Staying on top of a ToDo list…
This should be a no-brainer really. Except it obviously isn’t otherwise why would there be so many ToDo list applications, planners and the rest?
The problem with a ToDo list is two-fold:
1. Creating the list
2. Working the list
So, let’s look at the problem one step at a time 
1. Creating the list -Â This in some ways is the easiest part, yet is the main reason why step 2 is so difficult for most people. The reason is that it’s not as simple as just creating a list; you need to think about how you want to use the list too. The only way you’re ever going to stay on top of a ToDo list is if it’s organized in a way such that you can stay on top of it. That means it has to be simple and therein lies the problem. Most simple ToDo lists don’t enable you to fully capture your thoughts and action items in a way that make sense. Catch 22 (if you’ve read ever read the book).
There are hundreds of books that have been written on the ToDo list topic and there are also hundreds of applications and methods available to use too. Where do you start? I seriously recommend you start with about five different solutions. Seriously. Yes, I do. They should probably be something like as follows:
a) A piece of paper
b) An Internet email program that has a task list (e.g. Outlook, Yahoo! Mail, Google Mail)
c) A paper organizer system
d) A desktop PC application that you think might work
e) A web application that you think might work
Then what you want to do is using ALL these methods concurrently list all the ToDos that you can think of that need doing, even the ones that don’t need doing until next month, next year. Oh, and then add all those little jobs and projects you’ve been meaning to get round to. So that’s a good start, but now you’ll need to go back over all these ToDos and categorize them into subjects / topics / projects (whatever works for you) and then try and assign each one a higher or lower priority as relevant, and lastly assign due dates or start dates, or whatever else works for you. Only you will be able to tell what is right for you. Now you’re beginning to see the problem. Probably already two out of the five methods won’t work for you and you’d never have known this if you hadn’t gone through this process with all methods. So now we come to the hard part, getting the system we’ve chosen to work properly.
2. Working the list - Ultimately it’s this area that will dictate whether or not you stay on top of your ToDo list. Completing the first few items on your list was easy. Of course it was. They were the items that you knew you had to do anyway and no matter what method you chose they would have been completed. That’s why it was important to capture every item at the beginning. So you’ve completed your first few ToDos. What do you do now? What is your list telling you? How is it guiding you? How is it confusing you? How is it stopping you from doing the right things? You need to ask yourself these questions and more when looking at the ToDo lists that are left on your option list. The chances are that there still isn’t a single list (application) that is working for you. But at least you now have a better idea of exactly what it is you want. Don’t give up now though. Now is the time to persevere. Keep using these lists for the next week or so and record what works and what doesn’t. It might be as simple as you keep thinking of new ToDo items when you’re not in front of a computer and so you don’t have a way to enter them. It might be that the project items you have on your list are getting in the way of the day to day ToDos. The possibilities are endless. Nonetheless after a week or so of using your system you’ll know what the problems are. It’s at this point that most people give up and this is why they never stay on top of their ToDo list.
I daresay there is no ideal solution for you. We all process ToDos in different ways and that’s why there are so many systems out there. Ultimately you will have to make some kind of compromise and use a system that nearly works for you. I have cycled through about 20 systems I guess and now I have something that nearly works for me. What do I use? Well I have mentioned this before but here’s the complete breakdown:
- A web application called Toodledo - I’ve found this application to be very flexible in how you use it and view your ToDos
- A Firefox plugin for Toodledo that allows me to open my ToDos (with full edit and create features) in the sidebar at any time. I can also just right-click on a web page and create a ToDo that references the page I am on (very useful for bookmarking something to investigate more later)
- A Twitter account to enable the next feature
- Using Twitter to send and request ToDos from Toodledo (Toodledo can use Twitter for receiving and sending ToDos). This means I can create ToDos when I’m not in front of my PC but do have my phone with me (I can send text messages to Twitter that Toodledo processes)
Is this a foolproof system? No, but it works for me. I still need to tweak how I use the Context, Status and Tag features for my ToDos but for the most part it is helping me stay on top of my ToDo list on a day by day basis, and ultimately that will make me more productive and focused over time.
I’ll report back in a few months and let you know how it’s going.
