To-Do List for Beginners: Dump Everything, Then Do Only 3 Things Today

Personal & Life

To-Do List for Beginners: Dump Everything, Then Do Only 3 Things Today

The to-do list template for beginners whose list never gets finished: first get every task out of your head, then narrow the day down to the 3 things you will actually do. The whiteboard runs from an Inbox frame that empties your head, to the 4 boxes Today's 3, This week, Someday and Waiting, a 4-column MoSCoW that picks today's 3 out of This week, the 5 steps of GTD, a clarify table that decides where each inbox item goes, 3 writing rules and a 10-minute Friday review. The task board has 5 columns - Inbox, Someday & waiting, This week, Today's 3, Done - with 4 parent tasks and 12 subtasks, all not started. If you are not sure how to write a to-do list, follow the three rules - start with a verb, do it now if it takes under 2 minutes, one action per card. When you cannot choose today's 3, split the 5 items in This week into Must, Should, Could and Won't, then take only 3 starting from Must.

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to-do list task management GTD daily planning habit building
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1. Get every task out of your head (I... 2. Today's 3 3. This week 4. Someday 5. Waiting (on other people) 7. The 5 steps of GTD (GTD = the clas... 8. Clarify (where does an inbox item ... 9. Start with a verb 10. Under 2 minutes, do it now 11. One action per card 12. Weekly review (10 minutes on Friday) To-Do List Daily ... How to use: (1) D... Today's 3 and Done Writing rules Where you get stuck What you learned How to dumpSet a 10-minute timer and write in the order things come up.No sorting and no priorities here. Work taskse.g. send the quote / share the meeting notes /check the name on the invoice Home taskse.g. buy a light bulb / book the dentist /post the insurance form Things merely on your minde.g. redecorate the room / study English / review the budgetPut them here too, even if they are not actions yet. e.g. send the quote (by 11am, 20 min) e.g. share the meeting notes (15 min) e.g. call the dentist (lunch break, 5 min) Pick them in 5 minutes each morning, tick them off in 5 minutes at night. Once 3 are full, the rest waits for tomorrow e.g. check the name on the invoice e.g. post the insurance form Keep it to 5 items. A sixth one goes back to Someday Today's 3 is always chosen from this frame e.g. think about redecorating the room e.g. try a language learning app Home for anything without a deadline. Read it once a week e.g. waiting for the manager's approval (asked 28 Aug) e.g. waiting for the supplier's quote (due 1 Sep) Always add the date you asked and the deadline 6. Rank the 5 ite... Mustnon-negotiable Someone is stuck if you skip it. It has a deadline or a promisee.g. send the quote (by 11am) Shouldought to do Late is survivable with an apology, but the value is highe.g. check the name on the invoice Couldnice to have It makes things better, but nothing breaks without ite.g. tidy up the meeting-notes format Won'tnot this time Decide not to do it this week and send it back to Somedaye.g. post the insurance form 1. CaptureCollect everything scattered across your head, paper and apps into the one Inbox. Judge nothing yet. 2. ClarifyItem by item, decide what it is and what the next action is. Anything under 2 minutes gets done on the spot. 3. OrganizeMove it into This week, Someday or Waiting. Anything that is not an action gets filed as reference instead. 4. ReflectSpend 10 minutes on Friday going through the 4 boxes. Rewrite or delete whatever has gone stale. 5. EngageChoose the one thing to do right now, working down Today's 3 from the top. How to tell Next action Where it goes No action needed Not an action - reference or a someday wish Bin it, or file it as reference Somedaye.g. think about redecorating Under 2 minutes Faster to do than to write down Just do it on the spot Never enters the liste.g. a one-line reply, a booking call Over 2 minutes Decide whether you do it or ask someone Write one line starting with a verb. Add a deadline if you delegate This week / Waitinge.g. send the quote e.g. not "Quote" but "Send the quote" A noun on its own costs you time remembering what to do Write it out to "check the ..." or "call ..." If someone else is involved, add the name. e.g. call Sarah If it is faster to do than to write down, it never enters the list e.g. a one-line reply, confirming a date, a booking call When in doubt, try it for 2 minutes and then decide e.g. not "Prepare the move" but "Look at 3 flats" Two things on one card means neither of them gets started For anything big, write down the first step only Where the 10 minutes go1) Clear Done (2 min) 2) Rewrite what is left (4 min)3) Reread Someday (2 min) 4) Pick 5 for next week (2 min) Counting your weeke.g. 11 of 15 done (3 a day x 5 days).Seven out of ten is good enough. Anything stuck for 3 weekse.g. post the insurance form.If it has not moved in 3 weeks, drop it or cut it to the first step.
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Task board contents

Inbox 16 items

Dump every task
Sort into 4 boxes
Run today's top 3
Friday 10-min check
Brain dump, 10 min
Gather all notes
Check nothing left
Do 2-minute tasks
Keep 5 this week
Park waiting items
Pick 3 each morning
Block the time
Tick off at day end
Rewrite leftovers
Reread Someday list
Pick next week's 5

Someday & waiting 0 items

This week 0 items

Today's 3 0 items

Done 0 items