IMAGE OF PEN AND PAPER HOW TO

You really see this in action when you consider having a shorter to-do list, though. This may be overshadowed by the multiple items on your list, but you are focusing on a task during a given time. If youвЂ™ve been doing them wrong, you may have noticed that you are focusing in on a task on your to do list and getting it done. When you build an effective to-do list, the main goal of these lists is to provide clarity and focus. This creates unnecessary pressure and sends you into a stress whirlwind. There will be days where you wonвЂ™t get everything done due to life events. On that same note, if you are someone who has a tendency to seek validation, a to-do list can be tough. ItвЂ™s important that you place more value in quality work rather than sheer quantity. If you have a lot of tasks on your list, it feels like torture as the list never ends.ДЄt first, it can feel nice that you always have something to do, but keep in mind that you only have so much time in a day. However, the brain doesnвЂ™t work that way. A to-do list is a productivity tool, so it makes sense to pile on tasks.

ItвЂ™s understandable why you or other people do this, though.

People use lists as a measurement of whether they are productive or not.

The first important point is that many people have been making to-do lists all wrong. Why Is a To-Do List Important?Д«efore jumping into strategies to make an effective to-do list, itвЂ™s worth knowing why you should bother making one.

IMAGE OF PEN AND PAPER HOW TO

But my argument is that maybe you and other people arenвЂ™t making an effective to-do list, so here we will go over how to get one done right. Many people discredit this for various reasons and donвЂ™t believe that a to-do list is any good. Whether itвЂ™s a mental list or something that you are writing down, a to-do list is an essential productivity tool.ДЄt the same time, it is one of the most confusing productivity tools around.

ItвЂ™s one of the most productive ways for you and everyone else to get anything done. One of the age-old productivity techniques around is the classic and effective to-do list, and for good reason. Take note of where you are next time you have a great thought or idea, and make sure youвЂ™ve got an easy way to record it and remember it. Your brain, not being used fully, gets to wander and be creative, and out come vast numbers of great ideas. If thereвЂ™s a trend to all this, itвЂ™s that some of the best ideas come out when weвЂ™re doing something mindless (brushing teeth, watching TV, etc.). Write down what you were thinking, and then fully head inside. DonвЂ™t leave space for you to get distracted by anything else вЂ“ TV, computers, family, etc. Had a great idea on the bus, but couldnвЂ™t write it down? Have a pad of paper right inside your front door to capture it as soon as you walk in. Keep a pen or notebook handy to jot down thoughts, ideas, reactions, and the like from your travels вЂ“ I find that I think more, and have more ideas when IвЂ™m in a new setting than at any other time. YouвЂ™ll be exposed to new things, forced to see and think about things differently, which can open your brain and bring out new ideas and new perspective. Traveling is a huge boon to your idea-generation. Keep it just outside the shower, and youвЂ™re set to write down all the brilliance that results from your showers. Poof! YouвЂ™ve got a dry-erase board that can stand up to the water much better than paper. The solution here? Cover an index card, or piece of paper, in scotch tape. I think 90% of the good ideas IвЂ™ve ever had (including the idea for this post) came while I was taking a shower, and singing some fantastic 90вЂ™s song. The ShowerДЇor whatever reason, I think better in the shower than anywhere else. While I donвЂ™t recommend writing while you drive, itвЂ™s a great thing to have for the momentary stop, or when you first arrive at your destination, to dump all the great ideas you might forget about later. Maybe you see a funny bumper sticker, or witness an incident you want to remember вЂ“ keep a piece of paper within armвЂ™s reach of your seat in the car, and record all your great ideas. Maybe youвЂ™re stuck in traffic вЂ“ do some brainstorming.

Regardless of what it is, we seem to have a disproportionately large number of ideas in the bathroom, so keep a pad of paper and a pen waiting to record them. Other times, staring at yourself in the mirror, saying вЂњthink, man, THINKвЂќ can spark good ideas. Sometimes, when youвЂ™re doing something mindless like brushing your teeth, your brain can wander onto great ideas. Here they are, nine places to make sure youвЂ™ve got pen and paper (or index cards, or Moleskine notebook) ready for your next great idea: The Bathroom I put a pad of paper and a pen in each one, and itвЂ™s made my ability to quickly and easily record ideas much higher. At the end of my search I found nine places, where I had no easy way of recording ideas, where I often have good ideas.

Image of pen and paper