<ul><li>Don’t start with too many tasks.</li><li>Break large projects down into small tasks</li><li>Be as specific as you can</li><li>Use a verb : Study Unit:1 is much more actionable than Unit:1</li><li>Complete the Important and Urgent tasks first</li><li>Give yourself less time than you think you need. As Parkinson’s Law says “Work expands to take the time allotted for it”</li><li>Don’t forget to take breaks in between large tasks</li><li>Read Complete article <a href="https://shivanandp.medium.com/to-do-lists-the-paradoxical-productivity-tool-75c730e3d19">here</a></li></ul>

To-Do Lists: Paradoxical Productivity Tool

Master List:<ul><li>Your go-to list where you write anything</li><li>From a chore to a project</li></ul>Weekly List:<ul><li>What you want to do this week, based on your schedule and availability</li></ul>Daily List:<ul><li>This is our main list. The list which decides how productive or sloth-y you will be today.</li><li>We will make three sections to this list.</li><li><a href="https://shivanandp.medium.com/to-do-lists-the-paradoxical-productivity-tool-75c730e3d19">Continue Reading....</a></li></ul>

Task Lists Template

Big Tasks:<ul><li>Can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.</li><li>Maximum of 2 such tasks</li><li>Main focus for the day.</li></ul>Medium Tasks<ul><li>Take around 15, 30 to 45 minutes</li><li>Maximum of 3 Medium tasks</li><li>Use to boost your motivation</li></ul>+ Tiny Tasks:<ul><li>Can be finished in 5 to 10 minutes</li><li>Chores which you will get daily and are inevitable</li><li>There is not a specific number for these tiny ones</li></ul><a href="https://shivanandp.medium.com/to-do-lists-the-paradoxical-productivity-tool-75c730e3d19">Continue Reading....</a>

