How do I love To Do Lists? Let me count the ways, or at least jot down a quick a list of them! Is there a better feeling in the world than crossing off a list item? I’m hard-pressed to think of many, especially if one is determined and focused.
Certain tasks must be done every day, so why not write them down and cross them out as you do them? That way, you are already on your way toward increased productivity, as you get that adrenaline rush of having accomplished goals. This breeds the desire to do more, to achieve more, crossing off more items!
Set yourself realistic goals, and list them in “bite size” chunks.
Often, I find it better to tackle the items requiring the least time investment first, just to get them out of the way. Perhaps they are not the most important on your list, but one theory is that, by clearing away the easiest tasks first, your mind is less cluttered or distracted when it is time to get to the real “meaty” work at hand.
I have a To Do list every day at work that sits on the center of my desk.
I prepare it the previous afternoon. In fact, embarrassingly enough, writing the next day’s To Do list is actually on my To Do list. It’s complicated.
On my To Do list, I have 3 columns. The first contains the “quick, easy” stuff that must be done every day. The second has items that need to be worked on that day in particular, are time sensitive, and are important. The third column is populated by more “project-oriented” goals that will take longer to accomplish. I always get through the first 2 columns before proceeding to Column 3.
Once I get to that third column, I try to divide up these larger, more involved projects into parts. Some can often be delegated, upon giving it some thought. Often, those parts can migrate back to Column 2 to be accomplished sooner than tackling the entire beast all at once.
If Column 3 projects don’t seem to get accomplished, but things are going OK, maybe they aren’t that important after all. If they ARE important and are NOT being accomplished, perhaps you need to either take them home where it is quieter and you have fewer interruptions, or you need to clear some time on your work calendar to JUST DO IT!
Either way, it is a fact that measured goals (eg. written on a list to be crossed out) are more likely to be ACCOMPLISHED.
Message me and I will personally give you a free To Do List pad that we print in-house at Curry Printing!
“You will achieve grand dream, a day at a time, so set goals for each day / not long and difficult projects, but chores that will take you, step by step, toward your rainbow. Write them down, if you must, but limit your list so that you won’t have to drag today’s undone matters into tomorrow. Remember that you cannot build your pyramid in twenty-four hours. Be patient. Never allow your day to become so cluttered that you neglect your most important goal / to do the best you can, enjoy this day, and rest satisfied with what you have accomplished.” Og Mandino http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/list/2.html
