"My actions for today" (productivity tool)

Do you often forget to take actions relevant to what's really important to you (not just to others)?

Or do you need reminders to take those actions?

Adding new items to our general to-do list makes it longer every day. It becomes intimidating, and makes us often overlook important items that need action.

Enter the My Actions for Today* pad!

Curious how to use it effectively?

Here's my process for using it (borrowed from successful people). Feel free to use it.

a) Every morning, before starting my day, I look at my long to-do list and ask myself:

• What tasks did I accomplish yesterday? > Cross them off.
• Do I need to add any new tasks to this list? > Add them, if any.
• Which of these tasks are important (and urgent) to do today? > Mark them. Ideally, no more than 6–10 items.
• Which of the marked items do I need to do first, second, third...? > Assign numbers to them 1, 2, 3...

b) Then take a sheet from the My Actions for Today pad and write the items in the assigned priority order.

c) I carry my My Actions for Today sheet with me that day and cross out each action I accomplish. It gives me a great feeling to see that I've accomplished at least something, and that boost of energy helps me carry on with the next items.

d) Rinse and repeat this process every workday.

Something to keep in mind:

• Sometimes things get in the way, or we can't accomplish everything on today's list. There's time to accomplish them later, so make notes in your to-do list to get back to them.
  

• Test to see what you prefer, using the above process in the morning (like me) or in the evening (for the next day).

*My Actions for Today sheets have 3M Post-it Note adhesive that won't peel off on its own but will come off easily without leaving stains.