To Do Lists are a great way to keep track of all the different things you need to get done in your busy life. Committing your to dos to a list instead of trying to remember them all, is a proven way to reduce stress and overwhelm. Why does time management matter? This might help! Here are some ideas to help you get that list under control.
1. Master your to do list app
Do you know all the cool features your to do list app offers? Take the time to learn how these features work to save a lot of wasted time.
Does your app offer smart lists? A Today smart list shows all the tasks from your different lists that are due today – or are overdue.
Can you create different lists in your app so you can have lists that focus on one part of your life or one project?
Can you create recurring tasks so you don’t have to re-enter those tasks that you do every week?
Take advantage of these features – and others – to make your life easier!
2. Keep it simple
I swear by the KISS (Keep it Simple, Sugar) principle. You can create the most elaborate to do list system but, if it’s too time consuming and/or complicated, you just won’t bother. The voice of experience? Maybe.
Yes, your app needs to do the basics (and you have to learn how to make them work), but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Take the time to set up tasks properly and once that’s done, the rest should be simple.
3. Prioritize!
“Action expresses priorities.” Mahatma Gandhi
Knowing your priorities makes it easier to decide what needs to be done next – easier, not easy. What are your priorities? Do you know them? My basic, day-to-day priorities are family, home, business. I make sure anything to do with my family is taken care of first, no matter what else is on my plate.
Spend some time identifying your priorities and use them to organize your time. What’s important to you? Is there anything or anyone you’d drop everything to help if they needed you? What absolutely needs to get done?
Projects – business and home – have their own priorities. If you’re starting an online business the priorities may be website, content, social media. Again, you can use these priorities to decide which task needs your attention next.
4. Group like tasks
Instead of bouncing around doing a little here, a little there, try grouping your tasks by tools or location.
Are there tasks on your to do list that involve making phone calls? Why not sit down in a comfortable spot with pen, paper, tea or coffee, and knock all those calls off at once?
How about saving your shopping for one day a week? Do all your errands that day, too. Sure, there will still be days when you need to run to the store to grab milk or you absolutely have to get to the post office with that Amazon return, but you’ll save time and energy saving errands for “errand day”.
Have your glue gun out for a project? Why not check your list for other tasks that will need it?
My favourite is to set up meetings and lunches one day every couple of weeks. It means only one trip downtown and only getting dressed up once. What a relief when that day was over!
5. Leave space between tasks to breathe
Don’t crowd your day with tasks. Things rarely get done as quickly as you think they will. Leaving a buffer in between tasks takes the pressure off. You’ll be better prepared to tackle the next task with a little space to let your mind transition.
Another bonus? If – or maybe when is more appropriate – something unexpected comes up, you’ll have some time to deal with it without derailing your entire day.
Now, I understand the logic of this one but I rarely practice it. My day is a lot less stressful when I do, though!
6. Break it down
Use different lists for the different parts of your life. Home, family projects, business projects. Keep a list for each to avoid confusion. Don’t worry, your Today smart list will show you what needs to be done from each list every day.
I like to use separate lists so that, when I have time to devote to one project, I can see a focused list for it. That way not distracted by the laundry needs to be done while I’m trying to sort out website updates.
7. What can you get done in 10 minutes?
Throughout your day, you probably have little chunks of time that pop up randomly. Maybe you’re waiting for a call, maybe you’re waiting to be picked up, maybe you’re waiting to pick someone up. Maybe you’re making tea and waiting for the kettle to boil or you’re brewing coffee. These little bits of time are gold. If you have a plan for when these fall in to your lap, it’s amazing what you can get crossed off your list. Here are some ideas:
- Find that address for the card you need to mail
- If you’re in the kitchen:
- Clean out a shelf on the door of the fridge
- Go through the freezer and toss those tiny bits of leftover frozen veggies and that unidentifiable, badly freezer burnt meat
- Move the toaster and wipe the counter behind it (when was the last time you did that??)
