MERLIN MANN has written two nice posts about to-do lists. I know: to-do lists--how much is there to know? Well, that depends. For some folks a to-do list is three things on a sticky; for others it's 300 items across 75 projects. Either way, it's my experience that with to-do lists, as with anything, there's always a smarter way.

Like always starting with a verb, for example. I don't know about you, but for me there's a big difference between looking at this list:

• Oil change
• Travel agent
• Inbox
• Driveway

... and this list:

• Call service dept.
• Call travel agent
• Process inbox
• Buy driveway sealant

The second is more active, and speaks more to my taking action, than does the first. That's because it starts with verbs. A little hack, but for many, and effective one.

Merlin nicely summarizes much of the extant "to-do list smartness" in his two-part article. Part 1 is here, and Part 2 is here.