Job Stickiness – #2 - a series that can help us keep jobs or tips to make us stick in the next one.
What do colored pens have to do with Job Stickiness?
The previous Job Stickiness post talked about Maximizing Your Energy Levels, how finding what your best times to work (and sleep) can make you more effective both at work and as you are looking for work.
The to-do list
Today, we will discuss what Reeta Luthra called “The Humble To-Do List” in her comment yesterday. Reeta said, “I noticed that when the energetic moments come (esp when they’re later on in the day) people can tend to “waste” that period by trying to fit everything in… What works great to minimise the risk of this happening is the humble to-do-list… Making a to-do-list in the less energetic moments means that when you’re feeling peppy, you know exactly what you really want to focus on.”
I used to-do-lists all of my adult life and tried multiple variations. I have used a Daytimer since 1982. I tried using Outlook but found I ignored reminders. I never used a PDA or BlackBerry but I’ve watched others and decided using a little keyboard isn’t for me. At least, right now. I have tried other variations but am back to writing a daily to-do list. Writing the list daily and transferring forward the undone things lets me see my progress and reminds again of what wasn’t done.
Colored Pens and Color-Coding
One strategy from my online friend, Micki, who loves pens and lists even more than I do, is to use colored pens. One day when I was talking about my list, she mentioned this tip and I embraced it.
I bought my colored pens and started color-coding my list. I keep a comprehensive list that covers all aspects of my life. I have one color for Design Resumes projects, one for household tasks, one for the recurring items on my list (like Read Bible, exercise, take vitamins, review financials) and one for remaining Wausau Whitewater tasks.
After implementing this strategy for awhile, Micki mentioned she uses a red pen for urgent / have-to-do items. I then started using the red pen… however, I have to confess that I have way too many red items on my list.
If you use your list properly, you understand your limitations and only list what you can accomplish in a day.
Keeping a list at work through whatever means works best for you will help you stay organized and result in “Job Stickiness” What do you think? What works for you? How about strategies that I haven’t mentioned here that you use to track your to-do list? We’ll come back to this topic again in another post.
As always, talk to me, I talk back! 
For me, I find that just writing things down is a great way for me to remember them, if nothing else. Now, where did I put that list?
Honoured you quoted me Julie! You’ve tagged me as “Reese” by mistake though
I’m going to give colour coding another try. Remember doing it years ago and spending more time choosing the colours rather than getting through the tasks!
Like you though, paper lists work better for me than on computer.
.-= Reeta Luthra´s last blog ..Stress is a Strategy =-.
I’m a life-long T0 DO LISTer, too! And a fan of paper vs. screens of any sort.
As a person who tends to hype-focus and get bogged down in details, I often let one task lead to non-related, non-priority others, or just get too involved in them. So I recently started adding the word “ONLY!” to most tasks so I remember to stick with it. Funny how the written word carries such power, because this actually helps me stay on task.
I’m going to try the colored pen idea since I love color and I imagine the color-coding would communicate more organization to my ADD mind.
Thanks for the article & thanks Reeta for the Tweet notice!
^_^
While I tend to be a hands-on, tactile kind of person, I actually find a paper to-do list overwhelming.
My favorite tool to use for planning and getting at my to-do list is Cozi (www.cozi.com). It’s a free online tool that has a calendar, a grocery list, to-do lists for the family, and whatever else you need to get organized. One thing I like is that it has a “Shared To Do” list for group projects.
Great series!
.-= Melissa´s last blog ..Do You Know How to Auto-DM the Right Way? =-.
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I fixed you, Reeta! I hurried with my post because I had a 7:15am meeting and was rushing. There is a Reese I know from Wausau Whitewater so my mind went there but I knew who I was quoting. Thanks for the comment and let me know how using colors works for you!
You need to carry the list in your planner, Dan… or for a techno guy like you… just use your phone!
Thank you, Alisa for the comment. I think many of us have the same problem. I can get lead astray easily. Let me know if it works for you! And stay tuned, I plan to cover other issues that affect job stickiness!
I’ll have to check that one out, Melissa! But I do like paper. I tried BackPack for awhile last year and just wasn’t consistent enough. I need to have that daily reminder. And Reeta’s comment about using your down time or down-energy times to write the list works for me when I remember. At night sometimes when I am mindlessly watching TV because if I go to bed super early I will get up even earlier than my 5am up time, if I write the list, it goes better.