You are a go-with-the-flow, flexible freewheeler! You go against the grain to carve your own path forward. As such, your to-do lists live in the ethereal places — they’re whispered on the wind, drawn in the sand or tumbling around organically in the back of your mind. Your rebellious nature draws you away from the herd and toward a more abstract style of tackling tasks. We’ve got some great tips that will align with your personality, and harness its unique power to set you on a holistic path to better list-making.
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Visual cues
Adapt your list-making method to your personality type and make your system work for you.
Are you visually oriented? Or more about seeing things than reading words? Rather than trying to use someone else’s system, lean into your outlook to create more organization in your life. After all, when you know yourself and work with your strengths, you’ll be more likely to succeed. So, if you’re a visual person, keep a stack of Post-it® Super Sticky Notes, 4 in. x 4 in. around — with no lines, they’re the perfect place to jot down drawings and doodles that keep you inspired. Since you can stick them and re-stick them however you want, you can use them to create a visual map of your thinking and change it as often as you like.
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The brain dump
Get things out of your head and onto paper! Unloading your mind helps you focus on what’s important.
If your tasks are just racing around in your brain and you don’t know what to do first, try a good old-fashioned brain dump. Using a stack of Post-it® Super Sticky Notes, 3 in. x 3 in. or Post-it® Super Sticky Dry Erase Surface Sheets, take five minutes — no more — and write down every single thing you can think of that you need to do in the next week, one on each note. Write down whatever’s cluttering up your brain, personal or professional, and get it out of your head. Then put it all away – stick it in a drawer, recycle it, whatever. It’s not your to-do list, it’s just a data dump so that you can get your focus back. Once you’ve cleared things out, you can forget about what’s worrying you and get back to what’s important.
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Is something bugging you? Jot it down!
If you’ve got a nagging task that starts to take up too much headspace, get it out of there.
Occasionally, a small task that isn’t very important can be disproportionately distracting. Whether it’s something you’ve been putting off or something you’re not sure how to accomplish, this kind of task can easily become a huge energy suck, causing anxiety that gets in the way of productivity. When that happens, even though it might not seem like that task should be a priority, it’s time to make it one. You’ve got to get it out of the way to allow you to move on to what’s next — and, chances are, it’ll take less energy to get it done than it will to keep worrying about it. Put it at the top of your to-do list on a Post-it® Super Sticky List Note, 4 in. x 6 in., or just write it directly on a Post-it® Super Sticky Note, 4 in. x 4 in., and put it right in your line of sight so you can’t ignore it. When it’s done, you’ll be surprised at how much energy you’ve freed up for yourself — and how refreshed you feel!
Sometimes we all need a fresh perspective when it comes to organizing and prioritizing. Rely on these tips to help keep the important tasks in your work and personal life on track and top-of-mind.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/07/09/rs.organizing.for.your.personality/
http://www.fastcompany.com/3040420/why-our-brains-love-lists-and-how-to-make-better-ones
http://www.forbes.com/sites/vanessaloder/2014/06/02/five-best-to-do-list-tips/#2c17ecff51b5
