There seems to be an infinite catalog of resources on the topic of productivity. Every self-proclaimed productivity guru will share their 5-Step-Secret-Process to turn you from a procrastinator to an lean, mean, efficient machine.  (Do you ever wonder if they actually follow their own advice, or is it just me?)

If you read one book, the author will tell you this is the ideal system.  If you read another book the author will communicate in so many words that unless you are following the process that they follow, you are failing to maximize your productivity.

If you read enough on the topic you will go crazy.

I must admit, I often find “Experts” annoying.

They offer a one size fits all approach, and if the approach doesn’t work for you, there must be something wrong with you.  And if you think you are ‘quite alright with out there approach, thank you very much,’ they will insist there must be a deficiency somewhere.

So with that very long disclaimer, I offer you my approach, which simply means it works for ME.  It may or may not work for you.  But I am most productive when I ignore 99% of productivity books I’ve ready and follow my own tried and true method.

The secret is the mighty Index Card.  Good ole 3×5’s.  White does just fun, but if you like color, have at it.

Here is an example of one of my index cards.  It is super simple, nothing fancy.

On the top I write the date. Then I begin to list the tasks I have planned to get done for the day.  As I finish I cross them off.  On the back I’ll often put additional notes, even my grocery list, if it is a grocery day.   As you can see, there are two items on the left that didn’t get crossed off; they weren’t accomplished, so they were re-written on a blank index card for the next day.

I have used mini-notebooks in the past, big notebooks, random scraps of paper: you name it, I’ve tried it.  (I’ve also tried technological lists, on my iphone or ipad and such, but have come to the conclusion that I am a paper person).  Here are the reasons I prefer index cards over all of these:

• Index cards are sturdy!  They stand up to the beating they get all day, including being spilled on and stuffed into my pocket, because that’s the second reason I prefer index cards.
• They fit in my back pocket (or side pocket or jacket pocket), but mostly my back pocket.  Most days I’m wearing jeans, or maybe workout pants.  The size and shape make it a great fit to slide into my pocket which means I’m never without my list.
• The size, while sufficient, also prevents me from being overly ambitious.  There is an end to how much I can write, which is good because there is an end to how many tasks I can feasibly accomplish in a day.
• They are disposable.  I will often keep a completed list around for a few days because I have a paranoia about missing some important note, but when a particular card has fully served it’s purpose, into the garbage it does.

So while I do not think the index card is the answer to all the world’s problems, it has been a reliable tool for me to make the most of my time.