Let’s be honest, how long is your to-do list?
Is it hard to tell because you have lists of items jotted down on different scraps of paper?
Are you not sure because you have more than one list to keep track of?
Or, you can’t be certain because your list seems to grow faster than it declines?
Either way, you have a brain facing gridlock with a daunting list of things to-do. Yes, you got them out of your head and into a daily planner or digital app. But now, you’re face-to-face with a list you have to do something about.
Where Do You Begin?
It natural to break the gridlock by going for the easy things first. You get a quick sense of accomplishment as your brain bathes in its own dopamine reward.
You may feel proud of yourself. But, you’re still stuck with a list of important items not getting your attention.
A priority to-do list breaks the gridlock by reducing the number of items in the order of their importance.
What you move to the top of the list is the most important thing you need to accomplish (goal, want or desire). Lesser items cease to be as important. They may be delegated, moved way down the list, or even eliminated.
A Priority To-Do List Takes Time
It might be easy to argue that you don’t have time to prioritize your to-do list. “After all, look at the size of my list and how much time it’s going to take before I can cross them off!”
If you ever want to be able to optimize your productivity, then making time to prioritize your to-do list is a must.
A priority to-do list comes with benefits. Click To Tweet
And, not- so surprisingly there are lots of benefits that will make it worth your time.
The Benefits of a Priority To-Do List (3 Levels)
Basic Benefits:
- Reduces stress, overwhelm, unnecessary frustration and anxiety
- Provides faster results because of focused attention
- Makes planning more efficient and effective
- Improves time management
- Enhances organizing and prioritizing skills
- Offers freedom and flexibility in scheduling
- Frees up more personal time
Important Benefits:
- Increases success by making objectives and goals more attainable
- Gives an overview of where to focus attention first
- Helps to decide what’s important and keeps your focus on it.
- Creates meaningful progress for yourself
- Allows you to design a balance between life and work
- Removes excuses for avoidance or procrastination
- Makes managing expectations and changes easier
- Give greater control over your day’s activities
- Improves your ability to accomplish goals
Big Take Away Benefits:
- Indicates which things are within your power to accomplish
- Provides a means for enhancing outcomes and success
- Improves professional abilities
- Clearly, identifies –
- the work that needs to be done
- key areas that will produce the best results
- in what order to proceed
- what’s important vs. what’s urgent
Finally, the ultimate benefit is from Brian Tracy — it’s the best return investment on your mental, physical and emotional energy.
Take-a-way: A long list of to-do items doesn’t have to put your brain into gridlock. Taking time to make the important ones your priority shortens your list, makes you more productive and offsets your time with great benefits.
How about it? Is what’s at the top of your to-do-list a priority?
Sources: There are many excellent sources to learn more about prioritizing your to-do list. Here are a few I found to be very helpful.
http://www.briantracy.com/blog/time-management/organizational-skills-to-do-list-prioritize-tasks/
http://www.realmenrealstyle.com/how-to-prioritize/
http://www.wittenberg.edu/sites/default/files/u7/howtoprioritize.pdf
http://www.trubyachievements.com/business/time_management/prioritize.html
http://www.time-management-success.com/how-to-prioritize-work.html
http://www.smead.com/Director.aspx?NodeId=2127
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Lovely post keep share with us
I feel a bit different about to-do-list. Just the word makes me feel overwhelmed. I stick to 3 things during the day and get them done.
It’s whatever works best for you, Webly. It can be rather intimidating to start writing down everything. It also can have the reverse effect of immobilizing any action. It comes down to knowing yourself and if you feel that what you are focusing on is getting you to where you need to be.
Aside from what Brian Tracy said, I think, it also benefits the spiritual aspect. Once you have completed all those tasks, it also frees up your time to enjoy doing your spiritual stuff that sometimes gets into the back burner.
Agree, Lorii. The spiritual aspect of our lives is as important as everything else that we do. Being organized shouldn’t mean that we fill up all our free time with the stuff on our to-do list. There comes a time to prune the list down to what’s really essential so we do have the time to enjoy life. We all need our downtime.
I wish I could master the priority list as good as you do. Mine is a mess, and I am sometimes caught up with so much on my plate. This is helpful.
Apolline, it’s a process that takes time. Start small and find the one thing that you need to focus on and plan the other things around it. Once you find that you are beginning to have a handle on things, the organizing will become easier for you.
I love making lists. They really do help me get things done. Sometimes they simply help me keep track of the simple things I need to make sure I don’t forget about, but like you said, some of them require prioritization. My lists probably look a bit like that. I typically end up reorganizing my lists with the most important things at the top after I’ve made them.
