Ordinary Things... Extraordinary Power

 Index Cards Fueled My Monday


My To-Do Lists are Uninspiring

I make to-do lists all the time. It is not uncommon for me to cross off only about half of the items on my to-do list. The lists are practical and help me figure out how to get critical things done. However, the lists I am used to making do not necessarily inspire me and fuel my day.


Ordinary Things Have Extraordinary Power

I have used index cards thousands of times in my life. Index cards have been the home to vocabulary words and study aids. They always seem to find their way on the school supply list, but I have to admit, It has been a long time since I have used them.  


Trying Something New Works

Today, I had the idea to try something different and combine to-do lists and index cards.  I grabbed a stack, and wrote one task on each card. The idea is that when the task is complete, I throw the card away. The goal is to have very few cards at the end of the night. 


How it Works

It has been nice to carry the cards with me throughout the day and shuffle through them to see what needs to happen. I wrote everything from a 20 minute nap, to specific assignments I needed to grade on the cards. As I continually added cards throughout the day, I realized that there were a few that would not be accomplished until the following day. The neat thing about using index cards, was that I was never worried about going through enough cards. And, the good news  is that each morning, I know where to start.


It was a Rush to Complete Tasks and Throw The Cards Away

It felt so good to throw the first card away as I completed a task. I found myself looking for ways to combine tasks and get more accomplished. I look forward to adding cards tomorrow. I don't know how long this method will work, but, what I do know is that it is working now and it was fun for me to repurpose an ordinary object and do something extraordinary. 





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