This is it, your New Year's resolutions' best friend — How to simplify your To-Do list with sticky notes.
I've finally figured out a system for keeping myself in lists that help me get things done, rather than a system that exists for its own sake. Do you know what I mean? Those planners that require their own block of time to manage? As if managing my life isn't hard enough, I have to manage the planner as well?
My tree may not last too much longer. It smells amazing, though! I feel like the whole question of how long to keep the tree around answers itself as its poor branches droop ever lower and its needles start to make me insane as they swoosh to the floor every time I come near.
And just like that, our minds turn to clearing out and getting organized.
Every morning, this is the conversation between me and the Chief:
Him: “So, hon, whatcha doin today?”
Me: “Oh, getting organized…”
Sound familiar?
Let's talk lists, which are our friends.
I'm a huge fan of cut-up scrap paper. There's nothing like a piece of paper that costs you nothing — that you are re-purposing and recycling — that you are being virtuous by using! I like to grab a pen and a scrap of paper and make a list. For years, that's how I did my to-dos. Just jotted them down.
There's nothing that says “you are so thrifty” like finding a use for a piece of paper that's so old it has a FAX number on it, am I right??
{I pause this post to say: that the only effective way to make your grocery list is in order of the aisles. You are going to forget things, even written down things. Make it less likely to forget — although of course not impossible — by using the layout of the store, rather than the order the things occurred to you, in your list. If necessary, re-write the list, which you can do because it's just scrap paper.}
Nowadays I might take a picture of my list to have it on my phone. But I've not yet found a way to make the actual list, organized by aisle, that beats just writing it down on a piece of paper!
However, for your To-Do list, I've found a way that's been working for me for a while now, and solves the “where the heck are my little scraps of paper” issue. It might help you, because it makes use of one of the most important principles of time management, which is this:
Only have 3 to 5 things on your To-Do list.
I read an interesting article (don't know where, sorry) that said that the most effective corporate executive types have only five things on their To-Do list. But as a mother, I know that there are already many, many things which we haven't chosen that are already on the list before we even get started, such as laundry, making meals, changing diapers, tidying up… and we also have to have planners for homeschooling and menus. And then we get to the To-Dos…
So I say 3 things.
Three things on your To-Do list each day.
The big question becomes, how to figure out what those three things are?
And the answer is also simple. You need a little chunk of time to do it, and I recommend doing it in whatever you consider your prayer time. This is because what we do with our time is very much a spiritual issue. So it's actually a good use of prayer to sit in God's presence and discuss all those things that weigh us down.
Go ahead and talk it over with Him, pen and paper in hand. Make a list of 10 or 25 or 50 or however many things you think need to be done. It's the Master List. It should have All The Things. Getting photos organized, cleaning out closets, calling the insurance company, figuring out a bill-pay system, planning your school year — all the calls, all the projects, all the commitments.
Now, looking at all those things, which are the top three that you could do today?** Maybe the insurance company simply must be called today. Okay, that's #1. Maybe you have to go to the store or everyone will starve. And maybe there is a pile of boxes blocking the door that have to be taken out to the garage.
There you go. Three things… in addition, of course, to all your other duties, which just get done whether they are written down or not, so unless they are out of the ordinary (say, there are four laundry baskets that must be dealt with or you can't do your normal laundry), just don't write them down.
Now what I've discovered is that using sticky notes really helps and represents a significant (although considerably less thrifty***) improvement over the scrap-paper method. The improvement consists in giving you a visual, which I find important, and also in allowing you to discard that which you have completed, which I find gratifying.
I had something like this mind and tried to find a method already worked out. I found this one, and I encourage you to read up on how she implements the sticky-note method. I refined it a little for my purposes.
First, it seems really important to me that your notes go onto durable pages. I was picturing a small spiral-bound photo album, the pages of which are practically laminated. You don't want too many pages, though, because that's too much pressure to multiply the tasks! We have enough tasks as it is. But I couldn't find what I was looking for.
