No More To Do Lists!

I am a list maker. Year-round I have my paper lists, Google Keep, various notebooks, Google Docs, and Evernote notes. This time of year I have lots of company as many I know are constructing lists resolutions for the new year.

Anyone who still uses Apple Stickies (or post-it notes stuck all over their computer) should really look at Keep. I think you would really like it.

Lists help me remember all the things I must do, need to do, and want to do. As I mark items off my lists, new items take their place. The order of priority often shifts (Keep makes this easy) and it used to depress me that the lists never got shorter. There needed to be an end, right? I’ve decided the answer to that question is “NO!” Not just because I have difficulty saying no and, in turn, frequently over-extend myself but because these lists are the action plan of my life.

This year lists will certainly be a part my workflow but I am going to approach them more as action plans – little blueprints to guide my journey through the year. My personal action plan as I attempt to maintain good physical and mental health and connect more deeply with family and friends. My graduate school action plan as I work toward finalizing my dissertation proposal. My work action plan as I help our new school district continue Google Apps for Ed implementation and look toward the birth of a new middle school / high school. My PLE action plan as I continue to build to and interact with my PLN, explore topics of interest (like coding, design thinking, learning spaces, informal PD, and more), and step out of my comfort zone to present at more conferences. My GCT action plan as I work toward completing my Google Certified Teacher Innovation Plan.

I challenge you to think of your to do lists and lists of resolutions as your action plans for the coming year. Let them guide you into making things happen!