To-Do Lists Don't Work
blogs.hbr.org
To-Do Lists Don't Work
1–10 of 46 posts
Re: To-Do Lists Don't Work
#2This is true for me. Now I just need a simple interface to list out everything I need to do, and then move it to a calendar so it gets done.
Re: To-Do Lists Don't Work
#3My to-do list is a brain dump typically. I then have an area at the top of my todo list for stuff that has to get done - like jobs for clients or server maintenance, etc.
I also use a Notepad window on my desktop that I don't save that lists the things that I HAVE To get done TODAY. One of those items may say "Finish ONE item at the top of your todo list" and the others may mention various projects that have to get SOME attention at some point during the day - if even 5 minutes.
Every day that changes.
There's no realistic way to put my todos in a calendar. I'd spend half my day moving shit from one day to another. My first entry each day would be to update the calendar, and if I finish that task in time, do the stuff for that day.
I have to agree with a lot of his points about how Todo lists don't work, but I live by the fact that if I don't write it down, it WILL get forgotten, so if it's in a big todo list, so be it, at least I have a record of everything with notes attached to each item.
Re: To-Do Lists Don't Work
#4This is true for me. Now I just need a simple interface to list out everything I need to do, and then move it to a calendar so it gets done.
For the simple interface you might want to check Workflowy (http://workflowy.com). Not sure if it can integrate with a calendar.
I use Daylite. A bit heavy sometimes and the learning curve is steep, but once you get the hang of it, is fantastic.
Re: To-Do Lists Don't Work
#5I have tried several different software solutions, including writing my own web apps, but I always give them up.
This is the only solution that has worked in the long run for me: a simple text file. Each day I start a new list of items by putting today's date at the top of the file. Only things I can finish that day are added. The next day, if I didn't finish something and still consider it important, it's copied to that day.
Re: To-Do Lists Don't Work
#6Cool article.
Reminds me of the best calendar/to-do list software I ever used and have spent years trying to re-locate on another mobile os: DateBk6 (http://www.pimlicosoftware.com/datebk6.htm)
What did it do?
1) It let you make to do items, but assign a date to them too.
2) If you didn't assign a date to them, they'd stay in your general to-do list.
3) If there was a date for the to-do, the to-do item would show up 2 days in advance, right on my daily calendar (not in a to-dolist).
4) Each day, I could promote items from my to-do list for that day, onto the calendar at a specific time.
5) MOST IMPORTANT: If I didn't finish something, scheduled for a specific time, or a date, it would carry over each day that you don't get them done.
I've never been more productive in my life than the 2 years I used this app on Palm OS. The hotkey to a calendar means I pressed two buttons and I was directly in the calendar to enter a to do.
No bullshit swiping, tapping, home screen, start an app, click a plus. It was made to capture things quicker than writing them down. I've tried Android, Windows Mobile, iOS and this Palm App still kicks everything's ass.
Just thinking about it makes me want to buy a Palm Treo PDA and start kicking butt again.
Re: To-Do Lists Don't Work
#7I agree, to-do lists don't work, and the proposed agenda thing won't work either (not for me at least). I am hooked with GTD (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done) and use http://activeinboxhq.com/ with gmail. It sounds like an advertisement, but this method really works for me and gives me control over my workflow (100s of emails per day).
Re: To-Do Lists Don't Work
#8I posted a comment there, but I thought I'd bring it here as well.
His title should be "To-do-lists-without-context-and-forced-prioritization don't work"? It's clear it's not living by the calendar that solves everything, it's the proper elimination of unnecessary tasks and doing the things that are important first. I think the best part is the one sentence that said "whether or not you can or should (say yes) to a project". That's the hard part. That's the part I think we all need to learn, and doing that first is a priority over changing how you manage your lists.
I've seen too many managers at big companies who live by the calendar. It's obvious. They always say, "let me check my calendar first". Is this how you should be managing your priority and time? Shouldn't your decision to do anything be on the importance and urgency of your tasks? (You can always delay the less important tasks).
I think this is a failure in most time management strategy. Anyways, I'm a developer of Priority Matrix (www.appfluence.com), which is about managing priority, rather than time, and I'm bias against the calendar as a pure way to manage anything. I think it's a hard problem to solve, and I do spend half by time writing lists, and half my time determining what's critical.
Interesting post. Thanks for sharing.
Re: To-Do Lists Don't Work
#9I actually have given thought to writing an app that works along the same lines. A shared planner that someones and their groups can use. Take for example a household, everyone in the household can enter tasks, either their own or group tasks. When they do, they place a priority on them and a estimated time to complete. Tasks can have subtasks, this way a group of tasks can be rolled up into a task project. As well, scheduled tasks can be entered into it, that have very specific time requirements. Such as go to the doctor at X time/date. From there they system can generate a calendar of tasks that are to be completed. The user can then mark a task as completed or not, if it is not then the task list is recalculated based on priority and schedule tasks. I saw the same issue as the author, tasks have to transfer to the calendar, if they don't they get skipped. The thing that a system like this would do is show the aging of a task is being procrastinated on.
The other idea that I had was to have a checkbox on every task that asked if someone could be hired to do a task. If the answer is yes and at a certain aging point, the app would ask if they want to solicit bids on the task, the app would then place the task in a market place where people could bid to perform the work of the task. This way people could hire to complete the task once they realize that it has languished in their queue.
Re: To-Do Lists Don't Work
#10For me, To-Do Lists solve the problem of choice paralysis. They don't solve the author's problem, which others have pointed out is time management.