5 evidence-based tips for effective to-do lists

Here's the skinny on To-Do Lists...

In 1918, Ivy Lee was paid $25k ($400k today) to give Bethlehem Steel Corporation executives a 15 min lesson on effective to-do-lists. 

Here's what we know on how to make to-do lists valuable:

1. SHUT DOWN. Write your to-do list at the end of the day, this reduces anxiety and helps you get to sleep faster.  It also means you can jump straight into your important work first thing in the morning, instead of writing a to-do list!

2. FINISH WHAT YOU START. Unfinished tasks rest at a heightened level of cognitive activation, so be realistic with what you can achieve in a day.

3. PEN & PAPER. Handwriting your to-do list at the end of the day helps to decrease cognitive arousal, rumination, and worry.

4. PRIORITISE. Use a Post-It for your to-do list. The space constraint forces you to prioritise your 3-5 most important tasks.

5. TIMING IS EVERYTHING. Put the tasks on your to-do list in your calendar ('time block'). Prioritise deep thinking work early and estimate how long each task will take.

"A 40 hour time-blocked work week ... produces the same amount of output as a 60+ hour work week pursued without structure" (Cal Newport, Productivity Nerd)

Any guesses which famous singer wrote the to-do list in the photo?