Last week I discovered two new-to-me strategies for getting things done.

Put One Fun Thing On Every To-Do List
This came from the description of a to-do app for iOS that I was trying. I decided not to write about the app because it wasn’t that great, but the description of it inspired me to start putting one fun thing on my to-do lists. The idea here is that my to-do list won’t be just a list of chores. I’ll also have some incentive to get the chores done quickly so that I have time for my fun thing(s).

Write an Accomplished List
This idea came from a notepad that I found in my room at a Marriott hotel. Writing the list of things that I accomplished in the day is a lot more fun than just crossing items off of a list. I’m even listing simple things like “read one chapter in my new book.” And I’m including my “fun thing” on my accomplished list too.


Bonus: Make a “fun” New Year’s Resolution
This is a variation on an idea that Norm MacDonald (yes, the Canadian comedian) shared in a Grantland article. We tend to think of New Year’s resolutions in terms of things that are difficult to change. What if we had a fun corollary to each difficult resolution? When you do one, do the other too. (Of course, I’m talking about fun resolutions that aren’t bad for you. Norm MacDonald wasn’t using it the same way in the article of his that I read which is why I didn’t directly link to it).