Forget all those shiny productivity tools you have lying around on your desk. The one most powerful productivity tool you might ever come across is a simple sheet of paper and a pen.

To-do lists are not only for the forgetful, or the unproductive. It is rather a way to blow through your tasks one by one, and eventually just keep far more time to yourself. Almost effortless free time, who doesn’t want more of that?

So, why are to-do lists so universally effective?
Have you ever stared into space, wondering “where to start” on everything you need to do? Eventually, you might get a thing or two done, but not even close to as much you could be capable of if you have some clear direction on what needs to be done, and when.

When you put together a list, and write down absolutely everything that needs to get done, not only will you not forget a crucial item (only creating MORE work down the road!), but you will also feel more productive as you start crossing off completed tasks.
In addition, you’ll look at your list and realize that a number of these tasks on your to-do list are quick little things, like sending emails. You can finish them off while you download some files or listen to your favorite podcast. While they are easy enough to strike off the list, together everything can seem so overwhelming that you don’t get anything done before you actually put it down on paper.

Why they work
To-do lists work because of a few simple concepts:

• You don’t forget what you have to do
• While it may be hard to prioritize in your head, within a second you can see oversee what needs to be done when tasks are written down, and what should be done first.
• You can focus entirely on completing the tasks, instead of worrying about forgetting them
• Last, but not least, you can work down the list without losing valuable time deciding what to do next. Over the course of a day (or week) that can free up anywhere from an hour to half a day of free time.

Although pen and paper is as good a tool as any, most phones and computers also have to-do list options. Just pick one and stick with it, because you don’t want to end up with five to do lists in different places, and get confused by the number of places you are writing things down.