It’s fine to use your own shorthand to write to-do lists as long as you can decipher it later. Consider doodling quick images to get your message across.

One study found that words are more likely to stick in our memories if we draw pictures of them instead of writing them do...

A one-three-five list looks at task size, instead of time or urgency. Using it you can make more informed decisions when urgent tasks pop up and better prioritize your other work. To make one:

• Fill the first slot with the biggest job of the day.
• Pick three smaller, but sti...

An Eisenhower Matrix breaks a to-do list into the four categories below:

1. Has items that are both urgent and important, is to be tackled immediately.
2. Items that are important but not urgent, can be scheduled for a later time.
3. Tasks deemed urgent but...

To set reasonable goals make a list for high-energy days and another for when you are reluctant to work. Both lists should follow an “if/then” model.

The first lists should have the more involved tasks, while the second list should feature more mindless tasks like cleaning ou...

You can make a "could-do" list to weigh the importance of optional tasks. To do that:

• Make a worksheet with columns for tasks, task duration, expenses, task desirability (scaled one to 10), and the return on your investment (scaled one to 10).
• Based on those metrics, ident...