Ways to Make Your To Do Lists More Effective
If your daily to do list is looking a little ragged around the edges it may be time for an upgrade. I know I am in trouble when one to do list forms the core for the next one, and the first one has been hardly touched.
Everybody has little tricks for getting back on track but Care2 has some good tips. They suggest we relinquish a little control and delegate routine tasks giving us time to do everything else.
Delegating tasks is difficult for me, but when I do I am amazed how much better everything flows. Normal low key tasks that do not demand your complete focus really could happen quickly if you hand them off. Then you have time and energy to focus on the ones that really need your attention.
They also suggest we figure out what we really want.
Figuring out what we really want and need may be the key way to make our to do lists really work. When you start focusing on your real wishes and thoughts, a lot of the unimportant stuff just drops away.
Our to do lists sometimes tend to be ‘should do’ lists like this: Shop for fresh produce. Prep for the afternoon meeting. Set up new exercise times that actually work. Meet with clients to review better strategies. Some of these things actually have to happen and will. But looking deeper at what’s behind them could be even better.
Client strategy discussions will happen, but maybe we really feel we need to get to know the client better in order to help shape his campaigns. Fresh produce and new gym schedules may actually happen, but we may really need to know what the best time is to exercise, and what would make that fresh produce more appealing. Flipping back and forth through your to do lists might show you what you really want and even suggest good ways to make it happen.
A tip from The Artist’s Way could help too. Start each morning with a write everything down mind dump that gets it off your mind and onto paper. If you are the type who wakes up worrying this can lower the stress levels a little and reassure you that you have not missed anything. From there you can pull out a few key reminders and move ahead with your day. I know a few people who do these mind dumps whenever they come up, late in the afternoon or right before bed.
Making your to do list more effective could take a few trys, but will definitely be worth the effort.