More to Do Than Can Ever Be Listed

Things to do today include exploring the history of the to-do list. You’ll find that
they were famously used by Benjamin Franklin and Leonardo da Vinci, among
other high achievers of history. Below are some more modern approaches to to-do
lists to explore—or even try Which format seems best to you?

• Eisenhower Method | 1-2-3 Method | Ivy Lee Method

• 4-D Method | Eat that Frog | Must-Do | Bullet Journal

It’s easier to remember things we didn’t finish than those we did. That’s why a
song that got interrupted might nag at you until you hear the end of it, ooh na
na—or why you might be unable to keep an overdue assignment out of your head
even when you’re taking a break. Psychologists term this the Zeigarnik Effect.
Discuss with your team: how can we use the Zeigarnik Effect to our advantage in
tasks like preparing for the World Scholar’s Cup? Would we be healthier if we spent
more time remembering the things we got done—keeping a “done list”—than the
things we didn’t?

“The list is the origin of culture,” the writer Umberto Eco once said. He held an
exhibit of lists at the Louvre (which should have improved security on its own
to-do list); he compiled a book on the topic, too. Learn about Eco’s distinction
between practical and poetic lists and consider—what kind of list is a to-do list?
Then discuss with your team: are we more drawn to lists than we should be?