Todo List Philosophy
I Challenge You...
To become more productive than you have ever been by using TodoListMe and our simple philosophy you can read about below.
The vast majority of people (and that most likely includes you) don't need the bells and whistles of most todo list systems. You probably don't believe me but give it a try for a few weeks and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
I also challenge you to tell the world about it. If you take up this challenge, whether you find you're more productive or not, write an entry on your blog and tell the world how you went. (And if you email us about it, I'll put a link to your article or blog entry here, regardless of whether you think TodoListMe is the best thing since sliced bread or a steaming pile of $@%*)
Contact me by email at ryan@todolistme.net.
Powerfully Simple
If you want to achieve more, start by managing less.
The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing - Walt Disney
Analysis paralysis and management mayhem are the reason why the market for productivity tools, systems and theories is so big. They are also the reason why none of them work.
Fear
I hope you're sitting down, because this may be a bit hard to take. (Well, probably no too hard.)
The reason you are not achieving is not becuase you haven't found the right tool or app or system. It's most likely because you are scared. What are you scared of? I can't tell you that. It could be because.
- your scared of failing.
- your scared of succeeding, beyond your wildest dreams.
- you don't know where to start.
- it all sounds too much like hard work.
- or something else.
If you want to get stuff done you don't need a new todo list management system or theory. You need to discover and break your fear then get out there and start doing.
Todo Lists
Todo lists have been around for ages. Longer than sliced bread. Maybe even as long as the wheel. Todo lists are a great way to organise what needs to be done. But like any tool, they have to be used effectively if you want them to work well. The question is, are all the bells and whistles on most modern todo lists (due dates, priorities, tags, etc etc) actually helping you get things done? Or are they creating busywork that allows you to create the illusion that you're doing stuff without you actually having to be doing stuff?
TodoListMe is built around the philosophy that you don't need all those features to aid your productivity (in fact those features most likely hinder your productivity). Just put what you need to do into a list, move them around with an absolute minimum of fuss and spend more time actually doing the items rather than managing them.
Forget rules. Don't worry about if your items are directly actionable or such. Just put stuff in however it works for you, or however that specific situation calls for it. Rules about how todo list items should be structured just get in the way. They may sound good in theory but in practice rarely follows. So don't worry about rules, just go with what works for you so you can spend less time thinking and worrying about it, and more time out there ticking those items off.
Flexibility
Every situation is different. That's why TodoListMe imposes no rules on how things should be done and promotes maximum flexibility. You will work out what structure best allows you to manage your stuff and most likely that ideal structure will evolve over time. TodoListMe revolves around the idea that you can create your own structures, use them, and modify them as necessary with minimal fuss. We don't force you to use any preconceived ideas on how you should manage your todos and instead let you effortlessly create your own.
The best way to do anything is usually whatever works best for you and we don't want to get in the way of that.
A Challenge to other Todo List Systems
If you have your own todo list system or management theory and disagree with any of the comments I've made here, I would like to invite you to some healthy discussion. If you write an article or blog post arguing against my ideas and let me know about it (and it includes a link to this article) I will happily put a link to your article here.
Contact me by email at ryan@todolistme.net.