The easiest way to declutter your brain

📝 Today’s tip: Break out your to-do list into categories.

Calling it a to-do list is a little bit of a disservice: If your list looks more like an actual list than a plan, it can be more overwhelming than helpful.

To keep things feeling more manageable, the productivity writer Kara Cutruzzula recommends sorting all your tasks into categories. Hers are “‘Jobs, Musical Theater, Newsletter, Admin, Life Stuff, Chores,’” she writes. ”Your categories will look different, but when everything in a column ladders up to the same purpose, it’s easier to focus. You’ll stop worrying about a simple chore at 9 a.m. right before your morning meeting.” An organized to-do list makes for an organized brain — and, best of all, less stress about what got left behind.

📚 More from Forge on managing to-dos:

A Better To-Do List, According to a Scrum Master
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How a Productivity Expert Shifts From Work Mode to Non-Work Mode
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You’re Not Bad at Time Management. You’re Doing Too Much.
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