A Practical Solution to Do Better Work
Monday 23 May 2011 - Filed under On Working With Yourself
The best way to start an action is with a verb. They put the action in context and make getting things done easier. Every to-do list should have tasks that start with verbs.
Below are a set of project-specific and next-action-specific verbs to add to your tasks on your to-do lists. Thanks to Merlin Mann for providing these!
I want emphasize how important verbs are because:
Using verbs promote action. They get you off your ass and make you try new things, test new ideas and gain feedback through trial and error.
Use verbs in everything you do and see how much more you get done. Moving your hand is the key to getting good at something and the key to doing work.
To make this most valuable I recommend printing it out and putting it in your work space for quick reference. This allows for a quick skim when making new to-do’s in your lists.
Project verbs
| Finalize | Resolve | Handle |
| Look into | Submit | Maximize |
| Organize | Design | Complete |
| Ensure | Roll out | Update |
| Install | Implement | Set-up |
Next-action verbs
| Call | Organize | Review |
| Buy | Fill out | Find |
| Purge | Look into (Web) | Gather |
| Take | Waiting for | |
| Load | Draft |
2011-05-23 » Cameron