A to-do list is something that some people love to use, while others do not believe that it is helpful. Some people make a fancy to-do list and check things off as they go and complete everything on their list. There are some other people who make a to-do list and then forget to stay organized and check things off and then certain tasks get forgot about and never get completed. Another big problem with to-do lists is that they can tend to become rather long lists. When these lists become long, it’s hard to accomplish everything, especially in one day. There is no need for a long to-do list when you can find a better way to simplify and prioritize your tasks with a “Burner List”.

 

Say goodbye to your old-fashioned to-do lists because the Burner List is the newest list on the market. Bestselling author Jake Knapp came up with this idea when he realized that he was trying to prioritize too many things at one time. Knapp said, “I was just cataloging all these things other people wanted me to do and my to-do list was a reflection of that kind of overwhelming nature of the modern world — of the demands that were on me. And I was trying to keep up, but I was just keeping up with what other people wanted.” The Burner List forces you to put the most important project or task first on the “front burner”, the less important things on the “back burner” and the miscellaneous tasks in the “kitchen sink”.

 

In order to make this list you have to first divide your paper with a straight line down the middle. Title your left column “front burner” and your right column “back burner”. You then take your right column and draw a horizontal line to divide it in half. Title the bottom half of this column “kitchen sink”.

 

Only one item is allowed in your “front burner” and “back burner” so that you are prioritizing your biggest task, but only putting one task on the “back burner” while doing so. With the “kitchen sink” you can have a few more items in here, but you do not want to just continue to through small tasks in there that will take up your time.

 

The trick with the Burner List is that is also helps you learn how to say “no”. It doesn’t give you much space so that forces you to leave out the meaningless stuff that will just end up taking up too much of your time. You want your biggest focus to be on your biggest task, the “front burner”, and then have another task on your “back burner” ready to go when you complete your “front burner” item.

 

This list could be for you or could just not interest you at all. Ultimately, you have to make that decision, but personally I will be trying this out and recommend that each of you at least give the Burner List a chance to possibly change your life!