Daily To-Do List Template

<img alt="Shivanand P" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*JZm_VrT6qZ64nCLdMuQjbA" width="28" height="28">Let’s talk about productivity.We all want to be productive, more today than we were yesterday, and in this quest of being more productive, we are always lost in search of new methods and products to help us or at least give us an outline of what we have to do, to call the day “Productive”.To-Do lists are one such tool, where you track what you have to or want to do, and follow it, crossing off one task at a time. To be more honest, they can be the best productivity tool when used correctly. For me personally, a Calendar is not much different than a to-do list.<figure><img alt="A To-Do List Image" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/0*h58ThEECEwj" width="680" height="452"><figcaption class="io ip ew eu ev iq ir ba b bb bc by" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@glenncarstenspeters?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" class="ds is" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Glenn Carstens-Peters</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" class="ds is" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>Coming to To-do Lists or task Lists, there have been many approaches, one better than the other, different styles work for a different set of people, that’s why it is a paradoxical productivity tool. And today we are gonna talk about the method I use mostly when I’m not being a lazy-ass hanging to my bedsheet.I started using to-do lists about 6 years ago, yeah, when I was in 9th grade, to do my homework. The approach we are going to learn today is what I currently use, after reading a bunch of books and altering it a thousand times.You can just start by using the template provided at the bottom of the article.We will maintain 3 lists in this approach.<OL><LI>Master List (Brain Dump)</LI><LI>Weekly List</LI><LI>Daily List</LI></OL><h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Master List:</h1>Your go-to list where you write anything, from a chore that has to be done in two days to a large project that can be done after two months.You are literally using it as a brain dump, this way you are clearing your brain empty and allowing new thoughts and ideas to come in.Whenever you write a task down, make sure you give it a deadline, a purpose, and be as specific as possible.Refine your master list every weekend to see what you can take on this week and delete some of the tasks that seem unimportant and useless now. Your goals can always change, and so should your tasks do. Accept that some of the tasks in this list will never be completed.When doing a large project, always break it down into multiple small action chunks that can be done in a short span of time.Anything which cannot be done in a single action can and should be broken down into multiple tasksEg: Study Unit:1 Of Mathematics, Today is much more precise than Study For Exams.<UL><LI>Being precise while writing a task down will prevent you from thinking the task is very big and thus you will not procrastinate. Study for exams seems a big task, whereas Study Unit 1 is far easy compared to it.</LI></UL><h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Weekly List:</h1>This is actually an optional list when you want to be Ultra-Productive.You look at your Master List and decide what you want to do this week, based on your schedule and availability. That’s why it is important to always sync in your Calendar and To-do list to make the best out of both.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Daily List:</h1>This is our main list. The list which decides how productive or sloth-y you will be today.We will make three sections to this list.At the end of each day, go through your master list or Weekly list and take on 2 or 3 doable tasks for the following day.<OL><LI>Big Tasks:</LI></OL><UL><LI>These will be the tasks that can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.</LI><LI>Choose a maximum of 2 such tasks, and they should be your main focus for the day. Whatever happens that day, these shall not be missed.</LI></UL>2. Medium Tasks:<UL><LI>Tasks which will take around 15, 30 to 45 minutes</LI><LI>Choose a maximum of 3 Medium tasks</LI><LI>They can be used to boost your motivation as they are mostly easy and can be completed within an hour.</LI></UL>3. Tiny Tasks:<UL><LI>Tasks which can be finished in 5 to 10 minutes</LI><LI>These are the chores which you will get daily and are inevitable</LI><LI>There is not a specific number for these Tiny ones as they usually don’t take up much time and cannot be missed.</LI><LI>No need to write these tasks in the master list as they are just going to make it lengthy and hectic.</LI><LI>Allot starting and end time, or time needed for each task to prevent procrastination</LI><LI>The tasks can either be from your master list or spontaneous ones which cannot be avoided.</LI><LI>Always start with big tasks if you are much active in the morning, or you can start from some medium tasks to give yourself some flow and motivation.</LI><LI>Allot 45 to 60 minutes at the end of your workday for the Tiny Tasks or finish them during breaks.</LI><LI>If any task remains uncompleted by the end of the working day, don’t beat yourself up. Just think about why you could not complete it and make it better the next time.</LI></UL><h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Keynotes:</h1><UL><LI>If you are a beginner, no need to use this template. Just start with 1–3 tasks on a sheet of paper and get going. You can come back to the template after you get used to using simple ones.</LI><LI>Don’t start with too many tasks.</LI><LI>Always remember to break large projects down into small tasks</LI><LI>Always write the starting time, the time needed and the context of the task to avoid procrastination.</LI><LI>Be as specific as you can for each task.</LI><LI>Use a verb at the starting of each task: Study Unit:1 is much more actionable than Unit:1 Mathematics</LI><LI>Complete the Important and Urgent tasks first, then the Important and Non-Urgent ones. The Non-Important ones can be delegated to your friends or some freelancer.</LI><LI>Give yourself less time than you think you need. As Parkinson’s Law says “Work expands to take the time allotted for it”. It’s okay if the task takes more time than allotted, you will do better next time</LI><LI>Do not add your wishes to your To-do list, there’s something called a Bucket List especially for them</LI><LI>Keep a look on your goals regularly to see how you are doing and if anything needs to be changed</LI><LI>Don’t forget to take breaks in between the large tasks</LI><LI>You can use an online app for Master List And Weekly list as they will have a ton of tasks and writing on paper would be hectic and dumb, not to mention it’ll waste a lot of paper</LI><LI>Paper can be used for your daily list or you can go with an online app for this too. I personally do it on paper because nothing matches the satisfaction to cut off things from your list.</LI><LI>And lastly, BE CONSISTENT, it’s okay if you fail at first. Keep Going.</LI></UL>Tip: You can also maintain a Done-List, to write down the tasks you have completed, this can be used to remind yourself how far you came when you are not feeling motivated to do something.<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Templates and Apps:</h2><OL><LI>Use this <a href="https://www.notion.so/Notion-To-Do-List-Template-e6c7871334b7446aa2c8180d3236a1bf" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Notion Template</a> or you can make the same template on paper and follow it.</LI><LI><a href="https://www.google.com/calendar/about/" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Google Calendar</a> (Use it for Weekly Scheduled and Daily tasks)</LI><LI><a href="https://mail.google.com/tasks/canvas" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Google Tasks</a> (Simple Interface)</LI><LI><a href="https://ticktick.com/?language=en_US" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">TickTick</a> ( This is the best out of what I’ve used, cuz it’s free and has home screen widgets)</LI><LI><a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=DChcSEwiB8Ja-3N7wAhWQfSsKHTUJCYwYABAAGgJzZg&amp;ae=2&amp;ohost=www.google.com&amp;cid=CAESQOD23a9jHvoHLBFwn6gUmpGj7iX5XizkxUb9X1CpdkUmheV7lPW_mDz_1jsKz1t4E0sCEpYxU8BnQzd7QbrU2Z0&amp;sig=AOD64_0yoYPLXz2RSNyDY1lGXMPwOEyJuw&amp;q&amp;nis=1&amp;adurl&amp;ved=2ahUKEwix2I--3N7wAhVUWH0KHaweCgMQ0Qx6BAgCEAE" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Todoist App</a> (A very clean and minimal app)</LI><LI>Buy a yearly calendar, to track the days you completed all of your tasks and use it as a daily motivator</LI></OL>

