What should I pay attention to when using To-do-List notepads?

When I watched Simpson's animation in the early years, there was a scene where Homer was working in the garden stupidly while cutting off his To-do List. Since then, I have left an impression that only idiots and nerds will use To-do List to take care of themselves. However, after work, as there are more and more things to deal with every day, To-do List has become a forced habit, and once the day’s work is not used, it will feel messy. Over time, I have also summed up some experience in using To-do List.

What should be paid attention to for List itself?

A good habit that is easily overlooked is to control the number of tasks under each task list. This is because too many tasks will invisibly bring pressure to people. It is not conducive to focus on completing the task, but also slows down the satisfaction brought by the elimination of a form. Generally speaking, it is more appropriate to limit the tasks to seven, which can effectively reduce the above-mentioned pressure.

Second, we must be good at decomposing tasks. This is the beauty of to do list. Decompose large tasks that seem to have no clue layer by layer and turn them into small tasks that can be controlled and completed by individuals. It can be broken individually, and it is easy to dispatch non-core tasks. This is a profound knowledge, and it is no exaggeration to say that it can be called one of the core skills of "project management". You need to constantly think about the content of your work, and find the most suitable way to break it down.

Furthermore, to do list is best planned in advance and not temporarily changed. If you encounter changes, you can set up a separate list to complete. Doing so can help us develop the habit of thinking about the task in advance. Another advantage of this is that the newly added list can actually be used to review ourselves, helping us to look back at what we did not consider at the beginning after completing the task, which led to later being added to the new list. If things go on like this, the overall outlook when considering problems will be tempered.

Finally, it is worth noting that you should not list for the sake of a list. For example, when looking for XX to get the materials, open the To-do List before getting up and enter the task. Cross out the task as soon as you get it back. This behavior looks weird, but many people have done it. The reason why everyone did this, in the final analysis, is the satisfaction of completing the task. However, this is a false satisfaction. Adding tasks in order to cross out tasks is a way of self-deception and a waste of time.

These are all obvious truths and tricks. Hope to help everyone.