Get Things Done That Actually Matter With A Vague To-Do List

When you need to finish big projects, you need to make your list clear, concise and specific. But sometimes you just need a little less structure in your day to feel creatively accomplished, and that’s where a vague to-do list comes in.

The nice thing about a vague to-do list is that you can just re-use the same one every day you need it. You can also add to it as you go along. The idea is to keep as little structure as possible so you can just go through the items and pick something that you want, then add the details yourself. Adding those details requires you to think, and when you come up with a fun idea on the spot it feels a lot better than checking off a minor task. So what goes on a vague to-do list? Here’s an example:

1. Learn a new, impressive trick.
2. Pick a room in your house and do something to make it look better.
3. Choose a website in your bookmarks and complete one task related to it.
4. Write anything.
5. Think about food you’d like and complete a related task (e.g. find a recipe, make the food, make plans to go to a restaurant that serves it with friends).
6. Take a trip to your bookshelf (virtual or otherwise).
7. Open up a drawer in your home and decide what to do with what you find inside.
8. Print something.
9. Start moving.
10. Think of things that scare you and do one of them.
11. Spend five minutes alone and do whatever comes to your mind most often.

A vague list offer starting points, which is enough to get you thinking of ideas. When you’re thinking of ideas with a tiny bit of structure, you’ll consider what matters most. A vague list provides the option of picking a small or large task depending on the time available to you. There are no restrictions regarding order, and you can do as much or as little of the list as you want. When you need to get something specific done you can use a normal to-do list, or whatever method works best for you. When you just want to accomplish what matters to you in the present moment, leaving out the details makes a big difference.

Images by David M. Schrader (Shutterstock) and avian (Shutterstock).