Tyler Hammond photographed from behind in bright, sunlit tropical greenery, wearing an oversized white T-shirt printed with the Japanese characters 波を立てる (meaning “make waves”) and a black graphic of waves, flying cranes, and a large circle in the style of Japanese woodblock art; a wooden footbridge is visible through the leaves ahead.

Introduction

I’ve found that to-do lists are a potent, yet simple tool. An internal burst of dopamine upon checking a task is a great way to stay productive at work.

I’ve tried every type of to-do list, from dedicated apps and websites to creating my own structured set of linked to-dos in a Notion database. But no matter what I try, I always revert to the same old medium of to-dos; good old-fashioned pen and paper.

Physical To-Do Lists

As a designer, I rely on a list of tasks. My job isn’t just drawing rectangles until everything makes sense, it’s a mix of exploring project requirements, researching to understand business & service needs, documenting clear specifications and guidelines, as well as dealing with any business admin. As my day can consist of numerous tasks, all with varying priorities, I must have a list of tasks.

Physically writing these tasks in my notepad frees me from the distraction of switching between multiple apps whilst focusing on an important task. When you get that sudden thought about a task you forgot all about, it can be quickly added to the list. No annoying notifications or alerts.

Digital to-do lists can be really powerful, and they work great for aligning teams with the tasks at hand, setting reminders at suitable times, and even utilising location-based reminders—I do this for my personal to-do lists. For work, however, there is a physical engagement when writing down my daily tasks. These may be a repeat of a digital note, but writing them down to commence that task, and breaking it up into smaller chunks is the main way I assign these to myself when working, especially when WFH (working from home), as it makes myself more accountable to the active tasks in my day.

Summary

Depending on how you, your employer, or your business run projects, ‘digital tasks’ could be your preferred preference for your workflow. My employer manages all tasks digitally. However, when it comes to my individual to-dos during my work day, which may consist of not only project tasks but admin and non-project tasks, writing these all down centralises my day ahead. Usually, at the end of each working day, I write my list of to-dos for the following day, which means I’m not dwelling on or forgetting tasks after my working day ends. I can simply sit down, grab my coffee, and I’ve got a list of ordered prioritised tasks to commence my day; which works perfectly for me, as the morning is my most productive time of day.

Give it a try. At the end of your working week, write a list of to-dos you know you need to work through as soon as Monday arrives. Try this for a week, writing your list of to-dos at the end of each working day, ready for the next morning.