1 SANDBOX

Focus = Sales

o In this month’s shiny stuffed video you are going to learn The Most Comprehensive To Do List Guide on Internet in 2019!

o But 1st if you are new; I am Brandon with I Love Shiny Objects dot com! Welcome!

o Daniel & I are here to help you get your work done; despite your love for shiny objects! Is your SOL ready…?

 
1st Step for Your To Do List
Get Your Ideas Out Of Your Head:
• Personally, this is hard for me, because my brain is like a Ferrari engine with no brakes; if I tried to get all the ideas out of my head I would get lost in so many tunnels I’d make moles jealous.
o & I’d be lucky to finish it all in ½ a week.
 If you are a SOL like me beware of this!

o My unconventional Yoda like advice is, ”Ferrari with external brake you must have, when ideas from head you get out.”
 External brake equals a countdown timer you set for 5 minutes & try to get everything written down before the timer goes off. Make a game out of this.
 Keep doing these 5-minute increments until you got everything down; down.
 Keep asking yourself;
 “What else is in my head?”
 “What else?”
• Until you can’t think of anything else; but if you think of more during the day write them in & set a reminder when would be a good time to organize them.
o You want your brain to be empty like a Buddhist on vacation.
 So, it can relax & not have to stress about remembering things, because you have it all written down.

 Tips to help you speed up your Ferrari:
 Use talk to text software or apps.
 Shorthand writing your ideas out or draw/doodle things that stand for projects, group of thoughts, etc.
 Use mindmaps.
 Whatever you can think of to help speed you up; do it!
 Please comment below what you found helpful so it can help out other SOLs.

o If it’s a really amazing idea set a reminder of when would be a good time:
 to do it

 add it to a workflow/process document

 or think about it more deeply

• David Allen (who I think is the father of this technique) said, “Your mind is great for having ideas, not holding ideas.”
o &, “Your brain did not evolve to remember, remind, prioritize, or manage relationships with more than 4 things. That’s new cognitive science data…” -He said that in 2019 on Tim Ferris’s podcast.
 So, it is important to empty your head; & become clear & organized on what’s bouncing around in your shiny head, so that you can get more things done, & feel less stressed.
 Because once your head is empty you can give all your focus to what you need to work on at that moment.

 
2nd Step for Your To Do List
Organize Your Ideas List:
1. Are there any ideas that you shouldn’t do?
 If so cross em out.

2. Look at your list & maybe the mirror & ask yourself,
 “Can I really get all this done?”
 The answer is usually no.
 & this opens you up for the next step to organizing your list.

3. Go through your list putting each idea into 1 of the 4 categories below:
1. Mark all the things that need to be Delegated:
 using the MAC ST Method (which you can learn how to do in 1st video on this YouTube Channel or on iloveshinyobjects.com).

2. Find what needs to be Prioritized:
 you can use the “What Crap What Technique” (which is the 2nd video on this youtube channel or on iloveshinyobjects.com).
 Then move those things over to your priority list.

3. Break down big tasks (stuff that will take longer than ~1.5hours to complete) into a project:
 using “The PAR Process” which is the 3rd video on youtube channel or again on iloveshinyobjects.com/blog.

4. Now; filter the to do’s you have left:
 Group similar things (this is also known as batching things) together:
 So you get in a rhythm & can accomplish those similar tasks faster with less errors.
 Next decide which to dos need to be done at certain times of the day based on your priorities & calendar for the day.
 Lastly write by each:
 The outcome you want to achieve.
 Then start each with a verb (action word) that will get you to the outcome.

 
3rd Step for Your To Do List
Choose Your To Do List Type That Works Best For You:
• For those that have painful memories when it comes to to do lists; Henry Ford once said,
o “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”

• This is probably the most comprehensive list of alternative ways To Do Your To Do List on the internet:
o Out of all the possibilities you’re about to hear pick the 1 that has just enough structure for you; that you aren’t burden by all the thoughts in your head of everything you have to, should do, or could do.
 But, try not to structure it too far beyond that; because if it’s too structured, you will resent it & not keep at it.
 & it will take more of your shiny object loving time away to maintain a too structured to do list.
 & time is your most valuable asset!

 David Allen compared using a to do list; to the center line on a road. That line doesn’t make you feel restricted or less creative it actually does the opposite.
 It gives you the comfort knowing that the oncoming traffic is not going to hit you so you can be free to think as you drive.
 The same should be true for your to do list & work so choose wisely.

1. The “Not To Do List” or “Oh Hell No List”
 -Steve Jobs once said “Focus isn’t deciding what to do, it is deciding what not to do.”

