{"id":27576,"date":"2016-08-04T23:01:40","date_gmt":"2016-08-04T15:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=27576"},"modified":"2022-09-02T18:13:44","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T10:13:44","slug":"to-do-lists-by-hand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/to-do-lists-by-hand\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Analog To-Do List Systems for Better Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

We previously discussed the allure of productivity tools: do they actually work when it comes to increasing your personal productivity rates? You may have all the digital to-do list apps in the market, free or premium, or the note-taking apps<\/a> that help you jot down things you are fearful of forgetting (and still forget anyways), but again, the question is, are you more productive from the use of these tools<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

Like New Year resolutions<\/a>, to-do lists elicit the same sort of response from us.<\/strong> We make<\/em> them, but despite our best efforts, eventually we forget<\/em> about them until a new year or a deadline approaches. Without the right mindset to work with, we won\u2019t be able to tap into their full potential.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s say you are the type of person who cannot image going without a to-do list app, my new question now is do you go digital or analog?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tRead Also:<\/strong>\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\tProductivity vs. Productivity Tools: What Works Best?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The pitfalls of digital to-do lists<\/h2>\n

In the digital age, you can carry your to-do list in your phone and have them on you all the time. Sync it in all your devices or share it with co-workers, your spouse, your friends and lo behold you are the King (or Queen) of Productivity.<\/p>\n

Recommended Reading:<\/strong>\n Manage notes and lists with Sublime Text<\/a><\/p>\n

This idea works\u2026 but only if you complete everything you have put in that list<\/strong>. Write it, do it, cross it out, chuck it \u2014 this ideal \"let\u2019s do this!\" process is harder to achieve than it looks.<\/p>\n

What happens to things that don\u2019t get done the day you add it to the list? Does it get postponed<\/em>? Forgotten<\/em>? Archived<\/em>? And are the things you add to your list feasible<\/em> for your schedule? What about its level of priority<\/em>? Not everything can be of the same level of priority<\/strong> (no matter what your boss says).<\/p>\n

This is where the good old analog way of doing things comes in handy.<\/p>\n

Going with paper<\/h2>\n

With digital to-do lists, you just\u2026 list. With paper, you can actually think through the things you are supposed to do, register the level of importance<\/strong> and priority<\/strong> of each tasks, arrange, schedule and plan<\/strong> what you can do today and what you can do next Tuesday.<\/p>\n

There is something about writing it down (compared to typing it) that makes you feel more \"committed\" to get things done; it\u2019s as though you are completing<\/em> homework for your teacher to mark, or signing<\/em> an important document, as opposed to typing<\/em> in a comment box.<\/p>\n

Plus, when you\u2019re overwhelmed <\/strong>by the amount of things you need\/have to do<\/strong>, take a pen and put everything down on paper, then map out the tasks across many days and months, and slowly feel the burden lift off your shoulder and float away.<\/p>\n

Not only will your mind be at ease<\/strong>, instead of worrying, you\u2019ll be more confident about finishing your tasks.<\/p>\n

Organizing your days<\/h3>\n

One problem with the pen and paper method is that a long and plain to-do list is dull and hard to follow. What you need is structure, discipline and a method or system that can help you break down what it is you have to do.<\/p>\n

By breaking tasks<\/strong> by type or emotion or importance, or implementing a format<\/strong> for laying out tasks and striking them out when they are done, you can see the positive effects of marking \"done\" your achievements on paper and in real life.<\/p>\n

Here are five analog to-do list systems<\/strong>, the sort you do by hand, with a pen and on paper, that you can adopt to put some productivity back into your life.<\/p>\n

1. Bullet Journal<\/h3>\n

Tap into the real power of bullets<\/em> in a list. Bullet Journal\u00ae<\/strong> is the brainchild of a product designer, Ryder Carroll. He developed it to track tasks, events and notes<\/strong> in an effective manner. This is basically how Bullet Journal works.<\/p>\n

The journal has four key sections<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

#1 \u2013 Index<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Index<\/strong> includes the page numbers<\/strong> for all sections and topics.<\/p>\n

\"Bulletjournal
IMAGE: Bulletjournal.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

#2 \u2013 Future Log<\/a><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The Future Log<\/strong> contains the tasks that you want to perform in the future<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Bulletjournal
IMAGE: Bulletjournal.comThe Future Log<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

#3 \u2013 Monthly Log<\/a><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The Monthly Log<\/strong> contains your monthly to-do list<\/strong> and calendar events<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Bulletjournal
IMAGE: Bulletjournal.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

#4 \u2013 Daily Log<\/a><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The Daily Log<\/strong> carries the dated daily to-do lists<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Bulletjournal
IMAGE: Bulletjournal.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Signifiers<\/a> in the form of dots, circles and dashes are added to further classify the tasks<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Once a task is completed, its bullet is changed into an X<\/strong> mark<\/li>\n
  • If it\u2019s rescheduled, the bullet becomes ><\/strong><\/li>\n
  • If it\u2019s moved to the future log, the bullet will be <<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    To know more, check out the official website of bullet journal<\/a>, or watch its introductory video below.<\/p>\n