todo lists: why paper is still king

Over the course of years of personal productivity experiments, I've tried so many different phone applications, web applications and various strategies to try to increase the effectiveness of the humble but essential ToDo list.

Time and time again I always come back to using paper. I recommend you run your own experiments and use what's most comfortable for you, but I like using paper most.

Specifically I consistently use a bullet journal method that separates:
- my top 3 focus projects for the week,
- a continually growing list of small subtasks for these projects that get crossed off within a day or two of writing them,
- a separate page for recurring chores and errands
- daily logs of productivity.
- ideas of related steps or possibilities that may or may not get carried forward

If you want to optimize your personal ToDo lists, it's worth taking a look at how they fit into your life. What's working? What's not working?

Take a look at your relationship with your todo list.

Some people hate ToDo lists, and I think that's largely a function of a discrepancy between what they want them to do, and what they are actually doing in their life. This builds emotional expectations that can lead to self-judgement when they are inevitably derailed.

1. ​Do you find yourself resenting the quantity of tasks ahead?
2. Do you find that your to do lists grow bigger forever and just get too intimidating to look at?
3. Do you dislike feeling tied down by a list of obligations that you feel required to do just because you wrote them down?

These are some of the most common reactions, but a bit of self-inquiry to figure out what's not working for you can open up the opportunity for optimization. You can challenge habits that bring unwanted emotions with a new to-do list technique.

For our examples, here's some possible solutions:

1. Breakout a daily list of fewer tasks that are reasonable to actually finish
2. Capture your ideas somewhere separate from the list that you want to focus on doing
3. Change the name of your list from "ToDo's" to "Aspirations" or "Could Do's"

The nice things about paper todo lists

As an environmentalist, I tried time and time again not to use paper to be more conservation minded. Digital alternatives have the advantage that you can have them with you in your phone at all times. But we all know that the phone has so many other things that are crying for your attention, that a separate paper list sitting next to you can more easily signal that you're in "getting things done mode" which allows for less distraction.

Here's my top three for why I like paper.

1. You get that visceral satisfaction from the physical completion of an item. Scribbling something out is more emotionally satisfying than just clicking a little box. This is especially important when you didn't love the task and get to exclaim "hah! now you're out of my life!" Or you can use colours and symbols if you like things more visual or want to track the diversity of accomplishments.
2. Paper lists are necessarily finite. This is a good thing because it causes you to subconsciously prioritize if something new is worth adding. There's only so much you can keep track of at once, and too many things will just overwhelm you. One can even use post-it notes for the daily lists. For those who have felt overwhelmed by their ToDo lists it's a great system. If it's too much to fit on a post-it note, it's probably too much to finish in one day. Set yourself up for success. Positive reinforcement goes further than negative pressures.
3. Three, paper lists tend to get misplaced, lost or thrown out. And that's a good thing. No really. If you cannot remember what was on the list, it's probably not as important as you thought. If it really needs doing but isn't getting done, it tends to stick around in the memory nagging you from time to time. Even if you keep them in a book of grid paper like I do, the tasks get buried in weeks behind and only the important ones get carried forward to the current lists.

If you also prefer paper ToDo lists and have something that you like that wasn't mentioned here, I'd love to hear more about your tricks and tips in the comments.