Refinding Which To Do List To Use
Now that I want to use a to do list again, to help structure non-client work time, I have to look at what kind of to do list to use.
I used to use Outlook, and had a list there. When I stopped using a PDA, I started writing myself e-mails with a long to do list for the month or upcoming period of time that I could revise, print out, etc. I try not to have the epic to do list capturing all of my hopes and dreams, because that's not where I'm at. It is a good idea for some people.
Now I just want to capture tasks and ideas so I can sit down in a block of time and remember what I wanted to be doing generally, and pick some based on urgency/interest/impending staleness of task/attention/energy level, for example.
I want it to be
- somewhere I can find it
- somewhere I remember it
- easy to see everything on
- easy to get rid of completed tasks
- easy to sort
- not overly complicated
In an ideal world, I would be able to
- access it on any computer online
- access it on my computer offline
- print it out easy
When/if I get a smartphone it will change again. For now I'm playing with gmail tasks and notes in mac Mail. The most important things, though are
- adding things to do and things to write to my list
- reviewing my list regularly
And those are things I would remind others of. To do lists, as I always seem to be saying, are tools to make things easier. They help you to remember what you want to remember. They save time because you don't have to think up all the things you had to do- or they ought to. They help you stay focused by writing down a thought/potential distraction as something to attend to later. If they don't help you remember stuff, stay focused on the task at hand, and organize your time, they aren't working.
Jan 15, 2011 @ 22:26:01
Hi Becca –
I’ve been enjoying your blog. Just read your “holiday wish” — important food for thought!
On the topic of todo lists, I thought I’d share my most recent tool:
Next to my keyboard I have an 8×10 whiteboard, which I use to keep track of my short-term intensions. It’s super easy to add to, and super easy to remove stuff.
My favorite part is that at the top I wrote (in permanent pen)
Right now I’m:
Next I plan to:
It helps me keep track of my intensions, and bring myself back when I get distracted, whether by a new idea, a phone call, or being summoned to change a diaper. (yes, I work from home
Jan 22, 2011 @ 17:22:19
@Josh, I totally love your whiteboard system. It’s akin to my quick-and-dirty shortlist that keeps me on task- I use a sharpie and a scrap paper, and tape it on my monitor. This only works if I only use it for RIGHT NOW, ie a defined work block of max. a couple hours. With max 4 things on it, often only 2 or 3.
Also, I did a bunch of what you do when I worked in a regular office, where you get interrupted by coworkers all the time. It worked great. I’d write on a sticky what I was doing before going to the bathroom or getting a snack — or while answering the phone– and what the next step was. It shortens the ADHD-elongated time it takes to find your way back into something.
Thanks for reading & commenting!