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We all feel like that sometimes – maybe most of the time. When there’s a whole bunch of different commitments and responsibilities pressing on is, it’s easy to freeze up and do nothing at all.
That’s why you need a to-do list and more importantly perhaps, you have to execute on it. Listing things simply to clear your mind isn't good enough. It is however a start so let's begin there.
It helps you:
- Beat overwhelm – it’s easier to get a grip when you can see what you really need to do, in black and white
- Remember everything – you can get all those little things off your mind and onto paper, so that you don’t forget anything crucial
- Stay on track – so that you don’t end up wasting time doing the wrong things
So, here’s how to create a to-do list that will actually work for you.
- Write Down Everything That’s On Your Mind
You’ve probably got a whole bunch of stuff in your head right now: tasks to do, projects to complete, things you need to buy, phone calls to make, and so on.
Grab a piece of paper or fire up an app, and write it all down. This might take 10-15 minutes and you may end up with a horribly long list. Don’t worry – we’re not going to tackle it all! - Find the Important Tasks
Look through your list and highlight anything that’s important. That might be mission-critical tasks at work, promises that you’ve made at home, or anything that’s going to cause you a lot of inconvenience if it doesn’t get done (like paying your bills).
It’s up to you to decide what counts as “important” – it’s not just about work tasks. If you’d really love to start a blog, take a pottery class or go skydiving, those can go on your important list too. - Find the Urgent Tasks
Go through your list again, ideally with a different colored highlighter. This time, pick out anything that’s urgent. These might not be especially important tasks – but they need to be completed within the next few days.
Urgent tasks might be taking back your library books, making a phone call, sending out an email, or similar. Again, it’s up to you to decide what counts as urgent – you might want to focus on tasks for the next day or for the next week. - Pick Two Important Tasks
Now, look at your important tasks. Choose:- One small task to do today (like “finish that report and send it to the boss”)
- One medium-sized task to do some time this week (like “write the first chapter of my novel”)
- Add in Urgent Tasks
Hopefully, you won’t have too many urgent tasks ... but even if you feel overwhelmed by them, it’s still a good idea to get your important tasks in place first. (That way, you avoid building up a backlog of tasks that keeps you chasing urgent things rather than important ones.)
If you can, ditch any urgent-but-unimportant tasks, or get someone else to give you a hand to get through them.
Again, make sure that you break the items down into specific actions (especially if you’re going to be delegating). - Make a To-Do List Every Morning
Now that you’ve got a big list of tasks, it’s easy to look through each morning and decide what needs to be done. Every day, pick one – three important tasks, and make these a real priority. Jot down any urgent tasks too, so that you don’t forget them.
Your to-do list is a powerful tool to help you avoid procrastination: if you have a clearly-defined list of tasks, it’s easy to work through them.
