle for me to overcome in being more productive is just a general lack of focus. I have a remarkable ability to surf the internet for hours, not really accomplishing much of anything.
Sometimes it’s not so much what I need to get done, as what I need someone else in the household to get done. The best way I have found to make sure the other person sees his/her “to do list” is to tape the message to his/her bedroom doorknob. There is no way someone can claim they didn’t see that note. :)
For my own lists, I use a 3×5 Circa notebook from the Levengers catalog. The pages in that are easily rearranged if necessary. The pages also separate into standard 3×5 cards which I can take with me all by themselves or fit into the rings of a larger Circa notebook if necessary (as when I’m writing and have jotted down a few things to expand on when I go to the library). It’s a very versatile system.
thnx
I, like Jeff earlier, have found Abstract Spoon’s ToDoList to be the best software to-do list around. Very powerful and extremely cheap (FREE). Nothing I’ve tried suits my purposes better.
I agree with Radiowriter.
Recently I dedicated 1 day to find the best suited to-do manager out there. I decided to stick with ToDolist (i’ve worked with this application before).
The developer regularly updates his product and it’s a great tool indeed once you setup everything.
If you need collaborative task lists like I do, simply install a file syncing tool :)
Works like a charm and I highly recommend it.