10 Fun Different Ways to Keep Notes and To-Do Lists
Notes and to-do lists are great for keeping track of tasks, appointments, and meetings. But if your lists are messy or boring, they’re not much of help. Here’s how to inject creativity and fun into your list-making process.
Life is stressful—there’s no denying it. With the move to remote or hybrid working, our schedules, to do lists and plans require adjustments more than before.
Keeping track of work, meeting deadlines and keeping in mind the details of all the meetings overlap with personal appointments, daily chores, and a myriad of tasks.
It’s only a matter of time before you are tempted to drop the ball.
But there is a simple answer. Revamp your note-taking and to-do lists so that daily tasks remain at the forefront of your mind. Putting some creativity into your notes encourages you to get things done and makes it harder to forget tasks or miss appointments.
We’ve compiled a list of ten ideas to get more inspired and change the way you make notes because tweaking your to-do list can result in a boost in productivity.
Google Keep
There are a plethora of apps designed to make note-taking and to-do lists easier. Google Keep is a cloud-based option that is compatible with mobile phones and laptops, and allows you to create digital post-it notes that link with Google Docs.
The app isn’t that fancy, but it is free, and there is definitely a degree of satisfaction guaranteed when you see your notes automatically organized in a clean and coherent way. Plus, it’s almost impossible to lose your list, so you’ll never have to hunt for that all-important scrap of paper again📄.
Hang It On The Wall
If you want to get more creative with your handwritten to-do lists, then it’s time to move beyond a notepad and pen.
One of the simpler options is to hang your notes on the wall. You can do this in many ways—a sheet of paper that you can replace every day, a whiteboard or chalkboard.
Using a whiteboard or chalkboard definitely adds a fun element. As school children, most of us experienced the thrill of getting called on to write on the blackboard. As an adult, you can add some fun to your day by getting this thrill with every list you make. It’s also ultimately satisfying to wipe off completed tasks when they are done🌟.
Stick Your Notes Around The House
Often we forget about things simply because we get distracted. Even forgetting that you have a to-do list isn't uncommon at all!
How often you scribbled down something important only to drift through the day without ever looking at that reminder. Spreading out your to-do list is a fun way of getting around this problem.
Post-it notes work well for this. Write each item on your list on a different piece of paper and stick them in places around the house where you can’t miss them. Places like the bathroom door, mirrors, above your house keys, or on your kettle or toaster make good spots as you’re likely to look at them at least once a day🧩.
Make It A Lottery
Making your daily tasks fun requires some innovative thinking. One creative idea is to write each item on your list on a piece of paper or card, and place them in a container. When it comes to beginning your day, draw a note at random from the container and complete the task.
Of course, the feasibility of this relies on your ability to be flexible time-wise. If you draw a time-consuming task but only have a few minutes, switch cards until you have something appropriate for the time you have to spare⏳.
Get Artsy
You don’t have to be a great artist to make your to-do list visually interesting. Even if you just add some color, having an attractive list is more likely to catch your attention. You can draw small illustrations of your tasks or just underline each one in a different color.
Color coding can also serve as a reminder of which tasks are most urgent and which aren’t. Drawing your list needn’t take more than a minute. Go for eye-catching and fun🎨, not accuracy.
Reward Yourself For Achievements
Do some thinking and write down a few things or activities that bring you pleasure. These can range from having a short nap to going out for a meal.
Match up an enjoyable activity with each task on your list, and you suddenly have a bigger incentive to get things done. Rewards should be in proportion to the task completed🏁.
Set A Timer on TMetric
Time tracking is a key way to increase or monitor productivity. Using an hourglass can be fun but setting a timer on TMetric is the best way to rev up your motivation to get things done. You can use lots of apps to track tasks but TMetric has the functionality that lets you keep all the layers of tasks in visibility.
Even if you don’t complete a whole task in the set timeframe, it will never be lost.
Additionally, it encourages you to compete against yourself and see how much you can get done in a short time🔍.
Try the Eisenhower Matrix
This handy tool, also referred to as The Urgent-Important Matrix helps you get your priorities in order. By drawing a grid you can divide your tasks into four categories:
- Urgent and important
- Urgent and not important
- Not urgent and important
- Not urgent and not important.
Doing this shows you what to do first, and can put things into perspective💡.
Use A Roll
By “roll” we mean an industrial roll of paper that you can attach to a wall and pull down to expose more writing surface. This is a visually engaging reminder of the day’s tasks and can give you a feeling of satisfaction when you can tear off the items you have completed📝.
Include Fun On Your To-Do Lists
Most people are not going to have the time to do something fun or exciting every day. But by putting something you enjoy on your to-do list, you can start to feel like daily tasks improve your life, rather than being tedious and something done out of duty.
Little pleasures could be watching a funny video clip, dancing like mad to your favorite song, or having a hot bath✨.
Keep Up The Momentum
We all go through periods when our busy schedules take their toll. When we’re tired, distracted, or even feeling a bit low, remembering our daily responsibilities and work obligations gets tricky.
When you’re faced with a lack of enthusiasm it’s always helpful to spice up your to-do list. Simply adding a bit of creativity can start the ball rolling. Before long, you’ll find that you’ve achieved at least one task, and once you’ve done that, it’s much easier to carry on🌱.
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