Crafting To-Do Lists
Calendars establish your schedule, but to make the best use of that time, you’ll need to rely on a specialized tool: a set of to-do lists.
To-do lists have three functions. First, they’re goal-setting engines that break down a goal and place each step onto the revolving belt of daily life. Second, to-do lists act as an extra lobe of the brain; they supplement your memory by recording all the small stuff you hope to accomplish. Finally, to-do lists track progress; they record your achievements and help you identify breakdowns in movement toward a goal.
Most of all, using to-do lists brings stress relief! Offloading to the to-do list the job of deciding what to do each day lets you take a deep breath and get to work.
To make effective use of to-do lists, start and keep a master to-do list, a running list to record everything from broad goals to one-off minutia. From the master to-do list, you’ll generate daily to-do lists to guide each day’s activities and ensure that items don’t drop off your radar if left undone.
The Master To-Do List
Think of the master to-do list as a dumping zone—and a collection bucket for personal goals. It’s the place where you write down all the little must-do, should-do, want-to-do ideas that cross your mind, along with the big “someday, I’d like to…” goals that lie close to your heart. By relocating these entries from your thoughts onto paper, you’ll be ready for the next step: prioritizing them and putting them into action.
In its format, the master to-do list can be as simple as a few sheets of lined paper or as complex as a dedicated goal-management computer program.
To begin a master to-do list, take a few minutes to write down everything—and I do mean everything—that’s weighing on your mind at the moment. On your list, you’ll see a mix of entries, ranging from broad goals to one-time reminders, such as these:
• I want to learn Spanish.
• I’ve got to do something about my hair!
• Call the vet to check on Duff’s blood work.
• Start planning our summer vacation.
• I need to finish replanting the new flowerbed.
Scribble them down quickly, without regard to order. The important step is to move them from mind to paper. Shifting these items from mind to list stops them from buzzing aimlessly around in your head and gives you a platform for beginning to deal with them.
To build the master to-do list, add entries as they occur to you, or tackle the list during regular planning sessions. The important thing is to generate the list: it’s your springboard to action.
The Daily To-Do List
The master to-do list provides raw material for the next step: assigning tasks to a daily to-do list. A running list of things we need to do, the daily to-do list focuses attention on the day ahead and sees to it that we get the job done.
Many people use a free-form list of daily tasks, but most of us will benefit from dividing the daily to-do list into broad action categories. For ease of use, consider subdividing your list into sections like these: To Go, To Do, To Buy, To Call, Follow Up, Decide, and Delegate.
At its simplest, the daily to-do list is just that: a list of things we need to accomplish that day. A daily to-do list keeps us from crashing around in an unproductive fog by keeping us focused on the work of the day.
To create each day’s to-do list, check the preceding day’s list for unfinished tasks and add them to the current one. Next, review the master to-do list and assign one or more items to the current day’s agenda.
Reward yourself by crossing items off your list as soon as you complete them. Seeing a visible reminder of your progress creates a sense of accomplishment.
Making and using to-do lists goes a long way toward getting a grip on mundane chores, but what do you do about entries like “I want to learn Spanish”? You supercharge the to-do list productivity tools by using them to break down broad goals into smaller steps and bringing those steps to action.
You start with the master to-do list, looking for entries that represent goals, not chores. Assign each larger goal a fresh section further down the list, with space to break down the goal into manageable steps.
To plan a vacation, you’ll need to set a budget, research locations, check in with family members, arrange time off, and make reservations, so list each of these steps. Since they’re sequential (you can’t make reservations until you decide where and when to go), add suggested completion dates to your list. By breaking the job into smaller steps, you’re ready to feed it to the daily to-do list, one action at a time.
Broader goals, such as learning to speak Spanish, may require you to break down the project two or more times before you can separate out individual action steps. Known as “chunking,” this process subdivides a large goal into manageable chunks of related actions, making it easier to convert the goal to specific, listable actions.
Finally, use your master to-do list to set priorities for competing projects. While a visit to Spain (and speaking the lingo like a native) is a long-cherished dream, it may need to take a back seat to other goals, such as completing the training you need to apply for a promotion. Even if it’s not at the top of your priorities, your master to-do list will safeguard those “someday” goals until it’s their time to shine.