I recently bought a book called ‘Todoodlist‘, by Nick Cernis. [Official site: www.todoodlist.com]

In Todoodlist Nick teaches a very simple concept. Ditch complex systems if they’re no more effective than simple systems.

The To Do list is his main example, and one I now use every day.

Old Way: Sure it’s excellent to have a to do list on your iPhone which syncs back to RememberTheMilk on your desktop which syncs to Google Calendar which displays in the side of your gmail inbox and sends you an alert via Instant Messenger or email or SMS when a task is due…

But MAN IS THAT COMPLICATED!

Yes… this was my system until last week…

Certainly for putting off tasks until some point in the future a reminder system is great, but for the day to day, what’s wrong with a little bit of paper?

I was lost in the unproductive world of the over-productive tools.

With a few basics twists on the concept of the to do list / mind map you can make yourself more productive and able to focus better on the task at hand.

This is how it’s worked for me, and I love it so far.

Plus – Nick is a very funny guy. I dream of being that funny and smart. Literally, I dream.

The book is about 100 pages long, and entertains and teaches with interesting stories and essays.

You need to read it. You will probably like it as much as I do.

- Lewis