Asana: A to-do list is just a list of things you have to-do. That means basically anything and everything can be on your to-do list—but just because you’ve written your to-dos down doesn’t mean your to-do list is actually useful. Effectively tracking when your work is due can help you prioritize and get great work done. But too often, that list of work to-dos is disorganized and disconnected from the actual work you’re doing—which leads to less clarity and more work about work.
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I was surprised that the first suggestion on this list was to switch to an online or digital to do list, but then I saw that Asana is an app for to do lists – this article is also an ad. I am a huge supporter of the to do list - I have been using them for years. I have tried digital to do lists, but what works the best for me is a written list. They do say that writing things down makes you remember them more than typing things out does. I also find that when I write something down I am more likely to commit to doing it. However, besides that first tip, there are a bunch of these suggestions that I definitely utilize. I make many lists – I usually break each big assignment or project into a list of all its smaller parts, and then I add those smaller parts to my daily to do list. The smaller chunks really do help with getting started on large projects. What I have been recently working on is how to prioritize the things on my to do list appropriately, and estimating how long it will take to get certain tasks done. Those are the two things I struggle with the most, especially when I look at my plans long term, and planning out how to get large assignments completed in a timely manner.
For anyone, a to do list is an essential component of effectively managing your time. You always need to know what you need to do and when. This can help you have a balanced work and personal life and also help protect you from missing assignments. I think that to-do lists should be taught as an essential life skill at some point in middle school or high school. Being able to have a to do list that fits all my needs would have made my grades at least 5 points better in every class. I was always forgetting to do my homework and forgetting other random things that I needed to do. Just simply being able to organize my work as discussed in the article, would have been a life saver. In college, I would like to think I am starting to be more organized but I realize that I could be way more organized and more effective with my time.
Some of the 15 suggestions are pretty self-explanatory, but there were some things that were thought-provoking. Turning things digital is a good idea for all of the reasons listed and that’s the way that I do it. I will say that daily physical to-do lists are not the worst thing in the world. Writing down stuff for the day so you don’t forget is more efficient in my opinion. The second suggestion was making as many lists as possible which there is a limit, so I do take some issue with that. I liked the idea about adding a verb to the beginning of each task. It makes a lot of sense to make it a specific completion task even if it’s just the next step in the process, but at least you’ll be heading in the right direction. The suggestion of always including a deadline is fine, but I unfortunately won’t do things until they are really done so arbitrary early due dates don’t really work for me.
Besides the fact that this is basically just propaganda for Asana all the way through, it's not a bad article. Quite honestly, I've tried a fair share of to do list apps and similar type programs, trying to incorporate all of the bells, whistles, and features that each app boasts. But I always have gotten overwhelmed pretty quickly with all of the complications and fallen back on simpler systems, such as the tried and true pen and paper. Productivity systems can be incredibly powerful if utilized correctly and consistently in a way that works for you, but it often takes a lot of time and a steep learning curve to incorporate them fully and effectively into your life and existing productivity structure. And at the end of the day, I can assign tasks to dates and times and set all the notifications that I want, but it still takes me sitting down and doing the thing to get it done.
I don’t think this list is the end all be all of the to-do lists. I am a firm believer that you should keep trying out different systems or a combination of them until you find something that works. Personally, I like using a physical planner and jot down to do’s whenever and wherever I can, even multiple times so I actually remember to do them. For a lot of people, digital may not be the way to go, maybe they need a physical reminder of their tasks, or just really like crossing off an item. And that is okay and should be okay. With that said, I do think the tips here are helpful. I really like and personally practice the “break big tasks into smaller tasks” one. You just feel like you accomplished more at the end of the day when you have seven things crossed off instead of the one daunting bullet point at the top of a white sheet of paper.
This just screamed as an ad for asana from like the very first point. I do feel like this article did bring up some good point though, I agree with the fact that one should write down EVERYTHING and try to keep track of everything in the best way that person can find. Your brain is doing some many things at once so I think alleviating the idea of having to worry about what you need to do during the week or during the day would help you focus on the task in front of you and not 10 trillion things. I also agree with the organization of the list by priority especially since you can then just look at the top of the list and the decision of what to do next is decided for you. I do think that a to do list should be written on a piece of paper as there is nothing more satisfying than checking off multiple things in a row or looking at it after feeling like you have done a ton of work for the piece of paper to only solidify what you were feeling.
While obviously this is an advertisement tailored to trying to get someone to use Asana specifically, there are certainly still some ideas in here that are thought-provoking. I personally am a massive proponent of making lots of lists, updating them, and reorganizing them, and I think if you know how to make and stick with a good list, your productivity is bound to improve. Much like that article recently that discussed writing on paper or in a digital format, I feel as though people who already make lists probably have a very specific way they like to do it that works for them. I thought Point Five, about putting verbs first, details later was really interesting. When I make a list that is just for me, I rarely spend time on making each point clear because I feel that I will just remember what to do, but I do like the idea of really specifically leading with a verb, because it makes the list feel more actionable and direct.
