could you again share how you organize your to do lists;

[babr]

I know we did this before but i went to search and it was too late in the year; i have Multiple Sclerosis and it is attacking my cognitive skills; so my memory is bad; i can't organize; i have lists everywhere; and then there could be three lists at each site

any help would be appreciated; thanks

[Rosemary]

I have one spiral notebook in which I write everything. Notes for my writing projects, grocery and errand lists, the general task list that I look at when I have time to do something around the house. The size that I like is about 5x7 inches because I can fit it in my bag but it also has enough space to actually write a full line of words. I also have a small calendar with 7 days on a 2-page spread that I use for appointments - also small enough to carry around, about 3x5 inches.

[Mrs-M]

I second Rosemary's spiral notepad method. :+1:

[Bootsie]

I also use a spiral notebook. I like unlined paper, but that's just a personal preference. I put EVERYTHING in this spiral notebook. I use it as a calendar and put my to-do lists on specific days rather than a running to-do list. Over the years I have found that to be the best way for me to actually accomplish the items on my list. To remind myself of tasks I might forget, I use post-it notes. I put them in the notebook, but I also put them around the house such as on my keys, bathroom mirror, phone, etc.

[Rusty]

I have one spiral notebook in which I write everything. Notes for my writing projects, grocery and errand lists, the general task list ....

I generally place my notes in just one or two stategic places to help me remember things, but I'm wondering if the one-notebook-for-all-lists method would work even better for me... goodness knows I have enough notebooks to give it a try! And I love post-it notes!!

[kib]

What's working for me: I have a template for a weekly todo list on my computer that includes all the "tickler" data for the year (birthdays and so on), plus tasks - weekly, monthly, seasonal. Once a week I copy that to a new document and prune it down to the tasks that are relevant for the current week, and add anything special to that particular week down at the bottom. If something comes up in advance, I'll just add it to the template document itself. So the document for this week might say: Week of 1-3: Helen BD 1/7, order free Transunion report, start new compost pile, vacuum. And then at the bottom, "where is coffee maker from Amazon? Call nancy re cat sitting. BOA statement doesn't balance???


I also have a 5*7 spiral with pouch in front, into which go coupons etc. It's both my scratch pad and my ongoing grocery /errand list.

[bae]

I use Google docs

[babr]

thank you; i will explore all your suggestions; the number of lists is overwhelming me
Kris

[melissalw]

I have one "life goals" sort of list in a Word doc, and one "do it" list on a big post-it pad that sits on my desk. Periodically, I look at the life goals list and move something to my "do it" list.

[beckyliz]

I find that if I put the item I need to do on my calendar, it works better than having a list. If I schedule a specific time for it, it's more likely to get done.

[maryellen]

I am slightly reluctant to recommend - on an SL forum - that anyone needs to buy some computer software....but this aspect of my life has been improved dramatically, since I tried "Omnifocus" (http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omnifocus/). I think it may be only for Mac's. It's something I learned about through David Allen's (Getting Things Done) website, and it has been the first thing that ever really worked for me. It takes a little while to set up something that fits your life, but eventually it sort of organizes your lists for you. But it really is probably best for those who are at home on the computer. I like it because it's so easy to add & re-prioritize things. In the past, I found myself spending too much time re-writing my lists on paper as priorities changed throughout the day and week.
There's a limited-time free trial available.

[Jonathan]

I have a file on my PC with lines like the following:
110704 Celebrate 4th of July, move 1 year

I can sort by date on the first piece, the second part is what needs to get done, and the third part is how to update the first part once I've done it. This way items I do on a regular basis aren't duplicated everywhere. One-off items don't have the third part.

Daily activities go on my work calendar for work related and a few personal items.

The rest go on a pad of scratch paper I use a binder clip to keep together. The pad sits by the bed (where I usually think of things to do). Each morning I look to see if something is written on the pad. If so, and it's work related, I take it to work.

If not work related, then I take the scratch sheet to my desk and update either the to-do list on the PC or add it to the pile of other scratch papers. Once in a while I go through and consolidate the scratch papers. As items get done, I cross them off. When a piece of scratch paper is full, I recycle it, otherwise it goes back on the pad for use until it's full.

The last piece is a to-do list that hangs on the fridge with the weekly around-the-house chores. That list is in a plastic cover and as things get done, we can (but we don't usually) take a grease pencil and mark them done.

[jrb3]

The first big win for me with lists was to have *just one* place for them. Thirty years ago, that was a manila folder to gather them all together. Maybe that's enough to let you work past the overwhelm, like it did for me.

[reader99]

My list is organized by WHERE I do it: Desk work, things I ahve to go out to get or deliver, physical stuff aroung the house, physical stuff around the yard (when I had one)

[Fawn]

I have a small spiral notebook which has lists for:
~grocery store
~ things to do over my days off work
~ things to do on my vacation
which is kept at home. Then for work stuff, there is a sticky note on my daily log sheet.

Some reoccuring things, like changing the furnace filter or the smoke detector batteries I put on the electronic calendar. Some reoccuring things, like ordering DD's contacts or DS's inhaler affected kid has to tell me when I need to.

[Zzz]

I put it all on my Blackberry. I use the todo list there, and if I need more space for a detailed note I send myself an email.

[mattj]

I've always scribbled notes here and there, back of an envelope, napkin, kids homework assignments.... any blank space is fair game. I did start maybe a year or more ago trying to centralize everything on a clipboard.... to do list on top, everything else underneath. Over the last year or so I've refined it a bit... top sheet is weekly schedule/to do/scratch pad, second page is menu/meals/grocery (front and back of one sheet of paper), underneath I put stuff other than bills (they have a special home) that I need to deal w/ that week (permission slips, new recipe for a meal that week, forms to fill out, etc.) and on the bottom are packets of information I've printed out for projects that I keep putting off. I usually keep a few blank scraps of paper on the clipboard for "wild hairs" too. When it gets all cluttered, wrinkled, and used up looking I print out a new schedule and purge all the old stuff from the clipboard and begin again.