This is a guest post by Ivan Walsh, he has more than twenty years of experience in programming, technical writing and process designing. In this post he brings an interesting and practical insight on how one can manage that dreaded To-Do list.
Want to make sure that everything on your To Do list gets done? This article is for you! I'm going to show you how to change the way you approach your To Do list and make sure that every task gets finished. It’s so easy, you’ll kick yourself.
The Problem with To Do Lists
…is that they don’t account for the effort you need to accomplish each task AND they don’t factor in changes or interruptions to your schedule.
When these happen you're forced you to juggle your lists and move items from list 1 to list 2... which defeats the purpose of keeping a list.
Instead of completing tasks, you find yourself moving them from one page to the next.
What you thought you’d get finished on Monday is still there on Friday. A bit demoralizing, right?
An Alternative To Do Strategy
Here’s another way to looking at your To Do list.
Use your Calendar – not your list – to determine what gets done.
Instead of using the lists to drive your schedule, flip it around and schedule tasks instead.
Let’s see how it works.
On Monday:
Identify the #1 task you need to do.
Schedule it, allocate sufficient time (be realistic!) and leave some contingency for interruptions etc.
Identify the #2 task you need to do.
Schedule it, allocate sufficient time etc...
Identify the #3 task you need to do.
Schedule it, allocate sufficient time etc...
Do this for the whole week.
Then delete these tasks from your master To Do list (i.e. the list you write down on your notepad) and then schedule the less important tasks.
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Schedule the less important tasks a little further out... but make sure to give them a date.
The aim is to shift them from your list and into your schedule. Repeat will all tasks until everything is scheduled in your calendar and your To Do list is empty.
Reality Check
Of course, other things will arise during the day so capture these in your To Do list AND then schedule them when you have time.
Since you won't get everything on your list done, you could be tempted to cram more items into your calendar. Try to avoid this and accept the fact that you may NEVER get everything done.
This isn’t as bad as it sounds. Why?
Because many of the items on your To Do list become less unimportant, redundant, or unnecessary with the passing of time.
“But you said...”
I did. To get EVERYTHING off my To Do list, I schedule them way out... 6 months, if necessary.
This means I’m released from the tyranny of watching my To Do list, get the mental break I need, and don’t waste energy remembering which tasks need doing.
Everything is scheduled.
Do you see the difference?
Does this work?
Yes, because you're moving ‘static’ tasks into actionable items. Once they’re in your calendar, they’re one step closer to completion.
Closing the To Do Loop
There is one last tip I’d like to share. After I've completed a task, say phone the school to confirm vacation dates, I add this to my ‘Waiting List’.
When you're waiting for someone to get back to you, what do you do?
Most of us file it in our brain and pray/hope that the person gets back to us before we forget it. This is very stressful and leads to lots of arguments.
‘I thought you were doing that?’ ‘I was and I was going to call them and...’
Instead of struggling to remember all this information, get it down on your ‘Waiting List’. Put down a date for the expected reply. If you don’t get it by then, call them back.
Conclusion
That’s how it works for me. Using my calendar this way ensures that nothing stays on my list for more than a few days. It also allows me to relax knowing that I've started on what matters and hit the ground running every day.
How about you? What’s the best way you manage your To Do list?
About the Author: Ivan Walsh is the editor of Business Synchronicity, a business blog that focuses on marketing strategies for startups. More great ideas at http://www.ivanwalsh.com/. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter.
Thanks Folks,
That's what works for me. It's all about getting to the finishing line as fast as possible :)
Ivan
My favorite is Licorize.com, it's very organized and I can schedule the things to do and also link them to things I want to remember, and I don't have to worry about losing the paper! Also I like that I can add things to the list using my phone to send a simple text message to twitter. Super easy.