Four Ways to Upgrade Your To-Do List ✅

Optimize your focus + productivity with four simple adjustments

Lists are one of our oldest, most reliable productivity tools. They help us organize, plan, and prioritize, while giving our brains a satisfying little dopamine hit each time we cross something off.

People use lists because they work. Pilots use a list to ensure they follow the correct protocol in an emergency. An ER doctor uses a list to ensure they amputate the correct limb. And I use a daily to-do list to help keep my days focused and productive.

I’ll assume you understand the basics of creating a daily to-do list, and jump right into four of my favorite ways you can upgrade it to make it even more effective.

🏆 Upgrade #1: Three Easy Wins

If you struggle to get started, this switch can help! I call it “three easy wins,” and it goes like this: instead of starting your day with the most important or difficult task, identify three simple, fast tasks that you can complete in 5 minutes or less and put them at the top of your to-do list. Examples might be:

📧 Replying to one specific email
🧹 Cleaning off your desk or wiping down your monitors
📖 Editing one photo or proofreading one post
📅 Booking one appointment or dinner reservation

This hack works because your brain responds more-or-less the same to completion, whether the task is big or small — so you’ll get a small dose of dopamine. Starting your day with “Three Easy Wins” gives you a little jumpstart of motivation that you can ride into harder, more complex tasks. I find this particularly effective when I’m feeling a little lazy or am procrastinating on a specific task or project.

✔ Upgrade #2: Beyond The Checkmark

All progress is productive, so don’t let your to-do list trick you into thinking you aren’t making progress unless you get to make that coveted checkmark.

I like to use these symbols on my list to denote various forms of progress:

✅ = When I complete a task
➡ = Move this item forward (to tomorrow, next week, etc)
〰= Denotes a certain amount of progress toward completion (filling the box or bubble 25%, 50%, 75% etc.)
👨🏻= Task has been delegated to someone else (adding initials to show who is now responsible for this task)
❌= Task is no longer relevant and can be ignored/deleted

✍🏻 Upgrade #3: Utilize Digital + Analog Lists

When was the last time you wrote something down by hand? With all the digital tools at our fingertips, it’s easy to rely heavily on apps and software to organize our tasks. But did you know writing things by hand can help solidify information in your brain?

Research shows that handwriting helps improve retention, makes us more likely to take action, and fosters a deeper connection with the tasks we need to complete.

That’s why I suggest blending the best of both worlds. Use a digital tool, like Microsoft To Do, for big-picture project management and long-term planning. But for your daily to-do list, grab a notebook and write it out by hand. It gives your brain the chance to process and prioritize.

Looking for a digital project management system? I’ve been using Microsoft To Do for over a decade, and I have an 8-minute tutorial to help you get started:

🙅🏻‍♀️ Upgrade #4: The Not-To-Do List

Here’s a twist: next time you create a to-do list, add a Not-To-Do List at the bottom.

This list is for all the distractions and habits that sabotage your productivity—things that derail you from completing what’s on your actual list. Your Not-To-Do List could include things like:

📱 Mindlessly scrolling
🙄 Succumbing to self-doubt
🤞🏻 Breaking promises to yourself
😖 Being negative
💆🏻‍♀️ Forgetting to breathe
🥗 Failing to fuel yourself

I recommend coming up with at least three things you want to NOT do each time you make a list. Having them in the same spot as the things you need to accomplish will help you keep them in mind throughout the day.

By using these strategies, you’re not just getting things done, you’re also reclaiming control of your time and energy in a way that’s sustainable for the long haul. Don’t feel obligated to implement all four immediately — pick the one that feels the most helpful and go from there.

Are you going to try any of these or have you found other ways to optimize your daily to-do list? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!