- Grab 5 bottles of salad dressing out of the fridge – you can empty and rinse them next time you take a break
- Sort through the pile of paper on the counter and toss what you can in the recycle bin
- Start a grocery list
- Plan 3 meals
- Jot down some ideas for the business project you’re working on
- Check out a competitor’s website
- Gather the tools you need for your next task
8. Check your to do list every morning
Face your day head on, knowing what needs to get done. Don’t hide, don’t try to do it by memory, check that list! Who knows, maybe you’ll find something that can be checked off before you even start.
Having a plan in place or making a plan ahead of time can help your day run smoother.
Or maybe you’ll realize you’re just way overbooked and need to decide what you can realistically get done today then make a plan to get the other tasks done another day or delegate them (I hope you’re better at delegation than I am…).
9. Schedule a weekly planning session
Setting aside a time each week to review your to do list helps keep you on track and minimize the crazy.
You can decide your priorities for the week based on your list. Do your kids have lots of activities this week? Do they need to be your main focus with your business and home taking a back seat? Or maybe you have a big business deadline and you need to put all your energy in to that. Knowing this ahead of time lets you plan guilt-free instead of trying to keep all the balls in the air.
It also gives you a chance to be prepared for that meeting – and not just at the last minute. Talk about looking professional!
10. Single-task
“The shorter way to do many things is to only do one thing at a time.” – Mozart
Want to do a great job? Focus on one thing at a time. Choose the task you need to work on and do that task, only that task.
Okay, multi-tasking does have its place. Listening to a podcast while doing dishes, tagging and filing Evernote notes while watching television, making a shopping list while you eat supper. If one task is relatively mindless, multi-tasking works – but still not very well. You’ll miss parts of the podcast, some notes will disappear in to the big black hole, and you’ll likely forget things on your shopping list (which, in truth, you probably will anyways…). And… all those tasks will take longer.
Try single-tasking, you might just find it works to improve the quality of the task and reduce stress.
11. Learn the art of re-focus
Interruptions are inevitable. I’m sure your day is filled with them – unexpected phone calls, emails from a client needing help right now, kids needing… anything. You can’t stop these interruptions, but you can learn to bounce back to what you were doing as quickly possible. This is the art of re-focus.
You can learn to pick up a task where you left off quickly and easily. It takes practice and dedication, but it can be done. Hone your re-focusing skills and interruptions will be less annoying.
12. Let go of things you can’t control
If you can’t control it, it shouldn’t be on your list. Having something like “Create a product that goes viral” is stressful. You can’t control the “viral” part.
Stick to “Create an awesome product” and leave the rest to unfold as it will. Create it to the best of your ability, then let it go and focus on the next great thing.
Have a task on your list that needs to be done by someone else? Delete it. It belongs on their list – not yours. Unless it’s a reminder that you need to check in with them on the task – that can stay.
13. Set aside time to just dream
“I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think. So I do more reading and thinking, and make less impulse decisions than most people in business.” Warren Buffet
We sometimes get so wrapped up in the day-to-day tasks on our to do lists, we forget about the big dreams. The why’s of why we work so hard. Make a date with yourself to think about your future. Think about what could be. Not what you can manage right now, something big. Something that makes your heart smile. Checking in with your dreams regularly helps keep you motivated.
14. When all else fails, reboot your to do list
Have you gotten so far behind that nothing on your to do list makes sense? Do you have recurring tasks with “Due Last Month” in bright red letters beneath them? Don’t panic! There is hope.
Reboot your to do list. Go to the All Tasks list (or whatever the equivalent is in your app) and start at the top. I know it’s a little daunting when you have 227 tasks but you can do it. Decide, first of all, if that task is still important. If it’s not, delete it! If it does still need to be done, pick a new due date for it – but not today. The idea is to clear your Today list so you can breathe. Carry on until all tasks are rescheduled or deleted, breathe a sigh of relief, and know that you’re back in control.
Another reboot method is to try a new to do list app! Start again with a clean slate. Setting everything up fresh can be a great way to get organized again.
Putting the time in to mastering your to do list is well worth the effort. You gain a sense of pride and accomplishment plus your worry over missing important tasks disappears (or at least fades…). Try it, even with just one area of your life or one project, and see if it doesn’t make a positive difference.
Happy listing!
Need help setting up a system that works for you? Check out our upcoming course – Taming Your To Do List!
Check out some of our other posts: