How Can You Get Your To-Do List Under Control?
Do you use a To-Do list? How would you describe it?
Is your to-do list almost too long to read every day? Or have you simply given up trying to keep a current to-do list? Don’t give up! Follow these steps to get your to-do list under control to complement your self-management strategies.
What should be on your To-Do list?
To begin, you need to understand that a to-do list is a “hot list” not a planning pad, wish list, or long-term idea starter. Your to-do list is for tasks that must be accomplished in 48 hours or less. For anything further ahead, use an advance planning list or add the items to your day planner for the appropriate due date.
Let’s get started. Begin by writing down every task you need to complete on individual index cards or post-it notes. Arrange the cards in three piles: Must Do, Need to Do, Want to Do. The “Must Do” pile is the tasks that must be completed in 24 hours.
Evaluate all your “Must Do” items and take any “Must Do” items that could wait an extra day, and place them on the next day’s to-do list. These tasks are what some time management systems call the “A” level tasks.
Next sort the “Need to Do” or “B” level tasks. These are important to do in the next day or two but not as imperative as showing up for a presentation or catching a plane.
Finally, deal with the “Want to Do” or “C” level tasks that could be done any time in the next several days. Some time management systems suggest you toss out the “C” tasks or add them to a “Someday” list for when you have extra time.
Of course, that’s a little ironic, isn’t it? You’re working on your time management system because you are already overscheduled. If you want to include these “C” level tasks in your daily to-do, just make sure they don’t serve as a distraction from necessary items.
For example, you might enjoy surfing the net for collectible books, but you don’t need to complete that “C” item when you have an “A” list report due in four hours.
How Many Tasks Should You Include on Your To-Do List?
That depends on whether the action item is a one-step process or part of a multi-step process. With complex tasks, you may only be able to reasonably complete 3 or 4 “Must Do” items in a day. As you are adjusting to this time management technique, make a note by each item about how much time you expect to spend on a specific task.
Where should you capture your “to-do” list? You can create a paper to-do list or one on your computer, just as long as it’s easily accessible during the day. When an item is done, cross it off, make a checkmark beside it, or in some way be able to see what’s done from what needs to be done.
Using an Electronic To-Do List?
If you use an electronic to-do list, you can add a color background for each level. The advantage of color-coding items is that you can quickly see how many yellow highlighted Must Do items are left compared with the green highlighted Need to Do items.
At the end of the day, transfer any remaining important items to the proper category on the next day’s to-do list. When you finish the day and see most or all of the “Must Do” items finished and crossed off your list, it’s a great sense of relief and motivation to keep your time management system working for you.
Using a Hybrid To-Do List
Just last year, I started using a hybrid system. I use Notion to track my daily action items. I love this system because I can tie individual actions back to projects. I use an old-school pen and notebook system to capture notes and action items that pop up during the day. At the end of each day, I process my notes and add any outstanding action items to my list in Notion.
If you want to learn about Notion, check out their site here.
Your to-do list can be the backbone of your time management system. By taking a little time at the beginning and end of each day to prioritize your remaining work for the day, you’ll increase your productivity and reduce your stress level.
If you have comments or ideas to share, please leave them below.
Make it a great day!
