We use our task managers incorrectly, perhaps. Perhaps their purpose is simply wrong. I’ve already written about why task managers are essentially graveyards for tasks in ToDo Apps - Graveyard for Tasks. And yet, we still pay the creators of these so-called “miracle programs” for them.

In his book The Checklist Manifesto, Atul Gawande brilliantly describes the advantages of checklists, particularly in the medical field. After experienced doctors began using checklists, the number of incidents significantly decreased.

Don’t Trust Your Brain

The brain isn’t capable of storing the amount of information we need to remember today. Many everyday tasks consist of numerous smaller ones. Forgetting just one thing can cause everything else to fall apart in a chain reaction. If you have a project or a trip coming up, you can create a checklist of things you need to do or bring with you. But it should be a checklist—specific items needed for a particular task or project. This way, the app won’t be cluttered with things you’ll never want to do.

Creating Templates Adds Mindfulness

In our routine, there are likely repetitive tasks. If we work on projects, each project may have its routine, even though every project is unique in its way. If a trip is coming up, there’s a specific list of things we need to pack or prepare for the journey (bring chargers, check the speed limits in the country, download movies for watching, etc.). Creating checklists can also help us better understand what our routine consists of and realize just how many things we actually need to do—things we otherwise just try to remember.

It can be challenging to find the time to organize your personal system. Unfortunately, it’s much easier to get distracted by something else, which isn’t always the best use of our time. This is why mindfulness in everyday life is becoming increasingly rare.