Get Things Done Like a Zen Master

The Link Between Dreams and Reality

There’s one item that represents a link between your dreams and reality. One thing that you must do every single day to fulfill your purpose. That one thing is to take action. And the ultimate tool for taking action is a to-do list. To-do lists aren’t just for people that wish to be efficient; to-do lists are for people that want to be effective. In order to become a more focused, driven person, you must understand how to leverage a to-do list properly.

Yet it’s more complicated than that. The wealth of tools available out there are not only confusing consumers, they’re hurting them. The web 2.0 to-do apps that focus on features are killing productivity. Such web 2.0 to-do lists include a focus on iPhone apps, syncing to-do lists across services, tagging to-do lists, categorization, etc.). We’ll explore this area and why these tools end up hurting the cause; rather than helping it.

The bottom line: If you want to reach your potential, and become a more focused person, there are certain principles and characteristics you must understand about a to-do list. We’ll also explore the two to-do list applications that you must employ if you want to stay focused: an offline to-do list planner and an online focus list.

A Zen Master Named Barney

At one point in my life, I had a wonderful system for getting things done. It was simple, efficient, and most importantly, it was profoundly effective. My system centered around an offline to-do list planner. A basic paper and pen system. Oh, yes my friends, it was lovely. Yet at one point, and I can’t really remember how it started, I began looking for more. I wanted to find new, innovative ways to get things done. And almost instantly, I became an online to-do list junkie.

I tried every single online to-do list application. The features that I needed at first were small. For instance, I wanted an online to-do list that synced with my iPhone, with my desktop, and wherever I was online. Soon after, my needs grew dramatically. I wanted to be able to call a number and verbally say a to-do list item. I wanted to Tweet a to-do list item; I wanted to email a to-do list item. I wanted anything that sounded neat: things that allowed you to take pictures of tasks; pegging items to Google maps; syncing with Google calendar; hooking my to-do list up to my RSS feed… and on and on these needs went.

Before I knew it, almost a year had passed and my old reliable system was long gone. A distant thought, much like childhood.

After hearing my challenges about being productive, a good friend of mine suggested I meet up with an acquaintance of his: a Zen Master named Barney. Yes, he goes by “Barney.” He’s a Zen master and has even mastered the art of other Buddhist branches (Tibetan Buddhism and more). He’s written a handful of profound books that received praised from other well-respected monks.

“This could be interesting,” I thought. So I met Barney on a sunny November morning in Southern California.

In Barney’s office sat waterfalls, bonsai trees and a computer with a sticky note hanging off the screen’s right side. When explaining to Barney that I was having trouble focusing and getting things done, he paused for a moment, which felt like forever. Literally. It was about a 30 second pause, which doesn’t sound all that awkward, until you experience it for yourself. He asked me a simple question:

“How do you get things done?”

I outlined my system, which was a combination of web 2.0 applications, Gmail, Google Calendar, iPhone apps, Twitter and calling phone numbers. After about five minutes of outlining my productivity strategy (which I was actually pretty proud about at the time), he paused and asked again:

“How do you get things done?”

This time, his tone was glittered in curiosity and a hint of concern. It sounded as if he was astonished that I was able to get anything done at all.

He didn’t really have to say anything more. The tone of his second question opened my eyes. I was no longer focused on getting things done; I was focused on applications that promised to get things done. In turn, this prevented me from getting things done. It’s an irony that is more common than ever before.

He took me through a series of lessons and examples that displayed how we’ve become an overextended, over-distracted society because of our obsession with features–not effectiveness. He suggested starting from scratch. Starting with the basics, and starting with a pad and pencil. This led me back to where I am today: happily using a paper planner to-do list.

Obviously, this wasn’t new. I just needed a kick in the butt to realize that minimalism still trumps features. Though, he did show me something that he uses, which helps him get more done throughout the day–even when using the internet: he uses a three-item to do list that he stores on a sticky note. He stores this sticky note on the side of his computer monitor, which keeps him focused on the task at hand. I’ll share this method with you shortly.

