Your To-Do List Should Make You Giggle

Turning a super inspiring children’s book into a to-do list system

An inspiring children’s book about Maya Angelou AND my to-do list system.

A few times a year I’ll try to get organized, and I’ll start with a new to-do list app. It typically lasts for a few weeks and then I go back to my normal state of disorganization. My big problem is that I make the lists, but then don’t go back to them. (Apparently you need to look at your to-do list for it to be helpful?!) Part of the problem is that even having everything in one list stresses me out a little (and sometimes a lot).

I have a new strategy. Put my to-do list in a super inspiring children’s book!

The front cover contains the current tasks that I should be working on. The back cover has things I want to work on, but got demoted from “should be working on.”

The front cover with the current tasks I should be working on. Do you notice that “blog” is not there? Whoops!

Individual pages have a to-do list for a particular project. Any of these individual to-do lists isn’t that overwhelming! When I promote something to the front cover “should be working on” post-its — I cross it off of the individual project’s to-do list. (As a bonus, I try to match the project to the content of the book page!)

To-do list for my teaching (left) and for my next grant submission (right — w/Maya Angelou speaking in front of the White House)

I have a separate list that is just the stuff that is stressing me out. I think writing it down separately helps me recognize that I’m stressed about it and (hopefully also recognize) that I’d feel better if I take care of it.

Stressful excerpts of my to do-list. Don’t Maya and her brother look stressed seeing this list?!

I carry my to-do list with me in my backpack. Does it work perfectly to get me to look at it everyday? No. But I’ve never stuck with one to-do list for this long and it seems to be helping!