How to Make Better To-Do Lists

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO: • My To-Do List Philosophy
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ABOUT THE SPIRITED MAN:
The Spirited Man is an unlimited series about the spirited man or woman who lives inside all of us (and fixing things).
ABOUT VAN NEISTAT:
A pioneer in digital filmmaking, Van Neistat made his first internet video, The Holland Tunnel, in 2000. He went on to collaborate with New York City artist Tom Sachs, directing a series of short films shown at the Guggenheim Museum in Berlin. Van has since directed dozens more films for the Tom Sachs Studio. In 2010 HBO aired The Neistat Brothers, an 8-episode series of short videos made entirely by Van and his brother Casey Neistat. Van Neistat’s directorial debut feature, A SPACE PROGRAM, co-written by Tom Sachs, premiered at the 2015 South by Southwest Film Festival and opened in theaters nation-wide in spring, 2016. In 2018 Neistat Directed the short film Paradox Bullets, co-written with Tom Sachs, narrated by Werner Herzog, and starring Ed Rushca. Neistat has written and directed commercial projects for Nike, Hurley, Kate Spade, Tory Burch, J. Crew, Twitter, Sleepy Jones and Frances Valentine. His work has been exhibited in museums throughout the world. He lives in Topanga, California.
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#VanNeistat #TheSpiritedMan #Productivity

[@sansmojo]

I just open a million tabs in a browser on every device I have. My system isn't terribly effective.

[@mrmundy112]

I caught myself doing this too 😅

[@user-BossMan]

😂 SAME!!!

[@Crhonos88]

Just don’t do it on chrome. It’s a memory hog for inactive tabs

[@copperthumb]

I shop at a local second hand yacht supply business in Newport Beach, CA. I buy up old maritime maps as most use GPS. I then cut the maps down to Field Notes sized folders and staple them into books. I write on the blank backs and doodle on the map side. Yes, you can doodle the Loch Ness monster in Cape Hatteras. I did.

[@liddyliddylab]

oh, hell yeah 😮

[@jake.presents]

You could probably sell them for $100 or $1000 a piece to wealthy yacht owners who want fancy todo list journals

[@kurthinxman4921]

The first thing I put on my To Do list is, "Make a to do list." That way I have something I can immediately cross off so I can feel like I am making progress!

[@miggz7847]

that’s smart

[@42cosmonauts]

I’m a notes person myself. I feel like it’s easier to remember stuff after writing it down, but I know it’s not for everyone. Also had a bad experience losing notes (was dabbling in notes apps) because the power went out, and having those physical notes really saved me

[@LowdownBoy]

I know your pain with Notes. I had a bunch of in-progress lyrics and music lost. Come to find out, Apple can't do anything about it. Couldn't find it on a disk search tool either because it was cloud data, apparently. How was I supposed to know it wasn't saving. The key is physical media, although it's not usually convenient nowadays.

[@stephaniejane_]

I have an issue with notes too. I purchased an appointment book that doesn't have specific times, so I now use it for jotting down my notes and organizing them by day. If I write something on a post-it, I stick it into the book. This system has been working pretty well for me.

[@extremelydave]

Van has such an awesome mind. Strange as it may be... : )

[@joeblincoe3122]

This may be helpful to me, as I get older or perhaps more distracted, I feel my memory slipping. Love the category separation, that it all folds down and can fit in pocket, but more importantly that it is all there for u. I’m also happy to see that yours looks as worn and dirty as mine would after a few hours.

[@dylanesslinger2730]

Why are you videos just so soothing to the brain😭

[@pretzelandmustard]

Same. I mull over my lists several times a day. I keep lists to give my ideas a place to rest and room to grow outside of my head. I only tackle the things on the day, when I’m confident they have outgrown the pages and are ready to be messed around with in the real world. If they aren't ideas, then it's the mindless junk I need to remember, but don't want to fill my head with. To-do lists are a good way to keep your brain invested and divested all at the same time.

[@oxymoronv6657]

If you cut 1 of the 4 fold lines, so you can fold it down to show 1 list with a plane back. And makes the list you are using at the time the focus and a hand held size.

