Three Ways to Build a To-Do List That Actually Keeps You On Task
We asked three entrepreneurs how they stay on task. Here are three styles of to-do lists that actually work.
This story appears in the January 2021 issue of Â鶹Éç.
1. Simple
“I make lists. Lots of them — analog style,” says , founder of her eponymous fashion brand. “It focuses me on my tasks and goals and keeps me from being a slave to my inbox. And crossing them off definitely feels like an accomplishment.”
Related: To-Do Lists vs Calendars: It’s Okay to Have Both
2. Intentional
“Every day, write down a list of 10 ideas,” says , angel investor, author, and podcast host. “It could be 10 book ideas, business ideas, things you learned, ways to help an industry. Creativity is a muscle. If you don’t exercise it, it atrophies.”
Related: The Amazing Side Benefit of Writing a Daily To-Do List
3. Obsessive
“I keep a list of everyone I’ve recently worked with or met,” says Jon Oringer, founder and executive chairman of . “Each is rated on an entrepreneurial scale of one to 10, with notes on what they’re good at, and what role they might play in a startup. CEO? CTO? Board member? The start of a new company is often a line in the spreadsheet.”
1. Simple
“I make lists. Lots of them — analog style,” says , founder of her eponymous fashion brand. “It focuses me on my tasks and goals and keeps me from being a slave to my inbox. And crossing them off definitely feels like an accomplishment.”
Related: To-Do Lists vs Calendars: It’s Okay to Have Both
2. Intentional
“Every day, write down a list of 10 ideas,” says , angel investor, author, and podcast host. “It could be 10 book ideas, business ideas, things you learned, ways to help an industry. Creativity is a muscle. If you don’t exercise it, it atrophies.”
Related: The Amazing Side Benefit of Writing a Daily To-Do List
3. Obsessive
“I keep a list of everyone I’ve recently worked with or met,” says Jon Oringer, founder and executive chairman of . “Each is rated on an entrepreneurial scale of one to 10, with notes on what they’re good at, and what role they might play in a startup. CEO? CTO? Board member? The start of a new company is often a line in the spreadsheet.”