We all want to be productive, more today than we were yesterday, and in this quest of being more productive, we are always lost in search of new methods and products to help us or at least give us an…

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

We all want to be productive, more today than we were yesterday, and in this quest of being more productive, we are always lost in search of new methods and products to help us or at least give us an outline of what we have to do, to call the day “Productive”.

To-Do lists are one such tool, where you trac k what you have to or want to do, and follow it, crossing off one task at a time. To be more honest, they can be the best productivity tool when used correctly. For me personally, a Calendar is not much different than a to-do list.

Coming to To-do Lists or task Lists, there have been many approaches, one better than the other, different styles work for a different set of people, that’s why it is a paradoxical productivity tool. And today we are gonna talk about the method I use mostly when I’m not being a lazy-ass hanging to my bedsheet.

I started using to-do lists about 6 years ago, yeah, when I was in 9th grade, to do my homework. The approach we are going to learn today is what I currently use, after reading a bunch of books and altering it a thousand times.

You can just start by using the template provided at the bottom of the article.

We will maintain 3 lists in this approach.

<ol><li>Master List (Brain Dump) </li><li>Weekly List </li><li>Daily List </li> </ol>

Your go-to list where you write anything, from a chore that has to be done in two days to a large project that can be done after two months.

You are literally using it as a brain dump, this way you are clearing your brain empty and allowing new thoughts and ideas to come in.

Whenever you write a task down, make sure you give it a deadline, a purpose, and be as specific as possible.

Refine your master list every weekend to see what you can take on this week and delete some of the tasks that seem unimportant and useless now. Your goals can always change, and so should your tasks do. Accept that some of the tasks in this list will never be completed.

When doing a large project, always break it down into multiple small action chunks that can be done in a short span of time.

Anything which cannot be done in a single action can and should be broken down into multiple tasks

Eg: Study Unit:1 Of Mathematics, Today is much more precise than Study For Exams.

<ul><li>Being precise while writing a task down will prevent you from thinking the task is very big and thus you will not procrastinate. Study for exams seems a big task, whereas Study Unit 1 is far easy compared to it. </li> </ul>

This is actually an optional list when you want to be Ultra-Productive.

You look at your Master List and decide what you want to do this week, based on your schedule and availability. That’s why it is important to always sync in your Calendar and To-do list to make the best out of both.

This is our main list. The list which decides how productive or sloth-y you will be today.

We will make three sections to this list.

At the end of each day, go through your master list or Weekly list and take on 2 or 3 doable tasks for the following day.

