Todoodlist comes from Nick Cernis. A guy that was at the time, a lot like I am today: addicted to gadgets, electronic calendars, PDA’s and different ways to write out a to-do lists (using voice, text messages, or email). 
On a rainy day in a coffee shop, Nick made a decision to abandon it all and go back to pen/paper. Except, instead of writing out to-do lists in ordinary fashion, Nick founded a creative way of getting things done. It’s by far the most creative productivity system I’ve come across yet. It includes everything from Sudoku calendars, using a banana as a reminder and “tagging” your Moleskine notebook. In brief, it rocks.
The book is split into three parts:
Part 1 consists of some “short, cheery essays” that will engender thinking about the complexities that overflow some of our lives.
Part 2 gives you the “five paper systems” that the author developed and refined, which will help you replace your electronic organization systems with a simple pencil and paper. They are: the Todoodlist, the Sudoku Calendar, the Tagbook, a great form of personal shorthand called Glyphies, and the Banana Reminder.
Part 3 teaches you the five-step system, which helps you identify and reduce the complexity in all areas of life.
Before starting the book, Nick makes it clear that he wants this to be an enjoyable experience for the reader. He even discloses his email adress for feedback and thoughts.
Nick writes, “Smart companies are also realising that the great gadgets are ones that fulfill a genuine need; not those that appeal on cool factor alone.”
I think, at least lately, we’re seeing some new web-products and gadgets that understand this. Instead of trying to “wow” you with features, they “wow” you with ease of use, and best of all: results.
Each chapter is genuinely entertaining. He tells elaborate stories, and then caps the chapter off with something like, “That was a lie. It never happened.” The author’s voice exudes humor and fun; augmented into those two things are practical lessons we should all take seriously.
A funny instance of his humor was his decision to select a quote from Naomi Dunford regarding Amazon’d Kindle:
“I know a device specifically designed for reading books. It’s called a fucking book.”
When I was well into the book, various things kept popping up into my mind. “How and why would I ever want to abandon my Jott list, or my Google Calendar? It makes my life easier.” Nick makes one thing crystal clear: “I fully recognise that technology can be hugely beneficial. We must simply learn to embrace it only when it genuinely simplifies our lives.”
A key point in the book arises when the Nick says, “the secret to stress-free productivity if there is one is much simpler: just pick up a pencil, sit down, and bloody well get on with it.”
In a chapter titled, “Web 2.0 no,” Nick writes, “The terrible truth about web applications is this: in too many cases, they don’t actually solve anyone’s problems. Instead, whether their users realise it or not, software and systems often add complexity rather than removing it. ”
He’s spot on. In a post a couple weeks back I reasoned that the best online companies solve offline problems; not online ones.
Many people overlook that element and fail. Yes, it’s that simple.
So, what is a Todoodlist?
“Put simply, a Todoodlist is a mind map for tasks. Like a mind map, the Todoodlist is a great way to banish the stuff clogging up your brain by committing them to paper.”
In plain English, it’s the act of implementing “diagrams” into your to-do list. Yet, Nick adds some pretty neat twists. You’ll have to pick up the book to see what I mean.
Another key component of Todoodlist is the “Sudoku Calendar.”
What’s wrong with an everyday calendar? Nick reasons that it doesn’t allow one to make use of recurring events. Instead he uses the Sudoku form because it creates a unique format for one to view recurring events.
The third key component of Todoodlist is “Tagging.”
If the internet had sliced bread, tagging would be it. It’s found a boundless amount of success of the past couple years. Nick suggests taking this phenomenon offline. How? He suggests first picking up a Moleskine notebook. Second, grab some sticky index flags and then labeling them.
Nick unravels a another interesting idea: “Glyphies.”
Glyphies are symbols. Ex. “@-John” means email John today
Hands down, though, my favorite concept was Nick’s use of a banana as his daily reminder. He ditched his PDA, which essentially held some great features (liking buzzing reminders), and instead wrote on a banana. It’s extremely easy to write on bananas.
Why does this work? Because written reminders must be relevant to either: (i) location, or (ii) time.
If you have a banana for lunch everyday, and you want to be reminded of something in the afternoon, a banana is the perfect medium for this.
Bottom Line:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I’ve never come across anyone both online and in person who had such a unique organization system. One that was exclusively offline and emphasized simplicity and fun.
It’s definitely worth a read. I’ll be applying certain elements into my life over the course of the next couple months. Of course, like Leo Batulta of Zen Habits, I’ll be doing it one at a time.