One thing I’ve learned through my years in college is the importance of to-do lists. It’s easy to forget things when you’re involved in three organizations, different classes, and still need to have a social life. As the name obviously suggests, daily to-do lists are just lists created each day with tasks you want to complete. I keep these lists on a pad of paper, but they can be kept on sticky notes, in a journal, or in basically any other form that works for you personally. Here are a few tips to making these to-do lists work for you:

1. Include a variety of tasks with different levels of difficulty:

If you have a list filled with time-consuming, difficult tasks, these to-do lists are going to depress the crap out of you and you’ll feel like you’re never going to complete it. Put small things on it like “email Susan about the bake sale” so you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment crossing it off and more willing to continue completing tasks.

2. Transfer important things you may have not completed to the next day’s list:

It’s really important that tasks don’t just vanish if they need to be completed. Make sure at the end of the day you transfer over tasks you may not have completed during the day but still really need to get done.

3. Check your list often:

Making a list won’t do any good if you never look at it again after you’ve finished it. Make sure you’re checking it whenever you go somewhere. It’s also good to read it over again once you cross something off to refresh yourself on what else is on the list.

4. Don’t go crazy:

Don’t put hundreds of things on the list thinking you’ll be able to complete them all. Be reasonable and that will help make these lists more of helpful reminders rather than evil lists of doom.

5. Include fun things:

People usually hate lists because they’re very depressing to look at if they’re just tons of tasks that aren’t going to be fun to do. Put something fun on there like “buy a chai tea latte” to not only make the list fun, but motivate you to complete more things once you cross it off.

The most important part is to make theses lists work for YOU. One of the biggest failures of organization is trying to use a system that doesn’t work with who you are personally. So figure out how daily to-do lists can work well with your lifestyle and happy listing!!