Tools of the Trade

Can you imagine trying to drive a nail into a board without a hammer? It can still be done. Maybe with a rock, or another board, but what a pain.

Gaining control of your time and your life is no different. So lets look at tools for your to-do.

To build my master list and daily to-dos, I use Simpleology® from Mark Joyner’s company. The base system is free, and there are paid versions with more features. (Note: I am not an affiliate, I make nothing if you decide to purchase anything from them.)

Without going into a lot of boring detail,  Simpleology’s to-do list allows you to create and maintain a master list and then select from or add to it to create a to-do for the day. There is a process you follow to build your list to help you capture as many to-dos and organize them as possible.

If Simpleology isn’t your cup of tea, there is always good old Microsoft Word and Excel (or the free word processor and spreadsheet from Open Office.) And of course there are physical planners.

Being a system guy, if you go the Word or Excel route, I would recommend creating and maintaining your master list in a separate document in Word or a separate sheet in an Excel workbook, and then copying your to-dos for the day from that into a Word document or Excel worksheet within the workbook (if you aren’t familiar with workbooks vs. worksheets I suggest you Google it.)

As you might have noticed I am sold on the to-do list idea. My problem in the past has been losing written lists (thank you ADD.) So using a computer is my logical go to (my lists no longer wander off into the same place that one sock in a pair so often seems to get off to from the dryer.) Plus, I type A LOT faster than I write (and much more legibly) However, I understand the comfort of having your list with you in a nice physical binder or notebook. If that works for you, great!

In the end, you need to find something that works for you. If you find yourself losing your list or forgetting your planner (or worse, only doing it intermittently because it is a pain,) then get over it and use a computer. 

Not sure what to do? Click here to go to the blog directly and leave a comment. I’ll do what I can to help you out.