Product Review: 3M 1.5 X 2 Post-Its

ImageServerI know what you’re thinking. “Really? Those nasty little notes that litter my husband’s computer monitor and desk?” No worries. I don’t like that look either and I don’t like what it represents: inaction.

What I do like, no, LOVE about the mini Post-Its, is when they are used well. They are used best when they facilitate flexibility.

Let me back up. Time management is really about priority management. There are priority challenges that are represented by fixed time and priority challenges that are represented by flexible time. The mini Post-Its are great for flexible time.

Fixed time priorities, that is, events that generally involve an external commitment—work schedule, doctor’s appointments, business meetings, etc.– can be safely entered into your calendar or computer and, for the most part, left unchanged.

Flexible time priorities, that is, internal tasks, that you want to make a point of doing, but are not tied to a fixed time, need a management system that is less rigid. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I find traditional to-do lists too rigid. The mini Post-It is a great solution.

I do use a computer to collect fixed events, because I can automatically sync them with my smart phone and vice versa. However, I don’t find to-do’s very compelling on my computer, so for that part I still rely on paper.  I print out a day’s worth of fixed events then stick Post-It notes, one task-per-note, to my day’s schedule.

In this way, it is super easy to reprioritize without rewriting. Most of us have lives that are so busy and so subject to change that we are CONSTANTLY readjusting our to-do’s. Also, we tend to underestimate how long tasks take, because we don’t WANT them to take long.

If you have your day’s events on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper, it is the perfect size to collect your tasks on 1.5 x 2 Post-It notes, because if you run out of space, odds are very good that you are taking on far more than is realistic. You then simply move what doesn’t fit to the next day.

Collecting your tasks on mini Post-Its also works really well for managing long term projects.