I try not to get too attached to any one thing in this lifetime, but for me, getting any one thing done requires one humble but mighty tool: a handwritten list.
Every morning, the first thing I do is take a few minutes to put that day’s to-dos together, trying to write down every action step of every goal. Not only does this ensure that I don’t forget any necessary details of any task, but I believe there is no joy like the joy of crossing out said task once it’s done. Meanwhile, if accomplishing it got a little ugly, crossing it out so there is no trace it ever existed on the page is yet another triumph. Really, I’m crossing out my stress too!
If the above reads like you are looking in a mirror, get ready to meet Notsu. Technically it’s a new approach to task management, but really it’s a new approach to life management. Here’s how it works.
See those tabs? The red section is for what you need to do but haven’t started, the peach is what you are currently doing, and the blue is my favorite — done! Thus, if you are getting ready to start a project, you can write all the prep and steps to take, put it in the to-do section, and forget all about it until you need to start or just add another step.
There are three kinds of notecards — Weekly Plan, Daily Plan, and To-Do (above). They are scored to be easily foldable so you can take them with you, meanwhile they are thick enough so that the ink doesn’t bleed through. Flimsy sheets these are not!
If you are in your workspace, the sturdy, pretty box displays the most important one — what you are currently working on — so it’s a friendly reminder to be glanced out through whatever distractions the day brings.
My biggest personal challenge is jumping from project to project. Mentally, it is draining to shift from magazine to podcast to website to consulting issues, and then back again. For that reason, I work in blocks of time, but some jumping back and forth is always going to be necessary as different projects constantly need attention.
With Notsu, I can make a card for the publication, another for each client, then more for podcast episodes, special projects, etc. I can work on whatever is most demanding of my attention, and focus only on that. When I have to jump around, I can get up to speed in one glance.
Notsu was generous enough to send me a set, and it’s not just well made, but very cleanly designed and gender-neutral. I showed it to my husband for a man-on-the-street view (I often do this to see how a “normal” person responds to a given item) — and he tried to get me to give it to him! Sorry Charlie, I’m saving mine for 2023. My goal for 2022 was to work smarter, not harder, and while I’ve made some improvements, I’m hoping to get even smarter next year, with Notsu at my side!
So if your organization skills could use some help, or you have a loved one on the edge of burnout (which is seriously no joke), this may just be just the cure! This editor can’t think of a better gift than the gift of order and a settled mind. Start your shop here.
[Editor’s note: This piece got an IMMEDIATE response when I shared it in my newsletter. 10 minutes in, I got this text from one industry friend — Omg I just totally ordered the Notsu- you just saved my life/sanity! 🙌❤️🙌 — just as an email jumped into my in-box inquiring, “I need this for trade show prep. Could one potentially keep cycling through the notes in the “done” section?”
As such, the kind folks at Notsu are offering PAPERNERD10 for 10% off your entire order. I wish you all the best in getting organized and fully crossing tasks out!]
