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Life hacks: get it in writing

I'm interested in productivity tricks and managing my time wisely, a task that I often fail at. I want to be a good steward of my resources just because it makes sense, but I'm also intrinsically curious about stuff like this. Why was I able to concentrate one day and I fell into a stupor the next day? What are my main distractions? How can I help myself to stay focused?

I find it really helps me to write down what I need to do and keep the list with me. Simply having a list on the computer is not enough; it doesn't feel 'real' enough for me to accept it as urgent. And just writing it down isn't enough, either, because I will forget about it unless I see it frequently. Lately I've been using post-it notes for my daily to-do list and sticking it in my wallet. This works.

Last night, for example, I was able to get a lot of Treasurer stuff and housecleaning done despite drinking a can of Miller High Life (the Champagne of beers!) and polishing off a bottle of wine at home. That cheers me up, since it proves that it wasn't just the alcohol that did me in on Sunday. It was just the lack of a list. Plus, I felt great because I got to bike around in a couple inches of fresh snow. I did get lost downtown for a while, because the street signs were covered in white! But then I chugged my way uphill to home and was invigorated & inspired to keep working.

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