To summarize, Barney suggested using two tools in order to get more focused:

1. An offline, minimalistic to-do list (pen and paper)
2. A three-item focus list that allows you to chunk your most important items

We will explore these now.

The Two Tools For Getting Things Done Like a Zen Master

1. The To-Do Planner

The first tool centers on combining your calendar and to-do list. I call this combination a “To-Do Planner.”

Successful to-do lists systems combine a calendar and to-do list for one reason: simplicity. If you have many tasks scattered throughout a variety of different places, you’re more likely to have tasks slip through the cracks. I’ve seen people spread out their appointments and to-do items between Google calendar, Google tasks, Remember the Milk, Jott, Evernote and others (I admit, I was one of them). It’s an absolute nightmare. It’s profoundly inefficient. The key is to use only one platform:

A weekly to-do planner.

A weekly to-do planner allows you to keep a daily to-do list, with enough room to write that to-do list; as well as allowing you to book certain appointments in the future. Instead of looking at Google Calendar for appointments, and then at your daily to-do list; you only need to look one place to get things done. The reason I suggest using a weekly to-do planner is because daily planners have too much room. Focus not on how many things you can get done in a day; instead, focus on one critical task that will actually have an impact on your life.

Why not online to-do lists?

The reason why online to-do lists fail is because they try not only to replicate offline to-do lists, they try to out-do offline to-do lists. They do this by adding dozens of features, services, items and confusion to this simple system. Additionally, online to-do lists sit within the worst environment for your focus: the internet. And being that you are your environment, online to-do lists end up being distractions.

So where and how can you get a planner like the one above?

Unfortunately, these things aren’t the easiest to find. It usually takes my about three trips to different stores to find one that will work for me. If you don’t want to go shopping for a to-do list planner that fits your needs, you can design your own templates and styles of to-do planners here: Do It Yourself Planners

If you don’t want to design your own, here’s a weekly planner I suggest using. Moleskine Weekly Planner

And, though I’ve yet to purchase one yet, these paper blank planners seem quite useful.

2. Online focus list

The second item that Barney suggested was having a three-item list used in conjunction with your computer. This list poses to keep you focused on the task at hand.

Have you ever needed to check a quick email, or something that should have taken you 2 minutes, but ended up taking you 45 minutes? The online world is so addicting, stimulating and distracting that it’s hard *not* to get lost. It starts by opening your email, but then you get a notification from Facebook. “Stacy just poked you on Facebook! Poke her back.” You visit Facebook and there goes an hour of your life.

The biggest problem with offline to-do lists is that they don’t do the best job of keeping you focused when you’re using a computer. Even the online to-do lists out there are horrible at keeping you focused. They hurt the cause more than help the cause for getting focused.

Bestselling author Tim Ferriss, has a method for countering this process in which he has a small sticky post-it note. On it he writes three things that he’s going to do when he sits down to use the computer. Guess what was on the right-side of Barney (the zen master’s) computer monitor? A three-item sticky note that listed what to do.

Though I’m not sure who influenced who, my guess is that it’s neither. For some reason, three item to-do lists are naturally gifted at helping you get things done.

I call this concept, a “FocusList.”

As stated above, online to-do lists fail is because they’re trying to replicate the wrong thing. Online to-do lists try to replicate offline to-do lists. Online to-do lists should instead try to imitate the Zen Master’s strategy for getting focused when using the computer. The best to do list you can get for getting focused while using the computer is a “FocusList.”

A FocusList is a minimalistic to-do list that limits your wandering mind. Instead of allowing you to add 10 items, a focus list only allows you to enter 3 items. This keeps you focused on effectiveness, not efficiency. If we give our mind too much room, we end up hurting our productivity by focusing on things that don’t matter.

A FocusList asks you one question, “What are the three most important things you can do right now?” To which you respond with three things that keep you focused on the task at hand.

Here’s a sample picture of a FocusList:

So where do you get a “FocusList?”

