Wander & Wonder

I never go a day without having a to-do list and recently, my to-do list has grown so long that I’m rarely able to finish everything I jot down. Over the holidays, my dad gave me a book called Stop Overthinking by Nick Trenton, and that’s when I was introduced to a new way of creating my to-do list. Although this method doesn’t have a formal name, I call it the “Quadrant Method”—a surprisingly simple way to sort tasks by urgency and importance so I can focus on what really matters.

The idea is straightforward: break down each task into one of four categories. There are tasks that are urgent and important (the ones you need to tackle right away), tasks that are important but not urgent (those you schedule for later), tasks that are urgent but not important (the ones you delegate), and finally, tasks that are neither urgent nor important (the ones you delete from your list).

Now, when I make my to-do list, I draw a little quadrant in my notebook and sort each task into its corresponding box. I’ve only been doing this for a few weeks and I’ve already started to notice that my brain begins to automatically sort tasks into these four categories! It’s so helpful because I can immediately decide what needs my attention and what can wait, without all of my usual overthinking (the book really does do what it’s title suggests). This method has really boosted my productivity and, more importantly, helped reduce the stress that comes with trying to do everything.

If you’re feeling swamped or just want a better way to manage your day, I highly recommend giving this a shot. And I know—you might read this post and think, “Duh!”—but I bet you hadn’t thought of doing it this way until you learned about it!