Kill Your To-Do List | Hacker News Reader

Kill Your To-Do List

zenhabits.net

15 pointsjapaget18 comments

Kill your to-do list, except when you need it to remember the things you have to do.

How about "don't let the to-do list run your life", rather than 'just get rid of it' and focus on the 'one thing' that excites you.

My entire to-do list is filled with the menial stuff I HAVE to do, but that is completely and utterly unexciting. If it's exciting, I don't need help remembering to do it. Getting my oil changed, on the other hand, requires some subtle prodding.

I think this post completely misses the point of to-do lists, and conflates them with OCD task-oriented 'productivity' maximizers like David Allen and his followers.

I completely agree. I actually make a point not to put things on my to do list that I'm excited about because if I do, then each of those becomes a menial "must do" instead of a fun "can't wait to do!"

I enjoy that the author tells me to scrap my To-Do List, but then suggests that I "Make a list of possible things to do, if you like, or routine tasks that need to get done for one reason or another."

Um, that IS my To-Do List!

To me, this article is yet another example of, "This particular method I discovered works well for me, and now I'm a bit smug about it, so I'm going to try to make everyone who is doing it differently feel a bit silly".

Um, that IS my To-Do List

That's precisely what I thought.

I have three To Do lists:

1) The Honey Do list of things my wife needs me to do around the house.

2) My "Routine Maintenance" list that includes things like, ensuring I'm up on my automobile and home maintenance (check oil, fill up the cars every Sunday, etc).

3) My "Do Every Day" check-list like, take vitamins/medication, sort yesterday's laundry so it gets cleaned by my bride, put away any dishes/glasses I used the night before, set out clothes for the morning.

I couldn't, personally, think of One Thing I'm excited about if I spent ten minutes wondering if I have everything I need before I go out the door to the office. It frees me from having to fret about forgetting to charge my phone (evening checklist), or finding out on my way to work that I unexpectedly need to fill up my car (Sunday evening check-list).

They just get done without thought so my mind doesn't wander over to them.

"It sucks up your time, and drains your motivation."

It takes very little time, gathers my thoughts, and motivates me to get through what's written down. There is no greater motivater than crossing entries off the list.

"Those who have to-do lists usually manage them constantly"

Correct. By doing the work and crossing stuff off!

"half the time the tasks on the list never get done"

This isn't a fault of the list, it's the author clearly not having enough time, or not working hard enough to clear it. Either way it highlights a problem that needs fixing.

His concept of the One Thing System actually turns out to be a todo list. You just focus on the first thing on that list and don't do anything else until it is done, he even goes on to suggest making a list! :

"Make a list of possible things to do, if you like, or routine tasks that need to get done for one reason or another. "

So, don't kill your todo list, just use it properly (or better)

"There is no greater motivater than crossing entries off the list." You must really like crossing things off lists... greater motivater than ANYTHING?

I meant within the cotext of a todo list :-)

Not trying to pick on you, but what other motivator exists within the context of a todo list?

I couldn't agree with you more. don't blame the system, blame the man.

This worked well when I didn't have a job, a girlfriend, pets, etc.

This might work if you work for yourself. But several assumptions the author makes just aren't true when you work for others. And isn't necessary if you have a small amount of self-control and time management skills.

> decide what One Thing I’m excited about

Only sometimes coincides with the business need my employer pays me to fulfill.

> you tend to know what you really want to get done.

Almost never do I know what needs doing over the next 8 hours. There are fires, sudden directives from Corporate, or our bosses, having to cover for people out that day, daily morning meeting to discuss priorities and what needs to be done, etc.

> I can slack off for the rest of the day

yeah, good for you. Even if you are contradicting yourself.

> The only thing that matters is the actual doing.

I have tried several to-do list apps and nothing really does what I want it to. So far, the closest is TheDeadline but it is not a good fit for my work.

Probably a stupid thing to do (since I'll probably end up spending 25+ hours implementing it) but I am writing my own rails "anti to-do" app (my-foc.us). When I am happy with it, I'll turn on the new account feature. The book REWORK inspired me to just implement the features that I want, and to feel good about a minimalist app.

Actually the to-do lists makes me a lot more productive. It keeps me focus on the current task and I get things done faster. The author falls in a redundancy when he says that if you have more stuff to do just do a list....

Here's a tip: always start with the boring ones or the most dificull, if you complete those, the other ones seems like piece of cake.

It must be a Zen thing. I don't understand how this differs from a "to do" list.

What does everyone use for their todo list? What can be improved?

I use a whiteboard next to my computer. (I'm a stay-at-home dad.)

I only use it to track irregular tasks. I don't write "make dinner" or "get dressed" or other day-to-day stuff. I just do those things day after day. The stuff that goes on my whiteboard is stuff like "ankle surgery", "rollover retirement account into IRA", or "sort and mail Alex's stuff". I always write a due date alongside any new entry.

My list never gets longer than 6-7 items. When it gets close to that level, I pick a task to complete early just to keep my list size down.

just because this guy has a mental capacity of one item, doesn't mean I have to as well...

This sort of advice surfaces every so often and doesn't work for me.

...George Patton (paraphrasing) used to plan diligently for battles knowing full well that a given battle would not take shape in the way(s) he imagined it might.

Patton felt that it was not the plan he would create that would prepare him for battle, but rather it was the process of planning that prepared him for a battle.

ToDo lists represent Patton Planning in miniature!

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