Time Management Ninja. Craig Jarrow

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      Tools or Toys?

      When it comes to shiny gadgets, it can be hard to tell the difference between tools and toys.

      For many of us, we are drawn to the magical electronic tools that allow us to work almost anywhere. But they can also be a significant source of distraction, interruption, and stress.

      Take your phone, for example. Wikipedia and YouTube are just two of the millions of sources that give every internet user the wealth of human knowledge. But that same technology also tempts you with wasted time, games, and distractions. Remember that experiment from earlier? Your device will interrupt your life more often than a young child. Unlike a little kid, though, it won’t ever grow out of it!

      When it comes to your time management, you have to ask yourself, are your gadgets helping you get more done? Or are they actually, taking more of your time and attention?

      Just because a device has great potential for productivity, is also has great potential for distraction.

      If your gadgets are running your time for ruin, you might want to consider using a paper-based system. Despite all of the promises of an app, a paper-based system used religiously will beat the latest gadgets.

      So, take a hard look at your tools and ask yourself if you are genuinely benefitting from them or whether they are just toys.

Tip 3

Your To-Do List Should Be Your Best Friend

      When your to-do list reminds you of a task you forgot, you know it’s working.

      “Can you show me your list?”

      This question causes stress in many people.

      “Of course, I have a list. Let me find it.” Maybe they do have a rough list. Or perhaps, they produce multiple lists. One on paper. One test on their phone, and yet another on a random Post-it Note. Just writing that stresses me out.

      Studies show that only thirteen percent of people actively keep a to-do list every day.

      Do you have one? Well, are you actively using it?

      That is the first question that I ask those wanting to improve their time management. After all, if you’re going to get more done, you need to know what you need to accomplish. And that’s where your list comes in.

      This one question usually separates those who are trying to improve versus those that “want” to.

      If you could only have one time management tool at your disposal, it would have to be a good to-do list.

      Your to-do list’s one job is to track your tasks so that your brain doesn’t have to. Instead of trying to remember every last thing you need to do, you can free your head space up so that it can concentrate on actually getting your work done.

      The Most Powerful Productivity Weapon

      A to-do list is the most important time management tool at your disposal. A list of all the tasks you want to track gets you going, lets you know what you need to do, and helps you prioritize your work. It can be a paper-based list (some people like to use day planners or craft their own Bullet Journal in a blank notebook). Or it can be an app on your phone that syncs across all your platforms.

      A good to-do list will let you sort your to-dos by area of responsibility (work or personal) and order them by priority. Of course, you can do this all by hand on paper if you so choose. The purpose of your list should be tracking all of your work, which also allows you to see your progress. How good it feels to cross something off!

      This sounds like a win all the way around. Yet, there’s that looming statistic. Eighty-seven percent of people aren’t regularly using this simple and essential tool.

      The key factor here is to use it every single day.

      You simply can’t afford to make a list only when you feel like it. You need to have a list that continuously tracks your work and obligations.

      Like a good friend, your to-do list should always have your back. It’s a unique friend, too. It’s always available, always precise, and will always remember your tasks, so you don’t have to.

      Actually, you should never not be keeping a list. I have witnessed people who start a new list each day. This is a dangerous way to live because you lose everything that was on the list the day before. It’s like living your life as a “do over” every single day. Just because you go to sleep doesn’t mean the tasks reset or go away.

      Don’t Resist Your List

      One of the excuses I hear from those who don’t maintain a list is that they will “remember” their tasks later. Unfortunately, you won’t remember, and then you will inevitably get burned by the forgotten item.

      Our brains aren’t designed to remember dozens of tasks. Studies have shown that our “working memory” is limited to about four active items at one time. This isn’t practical when you want to track many to-dos at once. If you are trying to “keep it all in your head” you are wasting valuable memory and brainpower that you could dedicate to the work you are doing.

      Others are afraid that if they write it down, they must do it later. This is silly. It’s your list, and you can add, change, or delete things (those that turn out to be unimportant) at any time. Just because you put it in your list doesn’t mean you are obligated to do it.

      It’s better to capture a to-do and delete it later, rather than miss a potentially important task.

      When You Think of It, Put It on Your List

      People often ask what kinds of tasks they should put on their list. “Should I add all tasks? Or just the most important ones?”

      The answer is yes. You should add all the tasks to your list, no matter how big or how small. No matter how important or trivial. Everything that you may need to do now or in the future. Your list is there to remember your work, so you don’t have to.

      So, when you think of an item, don’t wait until later. Immediately pull out your list and add it. This should only take a few seconds, but it requires discipline to do this every time you think of a task.

      What Should You Be Doing Right Now?

      When it comes to being more productive, one of the key questions to ask yourself is, “What should I be doing right now?”

      This is where your list has your back. When you don’t know what you should be doing, you need to look at your to-dos.

      Your list is there to remind you of what you need to do and identify which tasks are most important. So, your list shouldn’t be disposable. If you are writing lists on Post-it Notes or pads, that get lost or misplaced, you are going to lose tasks.

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