 Go back over your list, & write “NO” next to all the things you can say “NO” to today.
 Are there things that drain your energy?
 Say NO to it!
 Daily or weekly routines that you’re sick of or that take too much of your shiny object lovin time?
 Say NO to it!
 Brainstorm the best way to remove (or just reduce) those things off your list.
 Then you will have more time, energy, & focus!

2. The “Gold To Do List”
 List of only things that will bring in the most gold/$ into your business.

3. Tasks That Must Absolutely Be Done Today To Do List
 This keeps you focused on today & only the stresses & worries for the day.
 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” -Jesus in Matt 6:34 NLT

4. Done! To Do List
 This to do list is great if you are starting to feel discouraged with your current to do list. It will cause you to actually feel good about your to do list; instead of bad.
 Write only what you have accomplished for that day.
 Write things down after you do them or at lunch & before you leave work.
 Setup reminders to write down your “Done! To Do List”.
• This will make it easier to remember all you have done for the day!

5. The Clothes pin board to do list


6. Sticky Note To Do List
 Write each of your ideas on a different sticky notes.
 Then if you need more structure:
 you can organize them under
 categories
 projects
 Or by your goals
• where each different color sticky note represents a different category, project or goal.
• You can put these on your wall, or on butcher paper tapped to the wall; or just use a whiteboard.

7. Index Cards To Do List
 You can spread them out when you’re looking over everything then pile them all back up & put a rubber band around them or clamp around them when you are done so it’s more portable & less cluttered.
 Again, you can use different color index cards to represent different:
 Projects
 Or goals.

8. The Wall To Do List
 You could even paint your wall with that chalkboard paint & have the great wall of china of chalkboards!

9. Magnetic Fridge To Do List
 As with all the products I mention in this video affiliate product links to amazon are in the description below.

10. Mind Map To Do List
 Some SOLs love mind maps for brain dumping & breaking down projects.
 It’s a more visual way to break things up into clear logical groups or trees, & helps you see the order of things that need to get done.

11. The MIT Method: which stands for Most Important Thing
 Start with the most important thing you need to get done today (the highest priority).
 Then you can put 3 or less other things that you would also like to get done by the end of the day underneath it.

12. Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets To Do List
 If you are trying to have more work/life balance you can write all of your to do’s in 1 of these programs & have a column next to them with the categories in life that each goes with.
 Then make a pie chart from the data to show you how many things you are doing in each area of your life.
 If you add a minute’s column you can also see how much time you are devoting to each area of your life.

13. The “Weekend Recharge List”
 This can increase your work performance & have a more restful enjoyable weekend!
 Brainstorm the most recharging activities for you.
 If you are having trouble with this, ask your spouse to help you.

14. The “1-3-5 Rule” To Do List
 The 1 stands for the 1 big thing for the day.
 Schedule working on the biggest thing at whatever time of the day you are the most productive.

 The 3 stands for 3 medium things.

 & the 5 stands for 5 small things.

15. Game Any To Do List
 Note:
 if whatever to do list you are using starts to get boring this is a great way to make it shiny again for you.

 You can turn them into games, or dance while you do them, or reward yourself with points or a favorite snack, let your creativity run wild.
 & please share what you do to make your to do lists more fun in the comments below to help other SOLs out.

16. Create a Love To Do List
 A list of the things you most enjoy doing in your work.
 Schedule these in when you are feeling down to pick you back up.

17. Make a goals list 1st
 Then make your to do list (for work) only based on what will get you to each of those goals.
 This is a simplistic version of the prioritization video on this channel.

18. Have to do lists for different parts of your life
 Examples:
 Work to do list
 Home to do list
 Errands to do list

19. Get an accountability partner
 If you don’t have 1 you can buy the course on iloveshinyobjects.com/shop
 it will give you access to others looking for an accountability partner to help each other with to do lists.

20. Different Tasks on Different Days
 Examples:
 Saturday: Clean house day & Laundry.
 Sunday: Grocery store & make meals for the week.

21. “Could Do List”
 If you feel too pressured by a To Do List because of your past experience rename your to do list a could do list.
 You could do it or not, no pressure.
 Surprisingly just rephrasing has help people take the pressure off.

22. The Calendar To Do List
 Throw your entire to do list on your calendar blocking out time for each task.

 Some people find it beneficial to plan their breaks in the day 1st so that they don’t cram in too many to do’s without getting enough breaks, food or exercise they need to maintain their highest levels of work performance.
 Then schedule in those task time blocks in between your breaks.

23. The Email To Do List
 Some people email themselves everything & stuff it in their online calendar; & setup reminders to look at different emails/to dos at different time blocks or they set it up as a meeting on their calendar.

