Your TO DO list can act as a depressing reminder of all the things you haven't done!
1. The first fatal flaw of the TO DO list is that it is potentially endless!
You can keep adding more and more tasks until you lose sight of the end, and your senses!
When we start a fresh TO DO list, we're full of optimism. We visualise executing each task with efficiency and ticking them off with smug satisfaction. In practice, however, that is not how it happens. The list gets longer, the ticks get scarcer, and we get stressed! Why?
2. We write down all the tasks we want to START, but we haven't thought ahead to how we're actually going to FINISH them!
Think about it. The tasks that are 'easy' to complete are easy to quantify. For example, 'Pay the electricity bill', or 'Book an appointment with the hairdresser'. They require a simple set of predetermined set of steps to complete. Tasks like that get lots of ticks very quickly, and we feel good.
Arguably, those are the only types of tasks that should be on our TO DO list. You've heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals. Well, now you've heard of S.M.A.R.T. TO DO's! If something can be broken down into component parts, break it down and put them on your TO DO list.
3. A list of Tasks can very quickly become a list of Projects!
This point relates to the previous one. If you do have a series of big tasks or projects that you are working on, break them down into S.M.A.R.T. chunks. This is especially useful if they are work-related.
Let's say that your boss at has dropped the mother-load of work on your desk and said, "Can you get this done by Friday?" And it's already Wednesday... Don't panic! You could just get stuck in, but how can you measure your progress? If you add the project titles to your TO DO list, you could go a whole day before you tick one of them as complete. Life's too short for that kind of stress!
A project is a set of tasks.
Before you dive in head-first, go through the project and get to grips with what needs to be done. List the tasks and let the ticks roll in! Doing this will also give you a better idea of how long the whole project is likely to take. That way, you can either comfortably get the work done ahead of schedule, or you can manage your boss's expectations.
4. We use TO DO lists as a way of putting things off.
If you look at your TO DO list now, you'll see lots of things on there that you could actually put in your schedule / diary and do them at a set time. Instead, they become 'aspirational' items. For example, 'Write my Christmas cards' could become something that you put off until the very last minute if you don't schedule a set time to get them done!
Put it in your diary and do it at the right time!
You could decide that you are going to write five Christmas cards every evening this week at 7pm. That's great! It's S.M.A.R.T. Put it in your diary. I use the calendar on my phone and that way I don't need to think about it. The reminder pops up a few minutes before the time, so I can finish what I'm doing and then tackle the new task.
So, what should a TO DO list be?
Essentially a great TO DO list will be a list of desired OUTCOMES and it will be S.M.A.R.T. Anything else has no place on there. Don't stress yourself out!
So, think carefully before you add stuff to your TO DO list!
4 Reasons Why You Should Scrap Your TO DO Lists & Get Stuff Done! https://t.co/NfllnuXA0J #TimeManagement #ToDoList pic.twitter.com/pftEHhg5OT
— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) December 4, 2015
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