The pages should at least be cardstock, to be sturdy enough to take a lot of sticking and unsticking of notes. And that's hard to find. I had this notebook that Natasha had given me. It's from Minted, very cute. The pages are rather thicker than normal notebook paper, and it's a good size.
In theory you could have a “notebook” that consisted of two covers — just a folder, really. You would open it up and there would be your To-Dos. I guess you'd need one more page to stow your unused sticky notes on. But…
… I realized I wanted tabs.
Fortunately, you can get sticky tabs. The main thing is that the ability to change this system around — its flexibility — is very appealing to me. I don't like my organization to be too dedicated. I like to be able to feel that I'm not a slave to it, but rather that it's serving me. I guess I have commitment anxiety when it comes to organization. (The sticky aspect has already worked out when I realized I hated having the tabs on top and needed to move them to the side. Phew.)
I quickly realized that I might have three or however many things to do today, but there are going to be a lot of other things that need to stay near the top of the list. And that's my “tomorrow” tab. I like to see the queue, you know?
Your Master List — that list of the overwhelming bazillion things you have to do (but suspect you'll never get to) — can go in the back pages. And you can have other, less pressing notes under their own tabs.
Mine has been in use, so forgive the somewhat shabby nature of it. This is the page, above, that I open to every morning. It never changes — only the stickies on it change. (The inside cover is printed with that little picture of Pippo. Cute.)
On the left are prayers, special intentions, for people (you are on it, dear reader! Pray for me too!).****
On the right are the To-Dos — JUST FOR TODAY. Some days I need a sort of schedule and almost hourly breakdown, and that's when the longer sticky note comes in handy. But usually it's one task (or set of tasks, as I like to make the most of my notes) per note. I can move the notes around, of course, so that I have a visual of which to do first.
When it's done, that note gets thrown away. (If I need an archive, there's that Master List and I can cross it out there. But most tasks are not memorable! “Go to the Bank” is not something I need to remember that I did, years from now!)
And there's that little stash of the notes inside the back cover, replenished once in a while when needed.
This is my “tomorrow” page, which is a loose conglomeration of vague things that need to be done, eventually; or even just thought about.
I also have a page for my blog ideas, my crafting hopes and dreams, and so on. I have other notebooks and an index card file for other organizing of more extensive thoughts and notes, but for T0-Dos, this is the way that works the best for me.
There you have it. I've always wanted a To-Do system that's flexible, portable, simple, and visual. I've tried many, many others. This is it for me. I still jot things down on scraps of paper (especially shopping lists), but now I move them to sticky notes when they become official To-Do items.
Tomorrow I will post about a way to make yourself a little notebook with cardstock that would be just right for this method, just because I've had my eye out, and can't find the kind of notebook I think really works. The pages have to be fewer than your regular notebook (really, you would only need about 8 pages, max), and they have to be stiff. Such a thing is easy to make, though. See you then!
{Behind all of this is the essential series about Getting Control of Suppers and Laundry — posts found in the menu bars up above), which I've written about extensively and which all started with this: Can Your New Year's Resolution Take the Reality Test? Or, My Secret to Straightening Out Your Life}
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*If you can swing it, get a paper cutter. It doesn't have to take up a lot of room — I hang mine up on a nail in my craft closet. A paper cutter is awesome and makes paper crafting so much more fun and possible.
**If you have a new baby and/or a houseful of sick children, know that you must have a To-Do list but it's all about what's on the list. If you can throw away three notes that say “Wash face brush teeth,” “Change diapers,” and “defrost chicken broth” then that's a good day's work.
***The expense was holding me back. Post-Its are ridiculously pricey (also I'm not a fan of the colors). But knockoffs are fine and once you get started, keep your eye out for the ones put on clearance in various places. Soon you will have a stash of them. I decided it was worth it to use what turns out to be at most about three a day (usually I put like items together on a note) for me to have a sense of peace about how my day was going. I figure you can buy a lot of marked-down sticky notes for one expensive planner! It's all very ironic because up until literally last year I really detested sticky notes and couldn't fathom why anyone wouldn't just cut up some scrap paper. But this is a valid use for them, I must say!
