Simple To Do List: Easy Task & Time Management

Hey Kenzer,


One way to help you manage tasks, homework and generally not forget stuff is pretty simple... write it down.


Each morning take a 3x5 card and write on the card things you need to do that day - a to do list
* post office
* start geology paper
* call SDA
* update computer
etc.


Be sure to also add fun things to this list like
* hot chocolate
* work out
* call home


Sometimes you will find, that if you are at your computer, you can accomplish a few of your tasks immediately, rather than write them down, ie "update computer."


And then paper clip it to the outside of your calendar book, so you can easily see it. Many people just write it in their calendar, which works, IF your calendar is always open on your desk. But if your calendar is mostly in your backpack, you want to see your to do list every time you take out your books.


This 3x5 card method does a few things:
1) it makes you aware of what you have to do so during the day, one of the tasks might pop into your head when you have some time between class and track, ie call SDA
2) it gets you in the habit of planning your day - all successful people do it, most people just show up for the day and hope things get done, successful people are proactive - and a by product of this is actually having more time, and less crisis management
3) when the next day rolls around there will probably be things on today's list that didn't get done, so you will have to write that same item on the following days list. Which can be annoying, making you more likely to do the task, rather than keep adding it every day. Or, which can be just as effective, you decide not to roll-over that task and it removes something that was just busy work from your day.


When you are done you can toss the card, or save them as some sort of trophy accomplishment, or as a historical resource so if you have to find something you did, you can.


In short, the minute that you spend doing this every day planning the task list, will be more than offset by the minutes you save - hours, if you miss a deadline and go into crisis management :0