

Why have one list when you can have… wait, more than one? What is this, Christmas?Ĭreate several lists of things that need to happen.
#All things done in a business way how to#
If your list is for a wedding, here’s how to turn “to-do” into “I do.” 2. Whichever way you swing, make sure your to-do list takes a form that makes your brain happy. Others go the whiteboard or corkboard route. Some people might find that adding different colors for different types of tasks might help the routine stick. Digitizing literacy: Reflections on the haptics of writing. Some research suggests writing information by hand helps us remember it better, but if you last picked up a pen in 1995, fear not: There’s a huge range of digital apps that can help you create personal to-do lists. To-do lists come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s all about what works for the individual. Luckily we’re here to help, with a step-by-step guide to creating - and completing - an awesome list of stuff to get done. If it’s real, and you actually have it, add “abandon your vehicle by the side of the road and set it aflame” to the very top of your to-do list.) The problem is this: Not all lists are created equal.Įven those of us who have bumper stickers that read: “People who make to-do lists tick every box” might not know how to make a successful one. The effects of list-making on recall in young and elderly adults. Plus, making a written list can help us remember important information (meaning that trash won’t sit in the kitchen for weeks, or that if it does, you won’t forget to charge it rent). This can be way more effective than thinking about vague objectives (To-don’t: Get cleaner). Largely, your goals.įor one thing, the act of writing out a list forces us to set concrete goals (To-do: “Take out the trash.”). However, even the most basic outline of the things you need to do can help you crush your goals and foes. They’d rather wing it, writing important telephone numbers on the backs of their hands or sticking Post-its to their leg, “ Memento”-style. Organizing the bathroom can turn into a session of ticking off 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, rather than a freestyle shift-around between number 2s. Some people border on obsessive about them. (If you have a word with Oskar Schindler, he’ll tell you that lists can also save lives.) However, if you’re struggling to make sense of your goals, a list could save you time, energy, and the need to come up with excuses for when the thing that needs to happen, well, doesn’t. To-do or not to do: The basics of to-doing
