Three reasons why your to-do list is not working.
Posted on May 02, 2019 by Tamara Rock, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
There has been a lot of debate over the importance of the to-do list. Some refer to it as the graveyard for tasks.
“ The only thing more important than your to-do list is your to-be list…” Alan Cohen
There has been a lot of debate over the importance of the to-do list. Some refer to it as the graveyard for tasks. Others complain that the to-do list actually causes more stress. Because of poor to-do list-making practices this essential task-scheduling tool sometimes doesn’t get the credit it deserves. When done correctly the to-do list has several benefits. It helps to set the game plan for the day. It helps us to stay focused and to stay on track. There is even scientific evidence that proves that it reduces the burden on the brain. One of the findings is called the ‘Zeigarnik effect’ named after a well-known Russian psychologist. He studied a group of waiters and observed that they could only remember the details of orders before these orders had been served. Once completed. These details disappeared from their memory. Writing them down clearly reduced the burden on their minds.
So what is causing your to do list to fail? Here are 3 things you may be doing wrong.
1. Failure to time tasks.
Do you know how long it takes for you to get the stuff on your list completed? For example do you know how long it takes you to compose and send an email? I always thought that it took me 2 minutes. After timing myself a few times I discovered that I usually take anywhere from 5 to 7 minutes. Knowing how long specific tasks take is an important time management skill. Without it you can easily overload your list. But before you run off and start setting a time limit on each task you need to first time yourself performing them. This avoids under estimating. The goal is to make your list as realistic as possible.
2. This takes us to our second reason for failure. Too many items on the list. Studies show that 41% of the average to-do list remain undone. Some persons have things on their list that have been there for years! And they continue adding items throughout the day. Once you’ve timed your tasks, based on these times you need to plan the appropriate number of items that can realistically be done in that day. That might mean delaying or completely eliminating some of the items on your list. How do you make these decisions? By determining the priority of the tasks before you. Place the item that is most urgent to the top of the list. Followed by the one that has the greatest consequence and so on. With your tasks timed you will have a more accurate assessment of what can reasonably be done in a day.
3. And lastly; failure to plan ahead. Lists are better done before you actually begin to work. One of the best times is at the end of the workday. Just five minutes of planning can save you up to 2 hours of wasted time the following day. When planning take into consideration the inevitable interruptions and distractions that you face on any given day and factor these into list. Therefore allowing you a couple extra minutes to complete any given task.
With these three tips you can transform your failing to-do list into a really helpful companion that can help to reduce stress and increase your efficiency. Can you think of any other methods that can help to improve your to-list?
