Commit to a List App That’s Right for You
Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Commit to a List App that Supports your Needs
I love lists!
There are many benefits to making lists. Below are just a few:
Reduce stress and anxiety
Support relaxation
Improve memory
Provide motivation
Helps one to prioritize
Foster a sense of accomplishment
While I do not believe in a one size fits all solution, there are many downsides to having your master lists on paper.
A few common disadvantages to keeping a paper list system are:
There are often many lists on many loose pieces of paper.
You may not be able to find the list at the moment you need it.
You may waste time looking for the list you need.
Items on the list often get duplicated because the lists are hard to locate at the moment you need them.
There may be a lot of wasted time.
It's common to have 50 items on your "To Do" list. After you cross off a number of items, one usually likes to start a fresh list with only the pending items and space to add new items. This process takes time.
It's common for clients who keep a paper list system, to also use a paper planner. Often, when a new "To-Do" item pops into one's head, one will simply add it to their paper planner. At the end of the week, everything listed in the paper planner either needs to be transferred to the next week or to their paper list system. NOTE: Many clients find value in using a paper planner. What we do try to minimize is the time spent transferring uncompleted items to the next week.
Most list systems need many categories to function well. If you use a notebook for your list system, you would need to use a separate page for each list. For example: To Do at Work. To Do at Home. To Do for the Kids. There can be a lot of time lost flipping to the page with the corresponding list. Or, if you can't find the corresponding list fast enough, you may add the item to a list that doesn't really fit, causing your system to not be as effective.
You may not have your list available to add to when you need it.
My favorite benefit to using a list system is getting the idea or thought out of one's head and into a system that your brain can trust. However, we all know our brains think of ideas at the strangest times. If you use a paper list system, you may not have access to the list at the time the thought appears.
You cannot share lists in real-time.
It's common for couples to both want to add items to a shopping list, but then only one of them will go to the store. If you use a paper list system, both individuals cannot add items to the same list at the same time.
If you are working on a group project, you won't have real-time access to what items are completed and what items are still pending.
Getting Started
I highly recommend choosing a list app that fits your needs and committing to it.
There are many list apps available. My recommendation is to not get bogged down with picking the perfect app, but rather choose one and commit to using it.
There are two features I highly recommend your list app include:
The app should be available on all devices you use, including your phone, tablet, and computer.
The list app should have the option to share lists. Even if you don't need this feature now, you may need it in the future and you don't want to have to spend time transferring all your lists to a new system if you don't have to.
Below are a few common list apps:
Trello - This is what I use.
Microsoft To Do
Google Tasks
Todoist
Things
OmniFocus
TickTick
Habitica
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the book, "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. This book will support your thinking, in how to categorize your lists, so that they function best for your needs.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
The key to successfully transitioning to a new list system is creating new habits around how you use it.
Below are some tips to support you in implementing a list app:
Be patient with yourself.
If you make an impromptu list on paper, no worries! Just transfer it to your list app at the end of the day.
Understand that your system will evolve over time. Create list categories based on what you think will work and then update it as you know what works better.
Schedule time on your calendar to review and update your lists weekly.
This may be the hardest part, but this step is critical. It is key to trusting your system and making a plan that prioritizes what's important and not just what's urgent.
If you are struggling with this, do it with a friend on Zoom or schedule a FocusMate.
When getting started, I recommend scheduling a shorter time for this review, such as 20 minutes. It should feel less overwhelming. Remember, done is better than perfect.
For perspective, I spend two hours each week "Planning", which includes reviewing my lists. Over time, you will see how long you need to "Plan" and if it's better for you to do it in one sitting or multiple.
If you love making paper lists and then crossing items off, you can still do that!
The list app should be your master list. It should be available to you anytime, anywhere. I fully support you writing down your 3 to 5 "Daily Wins" and then crossing them off as you complete them.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.