5: 7 Tips to Make a Better To Do List

Episode 05: 7 tips to making a better to do list (or maybe 8 steps)

1. Verb it. Make it an action list. –

• ADD Friendly Ways to Organize your life by Judith Kolberg & Kathleen Nadeau, PhD. 

• Don’t write “laundry” – Do write “Start Laundry” or “Change Loads” or Put Laundry away” –

• Avoid pseudo verbs like “take care of” as in Take Care of weird car noise.

2. Time it.

• Guestimate the amount of time it will take.

• Wearing a watch with a timer function is highly recommended.

3. Schedule it

• Make it an appointment on your calendar.

4. Draw it.

• Picture it. Add icons

5. Capture everything.

•  BUT only focus on 2-3 tasks per day
• If you think it, capture it then.
• If you tell yourself you will remember that, YOU’RE LYING TO YOURSELF!
• Add all details needed for that item to the list
• Brain Dump
  • Mind Mapping simple mind+
  • Use voice input with Location based reminders – Siri & Google Now

6. Tasks take less then 30 minutes. If it’s more than 30 minutes it’s a project.

• Things that are NOT to do items
  • Paint the House, Buy a car, Clean the House, Write a report, CreatePresentation
• Things that ARE to do items
  • Purchase the Paint, Create a list of cars I want to look at, Clean the upstairs bathroom,
    • Break it down more – Scrub Toilets, Clean Bath, Clean Shower, Clean Mirror, Clean Counter)
  • Shameless self-promotinal example: Go to iTunes give ADHD reWired a reView and a 5 star rating.
  • Apps: Check Mark and Todoist have subtasks Text Editor
  • The text editor I mentioned: WriteRoom

7. Mix it up- Develop a toolbox of to do systems.

• Uses Just one, then rotate it when you’ve noticed you have not been using it.
• Make it shiny again
• Change the alarm sounds (App Alarmed)
• Do something to increase novelty

8. Set Reminders to look at your reminders –

• Set alarms to visit the list several times a day
• New reminder system? Set reminders about the new system

Other thoughts…

• It’s not just ADHD, Nobody ever gets through their to do list.
• Give yourself permission to occasionally purge items from your list of it has been there for way too long.
• Brian King Podcast“You don’t want to be normal to, you want to be effective.”
• You can do anything, but not everything – David Allen

Recommended Apps

Writeroom – Mac (Distraction Free) Text Editor

Alarmed

Todoist 

Check Mark

simple mind+ Iphone Simple MInd+ iPad   Simple Mind+ Mac

Books Mentioned on this episode

ADD Friendly Ways to Organize your life by Judith Kolberg & Kathleen Nadeau, PhD.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity