My steno pad To-Do List – almost ready to start a new notebook. One notebook usually lasts me 1-1/2 years.
We’re four days into the new year and already my daily to-do list has three new pages of task items that need to be accomplished – this week.
While running a small business, helping my kids with their education, maintaining a house, and entertaining friends – I never run out of ideas to put on my to-do list. For over 20 years now I have used spiral bound steno pads for my to-do lists, and the current pad is never far from my hands. When a thought occurs to me for something I need to get done – whether now or some time in the future – I write it down. When I accomplish a task, I use a yellow highlighter to “cross out” the task, marking it as done. I LOVE seeing a full page of yellow – it means I’ve been busy! When I mark off a task, I always write “DONE” and the date it was finished so I have a record in case I ever need to go back and find something. I keep all these filled steno pads together in a file drawer – they’re kind of like a record or history of my life. Each notepad has the start and end date written on the cover, and they are numbered so I can keep them in order. Do I ever go back and look at them? Not very often – but at least they are there in case I do need to look back. And maybe someday my kids will sell them in our vintage shop as “ephemera” – LOL!
Sure, these days there are lots of smartphone apps and desktop programs to maintain a to-do list. But for me – the physical process of writing something down (in my own handwriting) and then the act of highlighting (crossing off) tasks is just so satisfying. I’ve tried to adapt to the technical world for my to-do list, but nah. I’ll stick with my steno pad and highlighter!
TO-DO LIST TIPS:
- Use an App – There are many helpful apps to manage your to-do lists. Here is a short list of some of the apps I’ve tested: Todoist (works on desktop, phones, tablets, on and offline); Wunderlist (works on desktop, phones, tablets and on and offline); Any.do (works on desktop, phones, tablets, on and offline, and you can add tasks just by speaking); and Remember the Milk (works on desktop, phones, tablets, on and offline, and syncs with calendars).
- Use a Noteobook – Do like I do and use a mid-size notebook or steno pad for your to-do list. The advantage is all your notes are together in one notebook versus scattered and stuck everywhere on PostIt Notes. The size of the notebook fits into most purses, backpacks, or briefcases so you can take it with you.
- PostIt Notes – While I generally don’t recommend writing your to-do items onto PostIt Notes that you stick on your computer, refrigerator, or front door – if you insist on using them, use different colored note pads for different priorities of tasks. For example, a green PostIt means it needs to be done ASAP, an orange PostIt means it can be done as soon as you have time, and a yellow PostIt means it’s something you need to do but in no specific timeframe – you get the idea. When you finish the task, just recycle the note paper.
- Your Hand – When all else fails and you only have a pen in your pocket, go back to the old-school days of writing your to-do list on your hand (Ssh! Don’t tell my kids I told you this).