[@eblanco7605]

I use to the guy with a thousand scraps of paper in my pocket. I switched to a pocket notebook. But the notebook eventually would deteriorate, get lost or fall apart. I switched to a free app that works sort of like a book, you can make chapters. Life changer for me.

[@melyraps]

Yup, big fan of lists. Mine are on my phone though. I can't be trusted w/ paper. Search feature is a bonus too.

[@misterguysenior]

Thank you for this. I REALLY needed it.

[@JoelRosenfeld]

I’ll have to give this a try! Thanks Van! You’re an inspiration!

[@micssticksnpipes]

I basically do exactly the same!!! but one for each area in life- work, home, house extension, etc. I’m trying to some how plot these into a diary for the future too!

[@BluJns]

🎉🎉🎉 I love your detail! My problem? I need EVERYTHING neatly printed & neatly crossed out! If I write sloppy? I have to start over. Soooo... I started using my phone notes. Now I've discovered Frixon Erasable Gel Pens! AMAZING! big help

[@rinabinette]

He has created a physical system and way of processing information and functions. A tangible mind map for the real world.

[@samueltremblay275]

It's the simplest and best analog productivity technique I've ever seen. I'm a programmer and always in front of a computer and always have my smartphone in my pocket but I still think to use this analog method just to be more connect as a human with my things. Something harder to achieve with programs.

[@dande19]

I do the exact same thing except with spreadsheets. I have one mastersheet that has all the links to the other spreadsheets. lol. Love your content.

[@LetsGoSid]

I also have the same kind of method Van! My postits are also this form, and used on a single big paper

[@kettlemonkey001]

I’m not alone, feels good to relate. It’s gonna be an awesome eff’n day today. Rick Flair “WHOOO” high steppin into the office!

[@wedgeman8910]

i have always believed this and in my course of correcting my course of life i have applied many variations. i tried not taking notes, not making lists, i tried making them, i tried then making them digital, i tried it second person but only thing that actually worked was having my own method of taking notes

[@Griffin-Smith27]

Not many folks I have notifications turned on for, Van is one of them.

[@user-gl9gf7bm6q]

This looks better tgan a to do list it means you can remove stuff so its lessdistracting i like it man ill fo my best to give it a shot

[@meganescent]

I will be trying this! I currently use clipboards but your system is like 4 clipboards in one and I could put it in my purse 😮

[@TheShaggy1966]

I can’t decide whether everyone should be just like you or no one. 😂😂😂. Either way I dig it.

[@WillReadman]

You are an animal. This is the exponential unabsurd logical conclusion of one of my most productive personal management technologies - the once folded index card in the pocket or wallet. I cannot imagine the level of facilitation of will bound in this non-digital catalogue.

[@westernbear2265]

My daily organizing looks similar to this, too. Kinda started with the Eisenhower matrix and evolved from there.

[@Spectrumpicture]

Can you make a short about your glasses? They are unique and Im sure have a story behind them! Thanks!

[@dennismarie6599]

I was told that my lists and listing obsession is a manifestation of my ocd watching this lets me know im not alone

[@extremelydave]

Van's mind is smarter that AI will ever have a chance to try to match. Much respect.

[@mcmanaman_dan]

Very compartmentalized, keeps it organized. Smart.

[@franklinauguste415]

I love that you also coded notes so noone can read it 😂

[@jbmason000]

Each of my quadrants would say “Write it down dummy”

[@redherring6757]

So random to see that the song “God’s Whisper” by Raury was recommended to you on one of the post-it notes. love that song!

[@awesomeadamfrom2099]

Awesome job van

[@Dfanch]

Interesting way to organize. Always love your work.

[@gomerpyle7721]

I used to have a system like this as a Mormon missionary. The blue planners were setup just like this…effective, but very weird when people saw you pull them out

[@user-BossMan]

Can you do an episode on how these list were when you were drinking? If at all?

[@mRahman92]

Pretty flexible and useful really.

[@element_47]

What made you start the to-do lists, and organization? Is it something you've always done? Is it something you learned to do slowly over time? Read about it in a self help book? I'm very curious. If you didn't always do it, how has your life changed since you began? Thank you for your time, spirited man!

[@samholder196]

i need to know which post-its you get -- i struggle with crappy adhesives

[@garlanddavidson6845]

I may try that !-see where it leads me?