Faction3 develops productivity applications that focus on you, rather than focus on features. Faction 3 has a “FocusList” application that is founded on the philosophy outlined above. It’s a downloadable application for PC (Windows), Mac OSX and Linux operating systems. You can learn more about it here.

I highly recommend the “FocusList” for two reasons: 1) I designed it, and 2) I use it every day. Obviously, you don’t have to buy the FocusList in order to experience the Zen Master’s principle. You can use a sticky note, a notepad, your text-edit tool, or simply a piece of paper. I personally use the FocusList because it’s tailored specifically for the Zen Master’s strategy. Whatever you choose, make sure you keep the list only three-items long.

4 Characteristics of Successful To-Do List Systems

Now that we understand the two tools you should employ for housing a sustainable to-do list system, we’ll explore 4 characteristics of your to-do list system.

1. Free and open

Keep your to-do list free, open and flexible. Your to-do list shouldn’t be broken down hourly.

Sample of a rigid, ineffective to-do list:

• 6:30am get up
• 6:34 am put on jogging gear
• 6:36am exercise
• 7:22am shower
• 7:28am shave

You get the point. Don’t kill yourself with micro-detailed to-do lists. Keep your to-do list simple, focused and free.

My offline to-do list has arrows, text and items floating around all over it. It looks like a mind-map where to do items have arrows literally pointed across pages.Everything is spread out. To others, this looks like chaos; to me, it looks like art. It looks organized; it looks as if I’ve creatively outlined ways to make sure I got the most important tasks done.

Obviously, it doesn’t start as chaos. This is the result of using a to-do list actively throughout the day. That’s what we’ll talk about next.

2. Making it a habit

Your to-do list isn’t something you check once per day; rather, it’s an all day, constant reminder tool. Successful to-do list systems are founded on the habitual action of checking what you’re doing, and “chunking” your next actions into three-item steps.

Anyone can purchase a to-do list planner or a FocusList, but if you don’t make the tool an everyday habit; or something you do without thinking, you’ll never benefit from it. Like anything else, it’s “use it, or lose it.”

When using a to-do list, two things are critical: (i) you must use it and check it at least once/hour when you’re working; (ii) you must chunk your actions into bite-sized achievements. I usually break these into three steps.

For instance, “1) Design a blog, 2) do some SEO marketing, 3) Read one news story”

The third step is the carrot. I make a habit of constantly doing two critical things, and then rewarding myself with a quick entertainment activity. Like exploring a tech news article, watching hilarious YouTube videos or reading a certain story I’ve been wanting to read.

This is yet another reason why online to-do lists are harmful rather than helpful: they’re overwhelming. Starting a list of 40 items is much more intimidating than starting a list of 3 items (as in the Focus List’s). Chunking in three’s is much more effective than trying to check off a 40 item to-do list.

3. Fire

A major part of to-do list systems success relies on your motivation and fire; rather than the actual application.

If you have the fire, but don’t have the correct tools (the offline to-do list and the FocusList), then you’ll be inefficient; however, if you have the tools, but not the fire, you’ll be completely ineffective.

If you’re extremely passionate and believe that a certain online to-do list will work for you; you usually can make it work (no matter what system you’re using). The fire and belief in your to-do list system will drive you to get things done. Thus, it’s critical that you believe in your to-do list system. This belief and fire, combined with the two simple tools (offline to-do planner and a FocusList), will allow you to start carrying out your dreams.

4. A writing device

The last characteristic that you should employ for an effective to-do list is quite simple. It’s the habit of carrying around a writing device at all times.

Famous novelist, Paul Auster, wrote an simple, yet moving essay on why he writes. In the story Auster retells a childhood moment in New York where he forgot a pencil when asking for an autograph from Willie Mays. Auster was fumbling around for a couple of minutes as he frantically asked his family and strangers for a pencil. Not one person had one. After a while, Mays responded, “Sorry, kid. Ain’t got no pencil, can’t give no autograph.” From that day forth, he never left his house without a writing device. And that’s how he became a writer. He was always prepared. If you’re committed to a truly effective to-do list system, make sure you always carry a writing device with you.

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