How to Make the Most of Your To-Do List

If you have a drawer stocked with sticky notes—and aren’t afraid to use them—that means you absorb information visually, says organizing coach Liz Franklin, author of How to Get Organized Without Resorting to Arson. Jotting tasks on colors and shapes turns on your brain and helps you remember to-dos better than if you were using a white notepad or PDA.

The biggest problems with Post-Its: They’re not always there when you need them. To ensure your to-dos are always a peel away, organize the sticky notes in a manila folder, Franklin suggests. Listing one task per note, create a grid starting with priority tasks in the upper left corner and ending in the bottom right with the least urgent ones. Then peel off and toss each note when you’re done. Plans changed? You can easily switch your priorities throughout the day by swapping Post-Its positions. For a fancier approach, use different colors or shapes for family members (blue for your son; green for your husband) or types of tasks (square for errands; stars for phone calls). Bonus: When you see your to-dos in one neat place it can make tasks appear less overwhelming and help better prioritize what you need to tend to first.

When a to-do comes to mind, no napkin, receipt or greeting card is safe from your graffiti. “These type of women appreciate speed and convenience over everything else,” says professional organizer Carmen Coker, founder of clutterbugs.com. “They reach for the closest writing utensil and scrap of paper they see.” But there’s nothing wrong with taking advantage when inspiration strikes—some of the best thoughts are written on the back of a napkin.

Since it’s easy to misplace scraps of paper and end up forgetting items on your list (anyone who’s ever run back to the grocery story three times can identify), scribblers benefit most from consolidating their lists in one central place, says psychologist Piers Steel, Ph.D., author of The Procrastination Equation. For the anti-list maker, shoving those lists into an easy-to-reach place, like the zippered area of your purse or wallet, can ensure your to-dos don’t get tossed. A better bet: Create a once-a-day ritual during breakfast, before bed, or on your commute to consolidate lists into a notepad that you stash in your purse, glove compartment, or in the notes section of your phone.

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.”

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.

Smart phone to-do-list makers have progressed past pen and paper to a notepad application or calendar function on their phone—but their lists can look as long and ill structured as their pen and paper predecessors.

These smart apps will help you better manage your to-dos and (dare we say?) change your life.

• Todoist. Available for download on any smartphone, this app lets you group tasks, set email reminders, and even color code your to-dos for free. Upgrade to a premium membership ($5 a month) and receive alerts about important tasks sent to you via text message.
• Remember the Milk. This app for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry allows you to organize your tasks into tabs, set automatic reminders, and share tasks with others—perfect for those who want their husband to pick up bread without hearing huffing and puffing. Gmail users can stream to-dos directly to google calendars; iPhone users can add tasks with Siri (because typing is so 2011).
• Evernote. Perfect for the woman whose phone dies at inopportune times, this app lets you create a to-do list on your mobile device and access it anywhere. Using cloud technology, you’ll be able to pull up your lists on any computer, tablet, or mobile device.

Gently described as type A personalities, these women’s to-do lists are often perfected in their day planners and look as insanely organized as every other area in their life: color–coded, neatly tabbed, and precisely filed away. “Organizing is part of their DNA,” Coker explains. “Making the list look good is what makes them feel totally together.”

Since uber organizers feel most in control when they make their list, they’re more likely to transfer their to-dos from one day to the next without crossing off items, Steel says. Take a look at what’s being recycled from one list to the next; those items are likely too broad or challenging. “The part of our brain that helps us get motivated responds best to tasks that are specific and immediate,” he says. To ensure your to-dos become already-done’s, revise your list to make it more detailed and time-sensitive, from “Finish report” and “Write 300 words by noon,” to “Clean out garage” and “Clean out two boxes after lunch.” And to keep crossing things off, add in one or two fun items  per day, such as “Watch TV for one hour” or “Get manicure,” he suggests. Adding rewards to your day will motivate you to get them.