[@Rusty-Door-Knob]

"publisist" hahahaha

[@katsmith8263]

Do you have something against pens?

[@marcoslaborde7016]

Wait until he discovers MS Project...

[@Dre_enz]

Este tipo es un genio...❤

[@machina_aeterna]

METHOD TO THE MADNESS

[@danielmcginley308]

Do you fully unfold it to write in it everytime?

[@SloMoBob]

Van how important is it that this is physical? Do you believe that someone could maintain a system like this digitally and achieve the same outcome? Would anything get lost in the sauce going digital?

[@haydarLive3433]

This is great.

[@copperthumb]

Coming in from the legal profession, Post-It notes are known as No Post-It notes. No Post-It notes.

[@lurst]

I tried this a while ago, didnt like it, was this a way to make a cheap notebook? Why did you stick to this over anything else? (Maybe you fiddle less with systems than I do 😅, if it works, it works)

[@lukepikaart8323]

I used to carry a pocket notebook and the problem for me was that when you keep turning pages to write something new you forget to look at whatever list or note was a few pages back. So I think this is Van's solution to that, it is temporary on purpose.

[@lurst]

@@lukepikaart8323 that's a good point, this becomes a sort of dashboard where you can see most things at a glance

[@barnabyvonrudal1]

@@lukepikaart8323 do you just carry one piece (so with 4 quadrants) and decide day to day which subject/domain you want in each quadrant? Or would you carry several pieces of paper so have more than 4 quadrants/domains effectively?

[@oFFpUDDING]

you unfold that paper at parties and in public, in front of ppl, and write down their names...

[@GuilhermeTrojan]

Nice!

[@MagicofIreland]

what about, need to get out more Quadrant

[@scoopydaniels8908]

How long does each page last

[@michaelppaull]

Me on everyone’s fav adhd medication

[@ThePaulwarner]

Somebody show this man how to use google keep

[@resiack]

Hey Van, whats your opinion on bullet journals?

[@naryk1412]

Imagine this, your write down everyone’s names at the party so you know and can use their name when you see them again. Enter the Girlfriend. “Who is she”

[@ShadowFireXX]

Excellent and beautiful

[@Ahpizza186]

Dude just chill

[@jbmason000]

Do you carry it?

[@budddda]

Aaaaaahhh my fellow ADHD todolister

[@motherofpuppies544]

Who loves a good to do list???? ...meeeee❤❤❤

[@forgiveness_denied]

I wish somebody invented a note app on iphone😢😢😢

[@lllllREDACTEDlllll]

What if you don't want to do anything and even the thought of your own future makes you want to just go to sleep... but you don't because you know eventually you'll just end up waking up again... and once you do you have to come grips with reality all over again... and that's even worse than the numbness you've developed over a seaming lifetime trying to be half conscious... so I sit here, hour after hour... night by night... staring blankly at a computer screen in the hopes that engaging my brain with useless information will somehow speed up the monotony of life...

[@TheMrchuck2000]

Switch it off and take a walk outside for an hour. No headphones, no screen, just real things, sounds, smells… I struggle to do it, but getting away from the screens, podcasts, music, KZbin,etc., even for a short time, will reawaken your connection to everything. Screens are DRUGS, and it’s hard to pull away from.

[@adhdsymptoms64]

nice

[@incargeek]

Interesting that you write with super soft graphite pencil…

[@VV-ku6bk]

just write in a notebook. so simple.

[@JohnCannonBand]

Your videos are really great, but there’s something deeply unsettling about them and I just can’t put my finger on it

[@Mr.Suicidal]

Please take an iq test, I have a good feeling about it in not saying your a genius but I'm fascinated with geniuses and you have certain quality's that mimic such. The test is just to open doors for you, to give you options and connections. Not so that anyone else can determine what you do or should do.

[@nosignal88]

How to say he was a uni grad without saying he was a uni grad... like chill your language dude and have a beer 😅

[@privateer0561]

Very organized, but poor spelling and handwriting skills.

[@CHRISCRISS_]

Bro you gotta do more of the fixing the zip line videos you stick with that you're going super viral in a matter of months .... time to get to work let's go big felllllllllllllla

[@lordrancho]

Will never understand how he has SO Bad handwriting

[@wildcheekymonkey]

i like this