How to Make the Most of Your To-Do List

The Pen and Paper Faithful

One step more evolved than the scribbler, these types resort to good old pen and paper—and their list is long. “People who are most comfortable with pen and paper have tactile personalities,” Franklin explains. “They need a list they can feel with their hands, and they get as much satisfaction from writing their to-dos as they do crossing off completed tasks.”

Make the Most of Your Method

The biggest downfall to these lists: There’s often no rhyme or reason to the order of the list—whatever is on the top of your mind gets written down first—which makes it easy to get overwhelmed, Coker says. To avoid getting run down by an overrun list, categorize your to-dos using one of these methods: Try a sequential approach by organizing tasks by morning, afternoon, and evening; Break the list down by location: do at home; do in the car; do at work. Or rearrange by priority: Take a look at your list and think, Which three tasks would I feel the most sense of accomplishment if I accomplished today? Focus on those first before moving on to the rest.