Tackling the To-Do List

Here’s one of my most important, yet often forgotten-about, tips for nearly any job, especially an office one: start every single day with a to-do list.

I never realized what a huge difference having a simple list can make until I put it into practice myself. I immediately found myself forgetting fewer things, staying more organized, and even finishing my tasks faster. Now, I recommend this strategy to everyone I place on jobs.

As with anything, there will always be caveats to how efficiently it works. If your list gets too long, which has happened to me many times, it can be overwhelming and hard to decipher where to start. In her article here, Mimi Bishop offers some insight into how to embrace your to-do list, instead of fear it.

• Task vs. Project: A task is usually a relatively simple, one-step activity, while a project usually involves lots of different tasks within itself. Adding an entire project to your to-do list is unrealistic, and you probably need a separate to-do list for that project itself.
• Planning ahead: Are your mornings or afternoons slower? Make that determination and plan accordingly. If your mornings are typically filled with meetings or otherwise, it would make sense to plan a big chunk of your tasks for the afternoon. Having the list of things to accomplish in front of you will help you plan your day better.
• Don’t overthink it: When I first started having a to-do list at work, I would spend too much time trying to organize it in order or priority, time to complete, and other factors. Remember that it doesn’t need to look perfect, and that you can keep track of these factors simply by jotting some quick notes down by each bullet point.

And with that, happy listing! I’m confident that this process will help lower stress at work and help you achieve more throughout your day.

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