****The prayers are right there because I bring this notebook to my quiet prayer every morning. Putting my day before God — my actual To-Do list — for a portion of my meditation is important to me. It's where the rubber meets the road in doing His will. Yes, even going to the grocery store is His will for me, if it's what I need to do today. One of the most important questions we can ask each day (and each moment, really), is simply, “Am I doing what you want me to be doing now, Lord?” “Do You really want me to tear out that closet today, Lord, or is there something else on Your mind?” (Also, taking the list to prayer makes it possible to be just a wee bit less distracted, if you are the distractible type, not that I would know about that. Instead of fixating on that important thing I just remembered I have to do, trying to memorize it, I can jot it down and go back to prayer.)
Amy says
Thank you for praying for us! What a comfort. Also, LOVE THIS POST (about Post-Its haha).
Helen says
This was lovely to read, as I do something very similar myself, but have never come across anyone else with the same system.
For a while I did as you do and stuck the sticky notes to the stiffish leaves of a notebook. Now I just stick the daily list to the front of my appointments diary ( which is about 9 by14cm). My main to do list, which contains EVERYTHING (as per David Allen’s ‘Getting Things Done’) is on a piece of A4 paper folded into eight sections, which enables me to separate out some things. That is kept, folded, just inside the diary, which usefully has an elastic band to hold everything together.
A further refinement of my system, which might please you, is that when a sticky note is used up I fold the sticky bit to itself, turn it over, and lo and behold I have a new piece of scrap paper – because scrap paper always comes in useful!
Leila says
Helen, yes to folding the sticky! 🙂
Helen says
And this is why we have the internet surely, to enable conversation across the oceans about sticky notes, scrap paper – and such amazing news – repositionable glue. Rejoice!
Mary Frances says
Hi Leila,
I’ve been trying to do a bullet journal but keeping it neat is driving me nuts, so your post it solution is great! I did discover washi tape which the bullet people use and thought maybe you could use your frugal scrap paper notes like post it notes if you just stick them on with washi tape (which is pretty cheap, especially if you get it with a coupon) and it can be re-positioned like the post its. Just an idea…
Happy new year!
God blesss
Mary Frances
Leila says
Mary Frances, I think this is a use for washi tape that I could get behind! I am going to keep an eye out for some. Great idea.
Elizabeth says
They have loads of it in the dollar section at target.
Ker says
I LOVE this idea, and immediately went to Amazon to find a suitable and appropriately sized home for my sticky notes. I think this is the answer: http://www.amazon.com/Smead-Campus-org%C2%AE-Subject-Assorted-89203/dp/B0091G5VR6/ref=pd_sim_229_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41z1UMa%2B4AL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0HW5W54A6MJB46YMH4V9. Now I just need to find some sticky notes, and probably print out the “Do the minimum” mantra to tape on the front 🙂
Kelsey says
This is great, but I am most edified by the fact that I have been making my grocery lists just in the same format as yours forever! How nice to know that one small aspect of my life is apparently up to speed…
Carrie says
Wow! I was just getting ready to set up a very similar system to this…great minds think alike! 🙂
I am curious to see how to make your notebook for it. I think it’s a good improvement over what I was thinking. (I originally got the idea from here… http://lifeasmom.com/2014/07/my-new-post-it-note-to-do-list-system.html) She did much the same as you, but all on one page.
Thanks for the nudge to get it done! Now if I could just figure out how to add my daily to-dos (dinner, homeschooling, and the rest) to keep them in front of my thoughts as well. This life of homeschool wife and mom sure has a lot of things to manage!
Anne says
I make my lists in grocery store order too. So much easier for me and for my husband if he happens to stop for me. He knows to start at the produce and then he’ll keep following the list and everything will magically happen in order.
