Five Ways to Upgrade Your To-Do List ✅
Optimize your focus with simple adjustments for sustainable productivity
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. I literally read an entire book about this once (The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande!). In the book he explores how pilots use a list to ensure they follow the correct protocol in an emergency. Or how lists help ER doctors ensure they amputate the correct limb.
The point (mostly) being — when we’re under pressure, a list can help restore order, bring a sense of calm, and encourage moving forward with a sustainable level of productivity.
I’ll assume you understand the basics of creating a daily to-do list, and jump right into five methods that help me create an actionable list when the world feels loud.
🏆 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 those feel-good hormones. 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.
If you’re using my planner design, The Daily Page, you have a section for this provided in the top left corner of the page:
Paying subscribers can grab a free pdf of my design at the bottom of this post, or take 10% off a spiral-bound planner or notepad with the code SUBSTACK.
✔ 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. This simple transfer of information from digital to analog gives your brain the chance to process and prioritize.
🙅🏻♀️ Upgrade #4: The Not-To-Do List
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
📧 Checking email before 10 AM
🙄 Succumbing to self-doubt
🤞🏻 Breaking promises to yourself
❌ Accepting meetings without a clear agenda
😖 Being negative
💆🏻♀️ Forgetting to breathe
🗃️ Starting a new project before the current one is finished
🥗 Failing to fuel yourself
💦 Not staying hydrated
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 helps keep them in mind throughout the day.
🖐🏻 Upgrade #5: The 1-3-5 Method
When you move on from your “three easy wins” and need to create the rest of your to-do list for the day, we can get distracted (or overwhelmed) by trying to do everything.
But long lists are not always the most productive lists.
Instead, try focusing on what will have the most impact and actually move the needle on things that matter right now.
To narrow things down, I like using the “1-3-5 Method”. Add to your list:
1 Major Task (requires 1.5-2 hours or more)
3 Medium Tasks (requires 30-90 minutes)
5 Minor Tasks (requires 10-30 minutes)
There ya have it. 5 ways I upgrade my to-do list so I’m not just getting things done, I’m also reclaiming control of my time and energy in a way that’s sustainable for the long haul. Don’t feel obligated to implement all five methods 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.
Download a PDF of The Daily Page! Paying subscribers can find a free PDF copy of my daily planning took, The Daily Page, below the paywall. Want to learn more about the methods behind my design? Here’s a full article about it. Take 10% off a spiral-bound planner or notepad with the code SUBSTACK.
