Why To-Do Apps Didn’t Work for Me (and What Did)

Sunday evening was a huge disappointment.

I’d taken PTO to have a 4-day weekend. It started with massive motivation and a huge list to accomplish.

But by the end, I’d marked off only a handful.

Rather than moving the ball forward on my life goals, I was making excuses each day. “I’ll just play one game before I get started.” “I’ll just watch one show.”

Once I was energized by that experience, I’d decide to amplify the experience with “just one more” episode or round. Suddenly, the weekend is over and I have nothing to show for it but regret. PTO wasted.

The rest of the week, I’d beat myself up about it because I knew better. I’m just being lazy. I should focus more. I need to have more self-control.

Here’s the kicker. I’m a high performer with an incredible amount of willpower. I’m phenomenal at making up my mind and sticking to it when stakes are high.

So why is this so hard?

I didn’t need more knowledge. God knows I’ve read enough books and blogposts about habits, the value of delayed gratification, and how to motivate yourself.

I’ve employed the common (generic) solutions like:

• Break it down into smaller tasks

• Use time blocks

• Set SMART goals

• Establish daily/weekly habits

• Minimize distractions

• Reconnect with your “why”

• Practice self-compassion and mindfulness

Those are great pieces of advice, but they don’t fix the problem. They are like lubricant for the machinery, but are worthless when the operator has left the building for an exciting adventure.

The real issue is that you are wired to seek pleasurable experiences.

Instant gratification.

It’s the weekend. It’s your time off. You don’t want to slog through learning a skill that won’t make your life immediately better.

You can live with frustration, or you can do what I did—stop fighting your nature and instead work with them to have a fun and productive weekend.

Getting Sticky

Life changed a few weeks back when an article about a receipt printer curing procrastination caught my attention. I was 3 days into a 5-day weekend with nothing to show for it and down on myself for being lazy.

The author pointed out that our inability to motivate ourselves is the lack of immediate, tangible rewards.

I immediately decided to try it. I headed to the store and bought a pack of sticky notes and a nice container for my desk.

We’ll go into more detail about how to implement below, but here’s the basics:

• Break your to-dos into small tasks.

• Write each task on a sticky note.

• Place the sticky notes on the wall

• When you complete a to-do, remove the sticky note, crumple it up, and throw it in the container.

My initial sticky note system. Simple, yet effective!

Sound too simple? Here’s why this simple system has taken me from ending my weekends in frustration to feeling like I conquered the world.

Small wins FTW

Accomplishing a major milestone feels amazing—once we get there. But the climb is daunting and our minds constantly wander.

It’s not that you lack self-discipline, it’s how you’re wired.

Neuroscience studies show that immediate rewards light up the brain’s reward centers (dopamine regions) far more than delayed rewards.

When you just try to push through, you are swimming upstream. You’re fighting your base instincts.

STOP.

Work smarter, not harder.

The key is to build frequent, small wins into your work on the larger goal.

This is why to-do apps work. When you complete an item, you’re rewarded with an audible “ding” and a checkmark. Unfortunately, most of these apps are overwhelming and distracting.

Simple is better.

My dopamine surge hits harder with crumpling a sticky note than it ever did checking a box in an app.

Even as I write this, I find myself occasionally glancing at my board, scanning for the next task I can destroy.

Why it’s so effective

In Atomic Habits, best selling author James Clear sets out four laws for positive behavior change:

1. Make it obvious—create a cue

2. Make it attractive—create a craving

3. Make it easy—eliminate friction

4. Make it satisfying—create a reward

This system meets all four laws.

Cue: Colored sticky notes on the wall next to my workspace trigger me every time my eyes wander, reminding me to get back to work.

Leaving a pad of notes on my desk also cues me to add to my board whenever a new task presents.

Craving: My victory container lives under my monitor. It makes me frequently smile and anticipate the next note I get to crush.

I frequently show off how full it is on Teams meetings (my coworkers think I’ve lost it).

Half way to the goal!

Eliminate friction: The entire system is at my work desk, so there’s little effort required to get to the notes.

I create most of tomorrow’s notes the evening beforehand and use shorthand to keep it easier.

Reward: There’s something about destruction that is satisfying. My kids favorite part of my office remodel was helping rip out the drywall.

My oldest son smashing drywall in 2016

Crumpling a note is so much more satisfying that clicking a checkbox.

It’s addictive.

It’s that same level of addiction as the rewards systems in video games.

Turn your life into a video game

I spent years addicted to video games. It nearly ruined my marriage.

Game developers know exactly what they’re doing. The best games aren’t just fun, they’re engineered dopamine loops.

They hack you brain’s reward system using:

• Constant feedback loops (XP, level up, death animations, sounds)

• Variable rewards (loot boxes, achievement, power ups)

• Clear goals and fast wins (quests, missions, daily goals)

• Social comparison (leaderboards, custom skins, rankings)

It’s all instant gratification—cheap dopamine—that has you reaching for the controller for just one more game.

