Many years ago I asked some of my most accomplished and successful friends what the secret to their success was. His answer was simple, but it changed my life. He said, “Make a list of all the things you need to do and do them.” He happened to be using his 3×5 index cards for his lists, so I copied that idea as well.
Over time, I incorporated his simple system into my life, and even now, decades later, most days start with me pulling out an index card and working on the to-dos written on it. Masu. At the end of the day, I skim through my calendar along with a long list of projects (not on index cards) and a list of more strategic goals to decide what to put on tomorrow's index cards. .
I talked about this system in my Best Paper Planners guide, but a WIRED reader emailed me asking if I had heard of Analog, a similar index card-based system (but looks nicer). I did. I contacted Jeff Sheldon, the founder of Ugmonk, a company that manufactures analogues, and he sent me his analogue starter kit. I've been using Analog for a few months now and I'm happy to say that it's a great way to plan your day and get things done. It's simple, elegant, beautifully made, and, well, analog. I can't say it replaced my decades-old system, but it certainly looks a lot better.
get things done
Analog's site has a slogan: “Analog doesn't replace digital tools; it can work alongside them to help you focus.” I think it's important to keep that in mind. I use a completely paper-based system, and have almost always done so, but I don't need to do that to get anything out of analog. And in fact, even I don't. I keep track of my schedule on a digital calendar.
Still, I've always been a fan of paper when planning my day or making a list of things I want to accomplish right now. The tactile, mechanical process of writing something down imprints it on your brain in a way that screen-based never can. That's where analog comes in.
Analog consists of an expertly designed and beautifully crafted wooden box (available in walnut or maple), custom printed cards, and metal dividers/lids to keep everything organized. It's designed to sit on your desk, show you what you need to do, and look great while you're doing it.
There are three card colors. White cards for things I need to do today, cream cards for items I won't do until later, and dark cards for tasks I'm interested in but haven't committed to doing/probably will do someday. The cards are 100 lbs. of smooth, uncoated paper and are sturdy enough to stand up in the included slot so you can see your tasks for the day at a glance. The back of every card is printed with a very thin dot grid pattern for convenient jotting down notes.