I am trying out a simple bullet journal this year. It may help with my perfectionist tendencies I need to let go of or kill me. I have currently used my phone with its google calendar (one for me and my spouse plus one for each child, synced between us so we know what’s going on) along with the notes app. I still use that but would like to get back to the physical note taking and recording of things. It brings so much clarity.
Love your reminders that the way we spend our time is also a spiritual matter.
Hugs-
Katie says
I’ve found the notes app on my iPad extremely useful . . . or is it the reminder? The one you can tick off the items you have finished. I can make lists of household projects, craft ideas, specific tasks for feasts/visitors/vacations. You can give deadlines, complete with dates and times, and get reminded on the day when those things must get done. Like the cookie dough that must be made by 12/23–that kind of thing. No paper is wasted, everything is organized and in its place, and I can look at it whenever I need to.
Polly says
I love this post! I’m always intrigued by the way other people organize their lives. I like your post-it note system. My own system is extremely simple: a 12-month calendar + a one-subject spiral notebook. I use the notebook for my daily to-do lists–one list per page. (I have to have visual simplicity and cannot seem to handle multiple days per page–I tried it.) I get the notebooks for .19 each when they are on deep sale and stock up. Each one lasts about 2 months, so I go through about $1.20 worth of notebooks in a year….thrifty! Of course once I’m done it all gets recycled (except for the metal spiral)…I’m not a keeper of such things. I also use the notebook to write down notes from phone calls, reminders, and so on.
For larger lists (like the monthly or seasonal goals) I just take a piece of paper and paper-clip it into the notebook or calendar, and when all is said and done, it too gets recycled.
You are 200% right about grocery shopping. Organizing by aisle is the ONLY way to go! I also organize my coupons in order of when I’ll encounter the item as I walk through the store.
athena says
Nice post. I just heard these two tips on the radio the other day:
1-Always put”make a to-do list “as our first item so BAM you already have something you can cross off, which of course is pleasing and productive
2-Cross off items as you do them in orange hi-liter, can’t exactly remember why, something about how orange stimulates your brain and encourages you to persevere
Leila says
athena: Being able to tick things off immediately — priceless.
This is why I am a big fan of young moms putting certain things on the list that seem pretty fundamental to most people, such as “get dressed” or “nurse baby.” Let’s get some affirmation here! 🙂
Jennifer says
That’s what I do! I make a list each morning of quite a few items, most of which are necessities of living. i break them down into small steps since I can only accomplish one small thing at a time. I feel so gratified crossing things off the list, even if they are mostly basics. I’m a mom of seven, ages 15 down to 9 months.
Marie S. says
I needed to hear the “only three things” statement. What a good guide! I am all about lists, myself (recycled paper, freebie post it notes – I have a ton from engineering conferences I went to pre-children – and notepads, etc.). Lately, I’ve been using a dry erase board divided into 8 boxes (one for each day this week plus the items with a more vague timeline). It works well, but isn’t really portable. 🙂 I don’t have a smart phone, so no electronic options would be, either. I’m definitely going to think about how I can modify my current system based on your great ideas since I’ve been wishing for portability! At the very least, I’ll be trying to limit myself to three items per day!
And… I’m so glad I’m not the only one who insists on grocery lists by aisle. I did take that to an extra nerdy level, though – I have an excel file with commonly purchased items organized by aisle (and in the order I typically go through the store). Each aisle has a few blank lines at the bottom for atypical items not preprinted. I can print four shopping lists on one piece of paper (front & back). It also helps oodles when my husband does the shopping; he doesn’t go as often, so isn’t as familiar with where everything is. Definitely speeds up the shopping trip.
Lara says
Grocery list: Google Docs!!! I found a template on Google Docs and tweaked it so that my aisles are in sections. I can make the list at home on my desktop computer, then I can pull it up on my phone while I’m at the store! I even have a sheet that has our list of meal selections in case we get stumped on what to have for dinner. It even has enough room in the columns to write where things are on sale and their price. PLUS, if you really need that piece of paper, you can print it off before you leave home. It works like a charm when I actually plan my trips!
