Many years ago, I asked my most accomplished, successful friend what his secret to success was. His answer was simple, but it also changed my life. He said, “I make a list of all the stuff I need to do, then I do it.” He happened to use 3×5 index cards for his lists, so I copied the idea.
Over time, I took his simple system and worked it into my life, and decades on, I still start most days by pulling out an index card and working on whatever it says I need to do. At the end of the day, I glance at a longer list of projects (not on an index card) and a list of more strategic goals, along with my calendar, and decide what to put on the index card for tomorrow.
I talked about this system in our Best Paper Planners guide, and a WIRED reader emailed me to ask whether I had ever heard of Analog, an index-card-based system similar to mine (but better looking). I contacted Jeff Sheldon,…