Video games provide a hollow promise. Your victory in the digital world will not make your real world problems disappear. But as Koe points out, we can take the principles from gaming and apply them to our lives to make pursuit of goals as addictive as cocaine.

Gamification—adding game-like elements to non-game activities—is a proven tactic for increasing mental engagement in a task. Surveys show that 90% of employees that had gamification added to workplace increased productivity.

Education companies embrace the idea as well. My younger kids love doing their homeschool lessons online because it’s presented as a game.

Steal these ideas and use them to your advantage.

Turn your boring to-do list into a dopamine dispenser.

When you gamify your goals, you become addicted to success. Distractions lose their appeal. Your ability to hyper-focus is amplified.

Gamify Your Goals With Sticky Notes

Your goal is to implement this system with as little friction as possible. It should be as easy as pushing the power button on a gaming console.

Here’s how you can change your life like I did.

Step 1 - Buy supplies

Don’t go fancy. Off-brand sticky notes. A pen. A clear container.

That’s it.

Your first objective is to get started. Building an elaborate system wastes precious time. Start simple.

You probably have all the necessary items in your house already, but it may help to make the symbolic gesture of purchasing them again. Things you’ve made a financial investment into tend to stick better.

Here’s a key piece of advice: Resist the urge to go digital.

Why sticky notes beat to-do apps

I’m a digital-only guy, and would have never tried this had I not hit a certain level of desperation.

I discovered analog has a few superpowers:

• Reduced distraction—no temptation to check social media while writing your to-do because you aren’t on your phone.

• Intentionality—by rewriting your recurring tasks daily, you reflect on whether or not it’s truly important.

• Visualization—One glance at your board let’s you know if you’re overcommitted. One glance at your glass container lets you know how much you’ve accomplished.

Step 2 - Set up system where there is the least amount of friction

You’ll want to set up your notes on a wall closest to where you do most of your work.

For me, that’s right next to my computer desk. As I write this, I can see my notes from the corner of my eye. I can also see my almost-full jar of completed tasks (I’m smiling just writing this).

My familiarity with my board is so high that when my wife sneaks a funny/loving to-do on, I spot the irregularity before making it to my desk.

I can’t stress how important it is to set up the system in your highest trafficked area. If you have to get up and walk across the room every time you complete a task, you’re less likely to use it.

Don’t use this as a weight-loss tool. Use it for what you need most. Getting things done.

Keep a stack of sticky pads within reach as well. As things come up, your goal is to get them off your mind and onto your wall as quickly as possible.

Step 3 - Write your first to-dos

The first time you do this, write out your to-dos on a piece of paper.

Then, break each one down into smaller parts as much as possible.

Your goal is to create sticky notes with tasks that take no longer than 15 minutes each. So, rather than having a sticky note of “write an article”, it should say “write the introduction to the article”.

Each section gets its own sticky.

Why?

Because you’re creating a dopamine reward for each step along the process.

Small wins lead to large victories.

You must celebrate frequently along the road to success or you’ll lose focus and won’t finish the task.

Step 4 - Complete a task, crumple a note

As soon as possible after completing the task, crush that sticky note.

Take a small moment to savor the feeling as you roll it around between your fingers.

Victory.

Now, toss it into the container.

Once you get a few in there, take a moment to admire the growing stack of completed items.

Yes, it’s weird. Yes, it’s illogical. But do it anyways.

It doesn’t take a lot to convince yourself that this is a rewarding experience. But you must begin to visualize it. To crave it. To think about how nice it will be to crumple that note as soon as you finish what you’re currently working on.

Doing this creates an intense anticipation of reward, which releases dopamine while you’re working on the task, making the task itself more pleasurable as you near completion.

Build that anticipation.

Step 5 - Set up notes for tomorrow the night before

Pick a time later in the evening to reflect on today’s experiences and set up a few sticky notes for tomorrow.

You don’t have to have everything set up, but at least get three notes on the board so you can start your day with action.

I also use this time to reflect on any incomplete to-do’s to analyze if they really need to be done. For those that do, I either leave them for tomorrow or move them to an “upcoming” section.

Step 6 - Earn a reward once the container is full

Once you’ve filled your container with completed items, it’s time for a big reward.

You’ve just defeated the big bad boss of the first level of the anti-procrastination game.

Throw a party. Go on a vacation. Buy yourself a new car.

Don’t let this one slip by you. If you don’t take the time to celebrate this HUGE victory, your brain won’t build those essential pathways to solidify this system.

Your Turn

You’re now equipped with the weapon to defeat procrastination.

Set it up.

Crumple one note.

Feel the dopamine surge.

Watch the momentum build.

Then share your progress—I want to see your sticky wall.

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