Once Monday morning came around, I managed to get it together. Each task seemed to be staring at me through the screen, whispering “ soon.” I found myself constantly opening Outlook to see what I had coming up. As an anxious person, the “ Sunday Scaries” hit me on Saturday around 2 pm. But as the weekend progressed, I started to panic. I left some spots open for lunch, reviewing emails, and any last-minute assignments that might pop up.įilling out my calendar ahead of time gave me a real sense of control over my time. Last thing on Friday, I took one final look at my list and scheduled all of the tasks I wanted to get done on Monday. Markovitz argues that this method helps you better prioritize your work, gives you built-in deadlines, and keeps you from prioritizing super easy tasks. For every task you have to get done, estimate how long it will take, and block that period off in advance. Rather than relying on Post-its or productivity apps, use your digital calendar to organize your time.
“They’re simply setting you up for failure and frustration.” “Stop making to-do lists,” author Daniel Markovitz writes. Monday: No list, just a calendar.Īs someone who often feels haunted by their to-do list, the idea of tearing it to shreds sounded amazing - so when I came across an article advising me to do just that, I was thrilled. At the end of each day, I measured my overall productivity and stress-levels. The number of meetings I had between Monday and Thursday did vary slightly (I’ve noted where this may have been a factor). Every morning, I set out to complete 12 tasks that required a similar amount of effort, time, and focus, and eight of which were important for me to complete by 5 PM. I scoured HBR’s archives for research on the best to-do list methods out there and pledged to give my four favorites a try.įor four days, I tried four different strategies. There are a lot of methods out there for staying organized, and over the years, I’ve tried most of them: keeping my to-do list in notebooks, bullet journals, paper planners, phone apps, and hundreds of color-coded Post-its plastered to my desk. Sadly, I’ve never quite mastered the whole “ productivity” thing, at least not in a cohesive way. It was around this time that I started experimenting with different planners and to-do lists. There was so much to keep track of: homework, internships, extracurriculars, where I put my car keys. Suddenly, it felt impossible to remember things as well as I used to. My brain changed during my first year of college. (Anyone have an extra proton pack lying around?) Every day it just grows bigger and bigger as I desperately try to get it under control. That’s kind of what my to-do list reminds me of. You know that slimy, green ghost from Ghostbusters? The one that floats around eating everything in sight? This method is good for self-motivated people with competing priorities who love crossing the easy items off their list (a little too much), and don’t need much support to stay focused.
I tracked my overall productivity and stress levels to see which worked best. But which method prevails? Over four days, I tried four ways of organizing my to-do list. There are a lot of methods out there for staying organized.
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