To-Do: Make a To-Do List

Do you use lists to stay organized? If not, maybe consider it. To-do lists can keep you on task and allow you to be more productive as well as successful.

According to Lousie Chunn, a to-do list is “a time-honored system that’s beautiful in its simplicity: work out what needs to be done and in what order, write down the tasks, do them, and then, one-by-one, cross them out.”

The Benefits of To-Do Lists

Ian Mckenzie discusses five advantages of a to-do list:

• Acts as a reminder

• Helps you prioritize

• Improves efficiency

• Tracks your progress

• Makes it easy to carry-over tasks

I know I forget things ALL the time. I’ll walk into a room and forget why I went in there, or I will get home from the grocery store and not have bought what I went there for… Embarrassing, I know. It happens to the best of us. Making a note of your purpose can serve as a reminder when you can’t recall.

By writing all the things you need to do down, you can see which are most important and do those first. In addition, if some are similar and can be done in one trip rather than two, you’ll get things done more efficiently which means more free time for you.

Once you're done with a task on a to-do list, you can check it off. To illustrate, every morning I take an allergy pill but sometimes I don’t remember if I have already taken it or not. If I were to note that taking my medicine was done, I wouldn’t have to worry about it later. And, if it is a big task, checking it off can give you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

If you don’t finish a task, just move it to the next day’s list. This will ensure you will eventually get it done instead of forgetting about it.

And to-do lists don’t have to just be a daily thing. You can have weekly, monthly, or yearly to-do lists too.

By approaching your days with a definitive purpose, you’ll make the most of your time. To-do lists can bring some type of order to your possibly disorganized and hectic life. This can help you stay sane and still feel somewhat in control over things.

I suggest you include personal time in a to-do list too like “take a breather,” “meet a friend for lunch,” “read that book,” etc. And no need to view your lists as an all-powerful kaiser who if you disobey you’ll suffer. Don’t sweat it if you stray a little, a to-do list is merely there as a guide.

Have as many to-do lists as you’d like--one for work, one for family and friends, and one for you.

Writing Effective Lists

Elementum money provides a few tips to make better to-do lists: mix it up, be specific, be realistic, have limited tasks, and go easy on yourself. I’ve already touched on mixing it up and going easy on yourself, but let’s dig deeper into those others.

Be specific enough in a to-do list so that you don’t wonder what you needed to do. For instance, instead of writing down “figure out the holidays,” write “book a hotel in Denver for the 23rd” or something along those lines.

Being realistic is also necessary. Write something you can achieve. Make sure you are writing down tasks rather than goals. A to-do list should help you achieve your goals. This goes hand-in-hand with having limited tasks. If you put too many things on your to-do list, you probably won’t be able to realistically achieve it all in a single day. So again, prioritize.

Jill Duffy says to make better to-do lists, be sure to choose the right app (or paper) for you. I like both sometimes. Most phones come equipped with some kind of place to note memos, reminders, or notes but there are also tons of other apps out there you can download. Personally, I’d rather carry in my phone and check that at the store than a piece of paper but to each their own.

She also agrees that you should put tasks on a to-do list, not goals and objectives. “Tasks are the actions you take to reach an objective,” she says.

Shana Lebowitz claims “not all lists are created equal” and she’s right. You might have 7 steps to cleaning the house, while someone else has three. It’s okay that they vary, what works for one person might be different from what works for another. The only thing that matters is whether it's effective and helpful. Just don’t get too complicated or you might stress out even more, this is where limiting the number of tasks can come in handy.

The Bottom Line

To-do lists are meant to make life simpler, if it just adds to your worries maybe step back and adjust your approach.

Not everyone needs a to-do list, but it can certainly provide you with some structure if your life is more or less disorganized.

So what’s on my to-do list? Number one: "make a to-do list."