Three Tips for Developing a Great To-Do List
Most jobs require us to multi-task in one form or another, which is why working on our day-to-day tasks requires a lot of careful planning and organization if want to execute our projects and tasks efficiently and successfully.
That’s where the all mighty to-do list comes in. Now that you know why they are so important, here are three tips on how you can go about making your to-do lists a success. Take a look below:
Write a list the night before.
Try to make it a habit to write your to-do list the night before. Doing so will help you start your day much faster since you’ll have a better idea of what needs to be done first. And don’t worry: nothing is set in stone, so you don’t need to panic if something comes up and you need to move your list around the following day. In fact, as we mentioned in our other post, having the list will help you better visualize your day and allow you to move things around much easier than if you were to go just off the cuff.
Have multiple lists.
Having multiple to-do lists is another great way to organize your day-to-day tasks, especially when it comes to working on daily tasks/short term-projects and long-term goals. Just don’t go overboard and write too many lists, or you may end up getting a little disoriented and wasting your time trying to put the pieces of your day back together.
Organize by importance.
This one is pretty straightforward, but it bears mentioning since it is essential to a good to-do list. Try to organize your to-do list in terms of what is most important in your day. Try factoring in what is most important about each task, such as the due date, if it requires a little extra time or is more mentally taxing than other tasks on your list.
Doing so can help make a whole world of difference when it comes to tackling your list, since, as Harvard Business Review contributor Ron Friedman points out, “we have less willpower as the day progresses, which is why it’s best to tackle challenging items–particularly those requiring focus and mental agility–early on.”
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photo credit: Daniel Kulinski via photopin cc