 Or they email themselves when they are out & about.
 And throw it in their bullet journal when they can.

 Or they immediate delegate it by emailing it to someone else.

24. The Assistant To Do list
 Email or text them the things you want to remember to get done, or for them to do for you.

25. Have a “For Other’s To Do List”
 For all the other people in your team or department.

26. Adding More Structure To Your To Do Lists
 Order your to do’s by:
 A, B, C’s
 # of stars; more stars = more importance.
 1, 2, 3 by the order you want to do each task.

 Or by adding different color pens for different task groups, projects, or goals.

 Use different color highlighters.
 Some highlight their next 1-3 things they want to do & then cross each out after they do them.
 Then when they are done with those they start again by highlighting the next 1-3 tasks.

 By labeling the front of the task with a:
 D for delegate
 P for prioritize
 TM for Task Management needed.

 Or by using your own fun/funny words.

 Or your own custom symbols for different things like:
 reminders
 ideas
 & other things that are important for you
 You can even make an index of all your symbols in case you go overboard with this & forget what they all mean.

 Or you can make bookmarks with:
 different pieces of color tape
 different color paperclips
 different color paper clamps

• Remember:
o The best to do list is not the most popular; it’s whichever 1 works uniquely best for you!
 So choose wisely above, & experiment till you find a combo that works perfectly for you.
 Note: all the amazon affiliate links to the mentioned products are in the description below.

 
Amazon Supplies List (these are affiliate links):
o Magnetic Dry Erase Calendar: https://amzn.to/34WnVHv

o Office Calendar: https://amzn.to/30aXRZD

o Brendon Burchard’s High Performance Planner: https://amzn.to/30ijmsj

o Clothes Pin Memo Board: https://amzn.to/2kUzqNr

o Chalkboard Label clothes pins: https://amzn.to/2l9fYMK

o Multicolor Sticky Notes: https://amzn.to/2LH72ZB https://amzn.to/30g3p5D

o Multicolor Sticky Notes with lines: https://amzn.to/2LJtVMa

o Normal Sticky Notes: https://amzn.to/2QlRaQu

o Small (2 feet x 1.5 feet) White Board: https://amzn.to/2LJIQWJ

o Large (4 feet x3 feet) White Board: https://amzn.to/31CBh9A

o White Butcher Paper (4 feet x 100 feet): https://amzn.to/2V4vHui

o Index Cards: https://amzn.to/2mzguUF

o Rubber Bands: https://amzn.to/2maP8Eg

o Paper/Binder Clamps: https://amzn.to/2mW8Tjj

o Different Color index tabs: https://amzn.to/2mZ1pMs
 Or different color tapes: https://amzn.to/2lvOFwy

o Highlighters: https://amzn.to/2mF4HnZ

o Different Color Pens: https://amzn.to/2l8bWV3

o Bullet Journal: https://amzn.to/2mBJz1P

o Chalkboard Paint: https://amzn.to/34T4eA6

o Chalkboard: https://amzn.to/2OgPgOy

o Refrigerator or Office White Board with 4 Colored Markers: https://amzn.to/2nwO2mT

 
The 3 R’s, & why
1st R: Roadmap
o Show the step by step roadmap on the screen as a review.

2nd R: Review
o Today you learned a 3 step process for to do lists:
1st. Step: Get your ideas out of your head.

2nd. Step: Organize those ideas.

3rd. Step: Choose the to do list type that works uniquely best for you.

3rd R: Respond
1. If you want the shiny checklist that compliments this video click on the 1st link below.

2. Or if you want a faster, easier, more convenient way to APPLY what you learned in this video click on the 2nd link in the description below.
o It takes you to the online course this video came from.

3. And if you want to keep seeing more shiny episodes like this click on the Patreon link below.
o 7 grand gets you & or your business in 1 of these episodes.
 & 7 dollars keeps you from having to imagine a world without these I Love Shiny Object videos.

 
Why: we do dis shiny stuff?
To help you work smarter, & faster so that you can have more time in your life with the shiny objects you love!!!
Our goal for you is not more promotions, money, or praise (but the courses will help you get those); it’s to give you more time to get lost in the shiny objects that bring you JOY & MEANING in life! And hopefully those shiny objects will leave a great impact on the world (something you can be proud of) when you are gone.

So, no more feeling bad (or being hard on yourself) for getting distracted! I dare you to be different! I challenge you (every week) to work a little smarter & more efficiently so that you can give a little more time (each week) with the shiny objects you truly love.

-Have a shiny month SOLs!!! If you think you’ll forget the next shiny 7th video hit the subscribe & bell icons to remind you. Thank you for your shiny time & we hope we have helped you out in some shiny way.