Tracy says
Did you know that Elmers has a Repositionable Glue stick? It turns any paper into a post-it type note. Best thing since sliced bread!
Leila says
Tracy, big MWAHs for mentioning this!!! Yes, in the back of my mind I knew this. But for some reason, just didn’t connect. This is huge because I really sort of hate the post-it colors and even texture of the paper. THIS IS HUGE.
Melissa D says
I loathe post-it colors — they’re like someone shaking me by the arm. LOVE the reminder to pray over our to-do lists.
(here’s a link to “repositional adhesive” : http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_15?url=search-alias%3Doffice-products&field-keywords=repositionable+adhesive&sprefix=repositionable+%2Caps%2C618)
I’m making a Brain Dump list this week and have been considering how to seed it into an actual to-do list that’s prioritized (and even assigned to various people in the house). Any ideas on how to assign to-dos in a nice way that still gets them done? Trying to avoid Harpy Mode…. 😀
Ngofamilyfarm says
From another scrap-paper-list-maker, I love your system! And I have been thinking a lot about Will (self-will aligning with God’s Will). But, Auntie Leila, how do I know if I really am doing God’s Will? I used to think I would know I was on track when I felt “peace.” But I’m not so sure about that…or if it is a feeling I should be waiting for at all, if that makes any sense!
-Jaime
Leila says
Dear Jaime — I have a post about just this… but I can’t find it right now! Hang in there…
Ngofamilyfarm says
Oh thank you! I thought you might have written about it! I’ll check back in case you find the post 🙂
Lindsey G says
I think this may be the post!
http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2011/03/competence-vs-perfectionism/
Leila says
Oh, good job, Lindsey. Speaking of getting organized… LOL
Ngofamilyfarm says
Oh my, yes, and it is just the thing I needed to read! Thank you for writing it, and thanks so much Lindsey for finding it!!
Libby Jane says
Yes! I am with you on everything!
Strange, I just got a bag with a lot of post-its and scrubbie pads and tape and earplugs from my father in law at christmas.
Repositionable glue stick sounds like a revolution! Or a perfect marriage of two great ideas?
NY Mom says
2 quick things!
1. Love that you take your list to prayer each day. I used to feel so distracted when I sat to do Morning Prayer, feeling bad at how divided my mind was with the stressful details of the unfolding day before me. Eventually it occurred to me that prayer, or quiet time with God, CLEARS your mind, helping you set things in order for the day. Now I keep a small pad next to me and write down whatever comes to me as I pray, weaving it gently but firmly into my prayers.
2. There’s the grocery list I write for myself, then there’s the version I write for my husband on the rare occasions he goes for me. It’s 10x as detailed, including descriptions of the package and what to get as an alternative if they’re out of said item. (“Barilla thin spaghetti – dark blue box – two boxes – (underlined and starred, even circled in red) He’s a detail person until he goes into a grocery store and then gets overwhelmed and grabs the first thing that seems like – like-ish – spaghetti. It’s interesting how lists change when we use them to communicate to someone else!
Leila says
NY mom — yes, prayer is A CONVERSATION WITH GOD. If something is on our mind, we should talk to Him about it. Get it off our chest. Then we can listen 🙂 But seriously, what’s important to us is important to Him, and I really believe that we are like little children who come running in to us with their flurry of disjointed concerns that they simply must air before they can listen to what we have to say. Sometimes I am given the gift of laughing at myself with my list there, when He has some things He wants to say to me — or even just wants to sit with me.
As to the list for the hubster, too funny. I do the same. In their defense, it takes so much effort to figure things out, and many is the day that I come home with two things that are meant to be the same but on closer examination are ever so slightly different. After how many years of experience?? Ugh.
Katherine says
Woman, you lost me! Somewhere between what you used to do, cute notebooks and sticky tabs. My method is simple and works for me. I keep scrap paper next to my praying chair (I seem to remember things while I’m praying in the morning). I have a permanent list with big projects that I add things to as they come up and cross off as they are finished (like painting the bathroom door, dividing the irises, pruning the roses, etc). I check this list at least once a week. Then there’s the temporary short list of things that have to be done today (like return library books, mail package, email violin teacher). Like you, I don’t put routine chores on the list, only things I’m likely to forget because they aren’t routine.
