No matter how much I try to use those fancy time management apps and systems, they don’t work for me. I consider myself to be pretty productive, managing multiple businesses, launching two kids off to college recently, and balancing a bunch of hobbies. However, I always feel the need to measure that productivity, to see just how much (or how little) I got done that day. This is where the To-Did list comes into play.

I do keep informal lists from time to time. I primarily use the Notes app on my phone or one of the best inventions ever, on my Quartet glass whiteboard that sits between my keyboard and computer monitor. I also use the reminders app on my iPhone constantly – telling Siri to remind me of this or that, today or on a future day. What often happens, though, is my day blows by in a whirlwind of activity, and when I finally do stop, I find myself thinking: What exactly did I get done today? Did I accomplish much or not enough? Should I be working harder tomorrow, or can I permit myself to take the afternoon off?

To answer these questions, I came up with the To-Did list concept. Simply taking a few minutes at the end of your workday (whenever that is) to create a list of tasks you completed. No matter how small, write it down. Here’s a typical day that I recently had:

Hung pictures in Renee’s office
Tested and added pool chemicals
Conference call re solo-401k plan
Cross-listed products for sale on eBay
Finished new account chapter for eBay Unlocked
Orders shipped
Posted poll in Poshmark Unlocked FB Group
Sent connection instructions and sample questions to Chelsea Martin for SBS interview
Park with Renee and Echo
5 new listings on Poshmark and Tradesy

I created this list after dinner so I could look back and see the day as a whole. Looking at the lists, I can also see things I may have not completed and add those to my informal list using the Notes app or set a reminder for the next day about a specific task that is a priority to complete.

You will notice I mix work and personal tasks on the list. I try to write down anything that takes more than 10-minutes. I’m not always good at remembering everything I completed, but I find that just the exercise of writing things down often helps me to remember the vast majority of my time during the day. The list above was a good day! Sometimes I don’t have much to write down, and it causes me to dig deeper into what took so much of my time, was it a good use of my resources, or was I spinning my wheels and not getting much done?

I hope the To-Did list concept helps you focus your productivity and helps you to recognize when you are achieving great things, and when you need to push yourself to get more done. I spoke more about the To-Did list concept recently on The Small Business Show if you would like to learn more.

Cheers to your productivity!