From my teens into my 30s I was a compulsive list maker. My lists evolved from teeny, inscrutable hand written goals on the inside flap of a Pee-Chee folder to laser printed bullet point lists, each on its own pristine clipboard. It appeared that I was in control and organized, but I still felt ineffective. I didn’t have the secret sauce needed to make my list burgers effective.
For one thing, I didn’t know how to prioritize the items on the list and when I checked something off, I felt like I needed to rewrite the whole list. Also, I couldn’t figure out why some of the items on the list stayed on every time I rewrote my to-do’s, month after month. Items like “learn Spanish,” “lose 5 pounds,” “master a handstand,” or “pay down the mortgage” somehow never got crossed off.
On one level, the addition of a smart phone to my life gave me a place to keep all my lists in one place in the “Notes” app. Using the key word search to call up notes easily is fantastic. No more wasting or misplacing paper notes and if I need to add, change or delete from the list it doesn’t need to be completely rewritten. I can also share lists with anyone involved in the project or who might want a copy. For example, a list of the best books I read in 2024 could be easily shared with fellow bibliophiles.
The smart phone is a list game changer, but that still doesn’t mean that accomplishing items on the to-do list or achieving goals on the projects lists happen. What made the difference for me here is learning the importance of identifying the next tangible, specific action that moves a project forward. This I learned from taking productivity expert David Allen’s Getting Things Done seminars.
Projects, Allen says, are not actions. For example, “plant summer garden,” is a project. It might sit on the list indefinitely because it seems daunting and nebulous. But “weed raised beds,” and “purchase three bags of soil” are doable. Sometimes the next action is a phone call or even finding the number needed in order to even make the phone call that will move the needle on a project.
Allen says — and I’m living proof — that until you break down your list into the very next action needed to accomplish the goal, your to-do list will repel you. You will find yourself avoiding the project entirely. If you find yourself writing “lose five pounds,” you may want to write instead, “re-read Fit For Life,” or “check out the MindBody app for yoga class times.” Break your projects down into manageable little actions and the larger goals will take care of themselves. It almost seems magical: it helps me stay present in the day rather than fantasizing about a finished project someday in the future.
Another fantastic thing about having all your lists on your phone is that they are always with you. Here is where making Evergreen Lists is a game changer. Most of us have tasks and shopping lists that we repeat time after time. Instead of re-writing the lists, keep a general list, for example, Groceries, in your phone. For my Grocery List I identified all the items I regularly shop for in order of where they are in the store I frequent. Produce is grouped together, dairy, et cetera, so that as I go from area to area I can scan the list and pick up anything I know I need. If I need something special, I add it to the list at the top with an asterisk and delete it later if I wouldn’t regularly buy it (Za’atar spice, for example).
You can make lists of questions to ask your doctor, clothing basics that you need to shop for, exercises to rotate through at the gym, movies you want to see, and on and on.
Another good idea is to keep lists of gifts you buy people each year so that you don’t forget and regift inappropriately or buy someone the same thing you bought them two years ago. A quick scan of these lists (Chistmas 2024, Jane’s Birthday Gifts, etc.) will remind you of what you’ve gifted in the past and prevent embarrassment or maybe even spur on a creative gift idea.