Victoria says
I have a huge white board hanging in my family/dining room that my husband and I use to organize ourselves. Everything gets color-coded (i.e. red for things that need to happen ASAP, blue for non-urgent things we need to remember to do, green for long-term goals, etc.). The left side of the board is his to-do list, and the right side is mine. So far, having the list in such a visible place has really helped us keep track of everything we need to do.
Annie says
DH has been cutting those same-sized scraps of paper for me for many years. I keep them in an old Melissa and Doug box once used for lacing cards (http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Lace-Trace-Pets/dp/B000O7ISY4). The scraps fit perfectly and a pen, pencil, marker, whatever goes in the other compartment.
But the scraps are always getting lost because the 6 year old daughter hoards things in faraway places I can never quite reach, the 3 year old daughter writes all over everything I’m writing on, and the baby loves to eat all things paper. So, I’m thinking I will try the post-its on the inside page of my calendar. Is anyone using Trello? This seems very similar to that. DH and I have just started using Trello to organize our complicated project lists this month. He laughed out loud when I read him your conversation with the Chief. Too funny!
Leila says
Annie, that looks interesting, I must say — Trello. Maybe better than Evernote? I will check it out.
Melissa D says
Trello is super easy to use and very clear. Love it.
Jennifer says
Thanks for these ideas! I’ve been using a print-out of a “Daily Docket” to make my list every day. I’m a creature of habit for sure, but also open to interesting variations, especially if recommended by Auntie Leila!
M. says
I quite enjoyed this post, Lelia. Thanks! My daily to-do list is mostly written down the night before, prioritized with numbers and marked essential or non-essential. That idea MAY have come from _Time Management for Catholics_ by Dave Durand. (It’s been a good while since I read it, but for me this works!) Like many others here, I, too, have prayer interrupted by thoughts of, “I MUST write this on my list.”. Maybe it’s not really an interruption; maybe it’s my Holy Guardian Angel prompting me to remember what I’ve been forgetting or simply putting off. Hmm. At any rate, this was an excellent post and the comments are thought-provoking. God bless.
PS Most of my children are older children. There was a lot less organization and items crossed off the list when they were younger. 🙂
Erika says
M, thank you for the book recommendation! Your system sounds a lot like mine. I’ve just purchased a very affordable copy on Amazon. I appreciate it!
Suzette says
I love that you just gave me the go-ahead on post its. Always felt the same about price but back in my college (single) days I would buy post its for…fun! #NerdAlert
Kate says
Yes to short to-do lists! I write mine in a spiral notebook.
I also wanted to mention an app if you’re looking for one for grocery shopping lists. Grocery IQ is great! It allows you to set up your aisles for several different stores in the order you go through that store like you mentioned. My favorite feature is that it stores your history so it’s very easy to make new lists of things you frequently buy. Plus it’s on your phone so you can add something whenever you think of it. It may not replace your scrap paper lists, but it’s a great app if you want to move to one. 🙂
Patty says
I love my bullet journal! I’ve seen gorgeous, artistic layouts but mine is simple, a gridded Moleskine notebook and a black gel pen. At the beginning of the year I make a two page spread for each month, a whole year’s worth. That is where future planning goes..birthdays, appointments, etc. Then on each day I make my to do list. Easy peasy. No need for sticky notes. I am not quite sure what their advantage would be. With my luck they’d drop out of my notebook! I text my grocery list to myself though an app might be nice for that.
Thanks for the reminder not to do too many things in a day on top of everyday responsibilities!
Ashley says
If you’ve figured out a good way to organize photos, I’d love to hear it. I have thousands of pictures just sitting on my computer but I haven’t figured out a good way to organize them. I’ve thought of printing and putting in a box or album and I’ve also thought of trying to make photo books, but they all seem . . . time consuming.