The other day I watched a video that promised to show me why I should ditch my to-do list. The presenter said that to-do lists don’t work. Hmm. He said that instead of preparing a to-do list, I should prepare an “outcome” list, a list of things I want to accomplish.

Okay, I’ll bite.

He said that once you know the outcome, you should decide the things you need to do to achieve that outcome–and write those down.

Does something smell funny here?

Half the comments were along the lines of,”Awesome,” “I’m going to do this immediately!” and “Brilliant”. The other half said what I was thinking, “WTF, it’s still a to-do list”.

Click bait aside, what is this guy thinking?

I agree that you should create a to-do list based on your desired outcomes. That’s better than just randomly writing down whatever comes to mind. As Stephen Covey said, “Start with the end in mind”.

But wherever you start, it’s still a to-do list.

This morning, I was sent an article along the same lines. The title said something like, “Forget to-do lists, do THIS instead”. The author had interviewed wealthy and successful people who reportedly said they stay productive by time-blocking everything, that is, putting everything on their calendar in 15-minute increments.

“If it’s not on my calendar,” one said, “it doesn’t get done”.

I’m all for setting aside blocks of time dedicated to specific projects or groups of tasks but the idea of blocking out your entire day sounds like hell to me.

And, at the risk of stating the obvious (again), it’s still a to-do list. You’re simply deciding in advance when you will do it and writing that down.

(Hold on. . .)

Okay, I’m back. I only allocated 15 minutes for this post and the time ran out. I had to re-arrange my schedule so I could finish.

Here’s the thing. I don’t see how you can block out your entire day or week with that degree of granularity. Other than appointments, or a list of regular tasks that have be done each week, there are too many variables.

Things come up and need to be handled. Priorities change. Your energy level changes. You have to wait on other people.

You have to be flexible. Well, at least I do. I need my space, Jerry.

But hey, if it works for them, my hat’s off to them. (Hold on. I’m back. I had to look at my schedule to see when I’ll have time to go buy a new hat. . .looks like three weeks from never. . .)

Anyway, the fact is that while not everyone admits it, everyone makes to-do lists. Some write them on paper, some put them on their calendar or in an app, and some keep them in their head. But whatever they call it and wherever they keep it, it’s still a to-do list.

So I’m going to do what works for me and I suggest you do the same.

Okay, I’m off to work on a writing project. Or maybe I’ll work on something else. Hmm, I could get a sandwich first. I don’t know, I’ll see how I feel and then I’ll decide. Because that’s how I roll.

Need more clients? Here you go

What if you woke up one day, looked at your to-do list and there was nothing on it. No tasks, no projects, nothing to do or update or learn–nothing. Bupkis. A blank slate.

Relax, it’s never going to happen. But imagine for a moment that it did.

It would be weird, wouldn’t it? Since pre-school, we’ve always had things to do. Now, nothing? It would be frightening. And exciting. You can do whatever you want.

If you had to fill your list from scratch, what would you put on it? Tasks and projects, big and small, now or next–what would you put on your list?

When I began my recent “Kanban” task management experiment, that’s what I asked myself. I emptied my head and wrote down everything I could think of. Then I went through my lists in Evernote and added more items.

Well guess what? Between my “deferred” and “backlog” and “ready” lists, I have a grand total of 59 tasks and projects. Comparing this to the many hundreds in Evernote, it’s shocking.

When I look at my new list, I get a little nervous, thinking I must be forgetting things. But I also feel good. Like I’m starting a new adventure.

Starting over is liberating. It gives you a fresh perspective on your priorities. And, like cleaning out closets and paring down to the essentials, it makes room for new and better.

Of course, I’m not done. I haven’t gone through everything. Not even close. My Someday/Maybe list alone has hundreds of additional ideas.

But I’ve got to say, so far, my little experiment is a huge success. I look forward to looking at my options. I enjoy choosing–and doing–the things on my list. And, I’m getting a lot done.

Come on in. The waters fine.

Now, I’m not suggesting you jettison whatever it is you use to collect and manage your tasks and projects unless you want to. I suggest you experiment, like I am, and start some new lists.

If you use a new app or system, do like I did and start adding the most obvious or pressing matters. If you use the same app, move everything to a single (temporary) folder or file and start adding things back.

If your lists have grown too big and unwieldy, if you find yourself ignoring many entries (like the hundreds of Someday/Maybe items in my system), if you find yourself slacking off from a weekly review, this might be just the thing to jump-start the new, better organized and much more relaxed you.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.