This entire article screams “Use our app! Look at all these cool things it can do!”. Some of the points, like grouping tasks, are good ideas to help people. The point about using digital lists though…. No thank you! I personally am a planner girl through and through. I need to be able to write things into a calendar, plan my daily schedules, and write notes and reminders. It is simply how I process what I need to get done. I’ve tried the digital list thing before, and it has just never worked nearly as well for me. Part of making a list is clearing my mind of having to constantly remember that information– writing it by hand really helps me do that. Having a deadline and prioritizing tasks are also both great suggestions. I think these articles in general just rub me the wrong way because I am of the opinion that people need to find their own way to do this sort of stuff and there isn’t one solution. Maybe this will work for some, and honestly I want to see the app and test it out just to see, but these tips won’t work for everyone.
This article brought up a lot of decent tips for streamlining to-do lists, though it rings very similar to "Getting Things Done" that we had read for PRM a few weeks back. Having tried some of these out recently, I have to say that I do generally feel more productive and slightly less anxious when it comes to my docket. For example, the 12th point of turning off notifications has been a gamechanger for me. I used to constantly worry when I felt my phone vibrate for an email that ultimately was from a random d-list. Now that I've more-or-less purged my email subscriptions and turned off push notifications, I am so much more relaxed and productive when I do decide to check and process emails. I also like the point about making everything actionable. It is easy to shrug something off because you don't know what to do with it yet, but that doesn't help actually accomplish those tasks. Finally, while this is certainly Asana propaganda, I do believe having a single system or software suite can help tremendously. Carnegie Scenic has recently switched to google drive and slack for our files and communications, and I for one think it has helped me maintain a good workflow. Overall, there are some good tips in this article that we can definitely benefit from using in our theatre world.
I’d like to think that my to-do list is pretty productive. All throughout highschool I have a physical calendar/planner situation that I had on my person all the time and always updated. When the pandemic first hit in my senior year of high school, I sort of abandoned it because I wasn’t doing nearly as much at first. Honestly, it had become less a priority for me from the start of my senior year because I had it so easy. During summer, I picked up three jobs and that’s when I moved to digital planning and started using Google Calendar. No to-do list though, because all my to-do’s were going to and from work. But once I started school again, I’ve begun keeping an active to-do list on my computer. It works wonders for me, and has evolved from what it was at the beginning of the year. In fact, it’s constantly evolving (in format. Obviously the contents and the things that need to be done have been changing.) I like this article actually because it’s pretty specific with certain steps that promise to make me more productive and i'm happy to try an implement them and see how it can change my productivity. (Aside from the fact this article is an ad. I just looked past the obvious plugs for it's own to-do app)
I absolutely love a to-do list, especially when I am feeling overwhelmed. It’s an easy way to put all the jumbled thoughts in my head on to paper and make it seem somewhat manageable. Also, crossing/checking something off of the list is one of the best feelings. I definitely agree with the first point about having an app for a to-do list (the google task one is my favorite). I love being able to edit, sort, and provide notifications for when things need to be complete. A lot of these tips are actually helpful, which kind of surprised me because articles like this can often be cliche or self explanatory. One that really stood out to me was the “Verbs first, details later” tip. It really makes sense how it would benefit the list when you are glancing over what needs to be done. The phrase “Design Page Layout” gives a better brief understanding compared to something like “Page Layout.” I will definitely be trying these out.
These are all pretty good tips for producing a good to-do list. I kinda feel like I run mainly on a to-do list every day and so do many others, especially at CMU. I must say that there are downsides to to-do list. It is important to capture everything you need to do but at the same time don't overdo it. Don’t overdoing it and capture too much; save the world might be a little too big for your weekly chore list so tabling some to-dos, or just realizing that your 20-year-old self isn't going to cure malaria tomorrow, is always a good idea. Keep things in perspective and understand what you can actually accomplish in a day. It is important to know what you are doing and getting to it. Don't spend more time planning what you are going to do over just doing what needs to be done.
I don’t like the first suggestion. Maybe it’s because I’m Gen Z and have grown up with technology and have most of my “responsible” life (ie, when school actually starts to matter and up). But, I ignore SO MUCH of the stuff on my phone-- alarms, reminders, assignments, notifications, emails, text messages. I’m already so used to shutting that stuff out of my mind unless I actively want to see it, so why would my to-do list be any different? Sure, a written to-do list is easy to lose, but that’s why you just take a picture of it. Boom. Now you can bring it with you everywhere. Personally, I need the satisfaction of writing things down and crossing them off. I have a physical planner that I use to keep track of assignments. It helps me organize me thoughts before I put them down on the paper. Because if you’re using a pen (I do) you can’t just erase it. I have to actually think about what I want to put first and whether I’m going to include the time it’s due and what color I’m going to use. It forces me to be productive in that sense. And yes, I could always just scribble stuff down in pencil and say I’ll do it later, but I find I haven’t done that yet because I don’t want the pencil lines on my pretty planner. It motivates me. I think the difference between the author and myself is that the author can’t keep track of their responsibilities, whereas I need the motivation to complete my responsibilities.
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