One question that I receive all the time is how I keep on top of tasks. Juggling multiple projects can be extremely overwhelming, and that moment in which you realize deadlines are starting to snowball is one of the worst feelings.
The other day, my friend was experiencing that sinking feeling in which deadlines were encroaching and asked me about some project management tools. And geez, there are a lot: monday.com, Trello, ToDoIst, Asana, iCal, paper planners, Evernote, Wunderlist, yada, yada.
I hate to break it to you. None of those tools will help you magically become a more organized person. Because they’re just that … tools. And some of them are actually pretty complicated. So, naturally, when I tried to make myself organized by using them, I was wasting a ton of time organizing spreadsheets, learning the UX and making my lists look pretty. So, I had to simplify.
It sounds too easy, but bullet point to-do lists have changed my life. Nothing more than pen to paper. To-do lists are one of the few things I actually write out vs. type on my computer, partly because it feels so satisfying to cross out things I've finished.
These tips may seem super simple, but I truly believe that it will be nearly impossible to do great things until you first refine the simple things.
As someone who balances a lot of deadlines every week, here are the very basic things you need to know regarding to-do lists that I swear by:
Once you have the basics of to-do lists down, that’s when you can implement some of the nifty tools that make you look like a True Professional™. For me, that means a regular ol’ notebook, Trello for longer-term projects and my iCal that syncs to my computer, phone and Apple Watch.
These tips may seem super simple, but I truly believe that it will be nearly impossible to do great things until you first refine the simple things.
Have a great rest of your week, and remember to give yourself grace.
Olivia
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