Everyone has a to-do list. But not all of us have effective to-dos, and we often make the same mistakes in our lists which lead us to procrastinate or leave items unchecked for too long, wasting time and energy. Let’s explore how to write an effective to-do list that will help you stay organized and on top of your workload!
Why is it important to keep a to-do list?
In today’s fast-paced world, it can be difficult to keep track of what you have on your plate. In addition to the many work and personal tasks we take on every day, there are also those daily “must-do’s”- eating healthy, exercising, taking a quick online course for a new skill set. Having a list of daily tasks can help you prioritize items and focus on what is most important.
I have found that using a to-do list has made it much easier to complete all my tasks for the day, week, and month, and thus has alleviated so much stress in my life. Not to mention, productivity in my business has increased.
What are some common mistakes people make when writing to-do lists?
Just because we keep a to-do list doesn’t mean we have lists that will effectively allow us to get everything we need to be completed. Here are a few common mistakes people often make when writing a to-do list:
- People often don’t plan for enough time to do all the tasks on their list. This is especially important if you have a deadline – it’s easy to miss when something is due when you haven’t written it down.
- Not staying on top of your to-do list can also be problematic, whether that means letting major items fall by the wayside, or becoming preoccupied with other things and forgetting less important items.
- Another common mistake people make is feeling like they can do everything on their to-do list at any time, resulting in procrastinating over smaller jobs that can be done right away.
How to prioritize your to-do list
1. Try creating a daily plan of what has the highest priority that day. You can do this by grouping tasks into different lists, or just having one to-do list for that day.
2. Prioritize your list based on deadlines – the tasks with the closest deadline are first in line all the way to those with the farthest deadline.
How to break down tasks
1. Break large jobs up into small steps, for example starting a new project at work might include searching for new designs, contacting clients, and coming up with a timeline.
2. Another method is to make “if-then” statements – you can turn those huge jobs into much smaller tasks by asking yourself “If” such and such happens, then what? If I meet my deadline, then next month I can work on this other big job.
How to get everything done on time
1. Set deadlines for yourself, and try to stick with them! It’s okay if you don’t finish everything in one day you can always pick up where you left off tomorrow, or the next day even. But being too ambitious might lead to missing your deadline altogether.
2. Try scheduling out your to-do list. This way you can get a more accurate idea of how long it will take you to complete everything, and what days certain tasks fall on.
3. Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself! It’s not always possible to finish everything on time, so just do your best and move on to the next task the next day.
Best Apps for To-Do Lists
If you find that using a paper to-do list is not as effective for you, try using an app to help you stay organized. Here is a list of some great apps for to-do lists.
1. TickTick– TickTick is an online task manager that lets you create multiple project lists. TickTick also allows you to prioritize tasks and easily share lists.
2. Any.do– Anydo works as an app on your Android or iOS device, or as a Chrome Extension through the website. It’s similar to other to-do list apps, but the Any.do team has been recognized for innovation in task management.
3. Todoist- This is a great online tool that allows you to create projects and add tasks within a deadline. You can set recurring reminders for different days of the week, and share lists.
4. Habitaca– Habitica lets you create a to-do list that combines the benefits of both productivity and gamification. You can earn points by completing tasks on your list, which you can use to buy items for your avatar, as well as other incentives.
5. Things– This app is available for both Mac and iOS devices, and it stands out because your tasks can be combined together into projects. You can create to-do lists with headings to make it easy to organize your needs.
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Having an effective to-do list is important to stay organized and productive, so hopefully, this guide gave you some ideas of how to approach it. Thanks for reading! Happy Planning!