Every year we hear the same thing: “Start off the new year right by making a list of all the things you wish to accomplish during the coming 12 months!” And every year, that’s what we—at least I—do. For the past three years, my New Year’s “resolutions” or “goals” list has looked pretty much the same…just ignore the fact that I never actually reach any of those goals. Nevertheless, I keep on making this Jan. 1 list, because the idea of a fresh start is always appealing. 

That being said, making lists is not only a New Year’s thing. We make lists all the time for anything and everything, from grocery items that need to be bought, to assignments due during the semester, to what movies we desperately need to watch with our roommate before the end of the term. Yet, lurking in every student’s notes app is a trove of to-do lists full of items left unchecked. Here are a few tips to actually start the year right by learning how to do the to-dos effectively. 

Use pen and paper instead of your phone 

It’s 2025, and everyone uses their phone to make lists. It’s easy, convenient, and always within reach. However, the ease quickly becomes a flaw rather than an advantage. Having this tool available at any time can actually make it less effective. With such a low barrier to adding new list items, we start making lists because we think of things we need to do at the moment, but those things will soon be replaced by additional information that needs to be stored in new lists that will subsequently be forgotten. 

In the long run, this will just take up space in your phone storage. Instead, use your phone as a temporary sticky note to remember what needs to be done and, once you’re home, write it down on a piece of paper. You can then stick that paper somewhere in your room so that you’re reminded every day of what you have to do. Handwriting has also been shown to improve memory recollection compared to typing. Plus, making lists on paper means you’re not spending that time on your phone, where you can easily get sucked into Instagram or TikTok instead of actually doing the tasks you’ve written down.

Set deadlines 

Using an agenda or organizing your list by date is the best way to keep up with what needs to be done when. It also helps you to not lose track and feel overwhelmed by the number of things your list encompasses. 

For example, you will keep on adding new lines to your to-do list of homework throughout the entire semester, and that can easily get scary, stressful, or even depressing—especially during exam seasons. Additionally, setting deadlines is a good way to motivate you to be efficient. In the same vein, put a tick or a cross or whatever you prefer to mark each step you’ve completed. That’s a great way to feel a sense of satisfaction whenever you complete one of your goals. 

Allow yourself rewards for checking a box 

Keeping up with to-do lists can be challenging because they often become filled with tasks you keep postponing or things you simply don’t want to do. To help make this process less unpleasant, prepare some rewards for each time you complete a task. For instance, we all have assignments that are easier to tackle than others. You could therefore tell yourself to do one small and easy assignment for each difficult one you submit. Or it could be something that has nothing to do with your to-do list, like allowing yourself to indulge in your favourite activity every time you check off a new item. Overall, the goal is simply to motivate you to complete everything that you have planned or need to do.