<ol><li>Big Tasks: </li> </ol>

<ul><li>These will be the tasks that can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. </li><li>Choose a maximum of 2 such tasks, and they should be your main focus for the day. Whatever happens that day, these shall not be missed. </li> </ul>

2. Medium Tasks:

<ul><li>Tasks which will take around 15, 30 to 45 minutes </li><li>Choose a maximum of 3 Medium tasks </li><li>They can be used to boost your motivation as they are mostly easy and can be completed within an hour. </li> </ul>

<ul><li>Tasks which can be finished in 5 to 10 minutes </li><li>These are the chores which you will get daily and are inevitable </li><li>There is not a specific number for these Tiny ones as they usually don’t take up much time and cannot be missed. </li><li>No need to write these tasks in the master list as they are just going to make it lengthy and hectic. </li><li>Allot starting and end time, or time needed for each task to prevent procrastination </li><li>The tasks can either be from your master list or spontaneous ones which cannot be avoided. </li><li>Always start with big tasks if you are much active in the morning, or you can start from some medium tasks to give yourself some flow and motivation. </li><li>Allot 45 to 60 minutes at the end of your workday for the Tiny Tasks or finish them during breaks. </li><li>If any task remains uncompleted by the end of the working day, don’t beat yourself up. Just think about why you could not complete it and make it better the next time. </li> </ul>

<ul><li>If you are a beginner, no need to use this template. Just start with 1–3 tasks on a sheet of paper and get going. You can come back to the template after you get used to using simple ones. </li><li>Don’t start with too many tasks. </li><li>Always remember to break large projects down into small tasks </li><li>Always write the starting time, the time needed and the context of the task to avoid procrastination. </li><li>Be as specific as you can for each task. </li><li>Use a verb at the starting of each task: Study Unit:1 is much more actionable thanUnit:1 Mathematics </li><li>Complete the Important and Urgent tasks first , then the Important and Non-Urgent ones. The Non-Important ones can be delegated to your friends or some freelancer. </li><li>Give yourself less time than you think you need. As Parkinson’s Law says “Work expands to take the time allotted for it”. It’s okay if the task takes more time than allotted, you will do better next time </li><li>Do not add your wishes to your To-do list, there’s something called a Bucket List especially for them </li><li>Keep a look on your goals regularly to see how you are doing and if anything needs to be changed </li><li>Don’t forget to take breaks in between the large tasks </li><li>You can use an online app for Master List And Weekly list as they will have a ton of tasks and writing on paper would be hectic and dumb, not to mention it’ll waste a lot of paper </li><li>Paper can be used for your daily list or you can go with an online app for this too. I personally do it on paper because nothing matches the satisfaction to cut off things from your list. </li><li>And lastly, BE CONSISTENT, it’s okay if you fail at first . Keep Going. </li> </ul>

Tip: You can also maintain a Done-List, to write down the tasks you have completed, this can be used to remind yourself how far you came when you are not feeling motivated to do something.

<ol><li>Use this <a href="https://www.notion.so/Notion-To-Do-List-Template-e6c7871334b7446aa2c8180d3236a1bf">Notion Template </a>or you can make the same template on paper and follow it. </li><li><a href="https://www.google.com/calendar/about/">Google Calendar </a>(Use it for Weekly Scheduled and Daily tasks) </li><li><a href="https://mail.google.com/tasks/canvas">Google Tasks </a>(Simple Interface) </li><li><a href="https://ticktick.com/?language=en_US">TickTick </a>( This is the best out of what I’ve used, cuz it’s free and has home screen widgets) </li><li><a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiB8Ja-3N7wAhWQfSsKHTUJCYwYABAAGgJzZg&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESQOD23a9jHvoHLBFwn6gUmpGj7iX5XizkxUb9X1CpdkUmheV7lPW_mDz_1jsKz1t4E0sCEpYxU8BnQzd7QbrU2Z0&sig=AOD64_0yoYPLXz2RSNyDY1lGXMPwOEyJuw&q&nis=1&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwix2I--3N7wAhVUWH0KHaweCgMQ0Qx6BAgCEAE">Todoist App </a>(A very clean and minimal app) </li><li>Buy a yearly calendar, to track the days you completed all of your tasks and use it as a daily motivator </li> </ol>

To-Do Lists: The Paradoxical Productivity Tool

To-Do Lists: Paradoxical Productivity Tool

Task Lists Template

Daily To-Do List Template

Shivanand P's ideas are part of this journey:

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