Are you juggling a lot of deadlines that you are afraid you will fail to meet? Are you overwhelmed with numerous chores which need to be done and you constantly fear you won’t be able to get them done? Do you often awake at night and anguish over all the duties that you have to accomplish in the coming hours?
A to-do list can give you peace of mind and help you enjoy your daily life. You will rest assured that you will not forget anything and that you will complete projects on time and in good order.
Simply put, to-do lists, or task lists as they’re sometimes called, prioritize the duties and chores you have to do. If you aren’t using them, or if you constantly feel like you are running behind, you need to consider starting to use them as a wonderful time management tool what will give you peace of mind.
There are different methods that busy people use to organize themselves with to-do lists. One is to randomly write down all the chores and duties you want to get done in a day and then look discerningly at them to pick the two or three most important. Mark them with a highlighter or number them 1, 2, and 3 and then concentrate on getting those tasks done that day.
Another method that professionals utilize is to itemize the day. For instance, you might eat your breakfast, commute to the office or get the kids off to school if you are working from home, spend two hours on your biggest project A, return phone calls that you have allowed to go to voice mail, have lunch, finish project A. Start project B, keep appointment, finish project B. Start and complete project C. Stay focussed on these items, and don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked.
At the end of the day, look at the other projects that remain on your list and decide the three most important for the next day. If you organize everything in advance, you will sleep well, comfortable with the knowledge that you have noted everything that needs to get done, and feeling in control, and feeling content and satisfied with those that got done that day.
If you are faced with a large project, be sure to break it down into small tasks and dedicate a selected time slot every day so it is progressing nicely. Facing the whole task can be intimidating but smaller increments can make it manageable. For example, say you are a writer and have been asked to write a book. Rather than being overwhelmed with the task, make a list of what needs to be done in detail: make an outline, research, write chapter one, writer chapter two, etc. Give yourself a reasonable time limit for each portion and be sure to include time for other daily duties you must do. While you want to remain focussed, you must also ensure you communicate with your family, eat properly, and take an afternoon or even a day off sometimes for your own emotional and physical well-being.
When you first start writing your to-do lists, you will have a tendency to make everything a priority. Look closely at your tasks, and ask yourself if each one is urgent, important or essential. If you have too many urgent priorities, you will have to look at getting some deadlines extended or handed off to a colleague. Or maybe you will figure some don’t really need to get done at all, and you will instead prefer to focus on those that really matter. Be sure to use to-do lists in your personal life too, to ensure you save time for family and friends.
If you work on your computer a lot, you may want to leave a document open on your desktop for each project you are working on. At the top of each document, you can write down the steps you will be taking to complete each one. Then designate time each day to work on one or two, depending on the complexity and time line for its completion. Many e-mail programs today also have a task list or you can use the calendar to schedule your project time, planning out your day half-hour by half-hour if needed, to accommodate other appointments and meetings. There is to-do list software that allows you to give yourself points for time spent on writing or completing a task. Be sure to utilize the reminder function of your program which will pop up on your screen, urging you to take a break, move on to another project, or leave for an appointment.
Now you have a plan that will allow you to tackle the important and urgent problems you face and you won’t be wasting time on trivial issues or chores. And the satisfaction you receive when crossing off each item as it’s completed is amazing. You will be proud of the ever-increasing body of work that you have accomplished and enjoy great peace of mind in knowing that you have everything under control. And you’ll be motivated to strive for goals you have been wanting to reach, knowing you can manage your time successfully and complete them, bringing happiness, confidence and peace into your life.
