At a recent productivity workshop, I was telling everyone that the root of any good productivity system comes down to the simple To Do List. Based on the reaction from the audience, I almost felt like I had to run for cover.
“To Do Lists don’t work for me!”
“I’ve tried them in the past but I give up.”
“They take too long to maintain.”
“I’m rather just focus on getting the work done.”
But I held strong, and invited the participants to reconsider.
In Search of a Reliable System
We deal with countless tasks. It can be hard – even impossible – to keep them all straight. So we tend to do all sorts of things to remind ourselves of our tasks:
We pile
We keep emails in our inbox
We use sticky notes
We run through things in our head over and over again
We make lists, and more lists
We stack piles on top of piles
Are you nodding your head yet?
Chaos
All of these things add up to a chaotic environment:
Important things get buried under stacks of paper.
We forget things.
Deadlines pass.
Work piles up.
We end up jumping from one urgent task to the next.
Are you nodding your head again?
The To Do List Saves the Day
A To Do list is almost magical in its ability to corral the chaos. It reminds us of key deadlines, lets us feel confident to put things away and allows us to stay focused on our current task – without worrying that we are forgetting something.
Which System Should You Use?
There are many different options. Generally, I prefer electronic lists that you print out and keep handy. (Hand-written lists have to be re-written which is redundant).
How to Create the Perfect To Do List
The To Do List Backlash
At a recent productivity workshop, I was telling everyone that the root of any good productivity system comes down to the simple To Do List. Based on the reaction from the audience, I almost felt like I had to run for cover.
“To Do Lists don’t work for me!”
“I’ve tried them in the past but I give up.”
“They take too long to maintain.”
“I’m rather just focus on getting the work done.”
But I held strong, and invited the participants to reconsider.
In Search of a Reliable System
We deal with countless tasks. It can be hard – even impossible – to keep them all straight. So we tend to do all sorts of things to remind ourselves of our tasks:
Are you nodding your head yet?
Chaos
All of these things add up to a chaotic environment:
Are you nodding your head again?
The To Do List Saves the Day
A To Do list is almost magical in its ability to corral the chaos. It reminds us of key deadlines, lets us feel confident to put things away and allows us to stay focused on our current task – without worrying that we are forgetting something.
Which System Should You Use?
There are many different options. Generally, I prefer electronic lists that you print out and keep handy. (Hand-written lists have to be re-written which is redundant).
Click here to download free To Do list
templates in Word, PowerPoint and Excel
3 Things
Regardless of what your To Do list looks like, it should do three things:
1) Capture 100% of your tasks and their deadline
2) Keep all of your tasks in one central location
3) Categorize by type of work (e.g., Clients; Team; Admin.)
The most important thing is to choose one system that works for you.
Get rid of your sticky notes, your piles and your inbox.
Stay Tuned
In my next blog I’ll talk about prioritizing within categories.
Download free productivity templates.