A to-do list is a tool that should make your work more efficient. He organizes tasks for the day and, in theory, motivates them to complete them. However, in practice, such a list does not always work and not for everyone, because the classic version is not suitable for everyone. Fortunately, there are alternatives.
The list of tasks in English is called to-do-list, this name has also passed into Russian and is used on a par with the usual. And the five most original ways to maintain lists include:
- Principle "1-3-5";
- Bullet Journal;
- Anti-to-do;
- Zen system of productivity;
- Stop lists.
The 1-3-5 principle changes the basis of the classic task scheduling. Usually, it goes by numbers from 1 to infinity. And in "1-3-5" you need to write down only one main task per day. To it are added 3 forces of medium importance and volume, and 5 small ones. Small ones are those that can be postponed until tomorrow if there is not enough strength today. The list "1-3-5" is written in the evening, so that later in the morning you can see what is on the agenda.
If the work is dynamic, and there is no opportunity to guess what the tasks will be, triples or fives can be left blank. This makes the list flexible.
Bullet Journal is a system that organizes paper scheduling as well as an electronic planner. To use it, you need:
Number the pages of the diary.
- On the first page, create a table of contents that will help you find the data you need throughout the diary.
- Create a calendar for a month from events that will probably not change.
- On another page, create a to-do list for this month.
- It is important to use notes on the list for the month, and for the week, and for the day.
- But the most important thing is to include page numbers in the table of contents.
Anti-to-do runs in parallel with the classic to-do list. This is done to stay motivated. People lose it when they see that out of the planned 10 they have done only 5 things. Anti-to-do works according to the principle, which in any case supports motivation, because what has already been done is recorded on such a list.
For example, a person planned to write three articles, re-hang the curtains, take the dog for a walk, and take her to the vet. And in the evening, according to the classic list of tasks, he sees that he did not have time to write one article out of three and did not get to the veterinarian. But, looking at the anti-to-do, this person discovers that he wrote 2 out of 3 articles in a day, pulled the curtains and took a walk with the dog. He's glad. And he wants to do even more tomorrow. Motivation persists.
The Zen Productivity System is a technique that enhances personal performance. To use it, you need:
- Divide task lists by areas: work, assignments, chores, etc. And in each of these lists, enter only those tasks that relate to its area.
- The lists need to be constantly updated. Therefore, it is recommended that you always carry your phone, tablet or paper notebook with you in order to write down tasks or ideas that arise suddenly.
- The tasks should be truly relevant and important.
Such a system allows you to focus on action and planning right now, in real time.
Stop lists, as it seems at first glance, in their essence completely contradict to-do planning. However, in reality, this is not the case.
The stop list is based on combating time-consuming habits. The bottom line is that such a list should include things that people want to get rid of: not eating sweets at night, quitting smoking, not using social networks, etc. This version of the list makes it possible not only to get rid of unnecessary habits, but also to see what pulls a person down.
If you draw up stop lists regularly, you can read them at the end of the year and evaluate how much progress has been achieved during this time. However, in order for such a sheet to work properly, the timing must be taken into account: calculate how much time each of the bad habits takes, and set a time limit on it. For example, no more than 2 cigarettes per day or no more than 20 minutes for social media. The limit should be gradually reduced.
