How to write a To-Do list you will actually keep using

Lists usually fail because of how they are written

When a to-do list stops working, the cause is often not willpower but the wording. Entries like "report", "dentist" or "taxes" force you to work out, every time you read them, what you were supposed to do. Items that need thinking get skipped, skipped items pile up, and eventually opening the list feels like a chore.

An entry that tells you the first physical action at a glance is different: you can start on it right away. Here are five habits for writing entries like that.

1. Start every item with a verb

This is the easiest change and often the one that matters most. Instead of ending an item with a noun, write what you will actually do.

• "Dentist" becomes "Call the dentist and book a cleaning"
• "Report" becomes "Write the five section headings for the report"
• "Taxes" becomes "Download last year's tax forms from the bank website"

A verb makes it obvious whether an item is done or not. "Report" is never clearly finished; "write the five section headings" is finished the moment you have written them. The clearer the finish line, the more satisfying it is to cross the item off.

2. One task per line, and make it specific

Keep each line to a single task. "Go to the bank and the post office, then pick up groceries" is three items. If you bundle them, finishing one does not let you cross anything off, and the list looks stuck.

Break big items down until each fits on one line. A useful test: could you finish it in one sitting? "Prepare for the move" is really dozens of tasks, so write the first step instead, such as "Email the landlord my move-out date" or "Pick up 20 boxes". You do not need to write out every step up front. Knowing the next one is enough.

It also helps to put what you need into the line itself: a phone number, a deadline, what to bring. Then you do not have to go looking when it is time to start.

3. If it takes two minutes, do it now instead of writing it down

This is the "two-minute rule" popularized by David Allen in Getting Things Done. If something that comes to mind will take less than two minutes, skip the list and just do it: reply to a short email, put a document where it belongs, check tomorrow's weather.

The logic is simple. For a two-minute task, writing it down, reading it again later and deciding what to do about it takes longer than doing it. When those small items stop landing on the list, what remains are the things that really need your attention, and the list becomes easier to read.

The rule only applies when you can act right then. If you are in a meeting or on the move, capture it instead, as in the next habit.

4. Capture it the moment you think of it, in one place

A task you plan to "write down later" is usually forgotten. Write it down as soon as it occurs to you, and always in the same place.

When tasks are spread across a notebook, sticky notes, a notes app and a calendar, you lose time hunting for "where did I put that", and you never see the whole picture. Paper or phone both work. What matters is having one place you trust for everything you need to do. On iPhone, Apple's built-in Reminders app is an easy choice for that one place.

Do not worry about wording while capturing. Get it in first; rewriting it with a verb or splitting it up can wait. A good time for that tidy-up is a short weekly session, described in a 10-minute weekly review.

5. Keep a done list as well

If all you look at is what is left, the day tends to end with "I didn't finish again". A done list, a simple record of what you completed, balances that out.

At the end of the day, jot down what you got done, including things that were never on the list. Leaving checked-off items visible works too.

Researchers who analyzed daily work diaries reported that on days when people felt they had made progress on meaningful work, their emotions and motivation tended to be more positive. Keeping small steps forward visible makes it easier to open the list again the next morning.

Before and after

Here are a few common entries rewritten with the five habits:

• "Car service" becomes "Call the garage and book the service (before November 20)"
• "Mom's birthday" becomes "Pick three gift ideas for Mom's birthday"
• "Clean my room" becomes "Gather the papers on my desk into one pile"
• "Expenses" becomes "Put this month's receipts in one envelope"

Once an item is clear, the next step is deciding when to do it. Turning "later" into a set time covers that in detail.

Summary

• Start each item with a verb so it is clear when it is done
• One task per line; break big items down to the first step
• If it takes two minutes, do it now
• Capture tasks as soon as they occur to you, in one place
• Write down what you finished, too

You do not have to change everything at once. Start by rewriting just three items on your current list so that each begins with a verb.

Sources

• David Allen, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (revised edition, 2015) — publisher's page (Penguin Random House)
• David Allen Company, "The Two-Minute Rule" — gettingthingsdone.com
• Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer, "The Power of Small Wins", Harvard Business Review, May 2011 — hbr.org