You’ve got half the battle won Jennifer by already being good at making lists. It frees your brain up for more important thinking and you get to exercise your organization skills when you reorganize your list. A win-win all the way-round.
Joan,
This is a great article and I loved the list . This is a great list of ways to way and helps and good to lists.
Lori English
Lori, glad to hear this resonates with you. Some people are born list makers and others hate it. It really comes down to finding a system that makes you feel that you are being productive and getting accomplishing what you want.
Do not really do to-do lists, but a priority list would be good…
Katrina, I’ll be writing more about priorities which you might find interesting.
I have taken to making a written to-do list each week and generally only put the ‘pressing’ things on it. I’ve relied for a long time on my memory and agree with you Joyce, that having something written and able to refer to, takes away some of the stress and it also feels lovely to cross out the things once they have been finished! Thanks, as always, for you spot on tips!
Beverley, that’s an interesting observation. We kind of get set in our ways of doing things and then for other reasons change how we approach writing things down. I agree, that there’s a sense of relief in being able to cross things off a list, along with a sense of accomplishment and a sense of freeing ourselves up to go on to something else. Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
Prioritizing is a valuable tool. I have traditionally used the ABC method, working on the A only. Another option I learned is to make the list, then first decide which ones can be delegated to others. It’s amazing how much we can eliminate that way
Thanks for sharing about the ABC method and delegating to others. I’m on a roll writing about priorities, so there’s more to come.
Definitely it is time for me to make my TO DO list a big priority! Thanks for sharing these FAB reasons why I should Joyce 🙂
Hang on, more about priorities to come.
I’m going to try making a priority To Do List, Joyce. Right now, I have my actions on a rolling list which I take into my weekly and daily schedule and then rank by importance and go after the top 3-5. I see the potential to simplify my choices!
Simplifying choices are critical Vatsala when it comes to our to-do list. However, there’s also a challenge when it comes to responding to the important and urgent items, which I be writing more about.
YES! Excellent points and I agree with every single one Joyce. I would be lost without my task list, but what makes it work is my priority spreadsheet. Sometimes I’ll be working on something and an idea will pop into my head that threatens to send me off in a completely different direction. When that happens I write it down to ‘free’ my mind and finish what I’m doing. Then I go back to the idea and if it makes sense I plug it into my priority spreadsheet which covers the year by month and each day I set 3 goals from my priority list to work on. If I finish with time left I reward myself with a bit of self-care. For me, this is not only a matter of balance but an important reminder that I need to be a priority on my list.
As you pointed out, it takes time to set up something like this but once you do the ROI way more than compensates for the initial investment.
Looks like you’ve mastered the priority list (and even with a spreadsheet). You raise a good point about also making yourself a priority. That the easy one most of us forget.
I am great at making the lists- so often end the day with the list unfinished . my top priority is getting my book written xxx
Suzie, make your book your priority, because that’s what te world needs. The rest will fall into place.
I am very good at a “to-do” list, so what aggravates me is when others don’t complete their lists:) What can we do to gently nudge folks to complete their tasks? I know I can’t make them, but doesn’t stop my aggravation when stuff not done!
That’s tough Robin. But, the only thing I can say is that what’s on their list to complete is not a priority to get it done. Some people like to do things when they feel the time is right. Or, it’s a reminder that they really don’t want to do it.
I’ve always been a list person and it’s helpful. A client of mine told me about the free app Workflowy and I love it. It not only allows you to list in levels but you can also search your list. Thanks for this great information Joyce. !
Thanks for mentioning Workflow, sounds like a good app.
Yes, I do love to make lists. I have one right beside me now. I will put my priority and often my hardest thing first and it’s usually the same thing! It sure does feel great to check that one off.
Agree, Teresa. Getting the priority items out of the way makes the whole day brighter.
As a lover of lists, I could really identify with this Joyce. It doesn’t work to have one long list that feels really endless. You can start with that, but it needs to be refined and prioritised if you want any peace of mind.
We all have plenty of “stuff” we can add to a list. A list of the important things in priority order keeps it manageable. Sounds like you’ve got it under control.
Yes, this makes so much sense. If we just have a jumbled to do list then it is of no value. It quickly becomes overwhelming if everything feels equal in importance.
You’re absolutely right Renee, a lot of people get overwhelmed by their list because they make everything important. Got to be able to separate out what’s important, what’s urgent and what can wait.
This came at the perfect time for me, Joyce. I always have lists, but right now, with 13 new baby puppies in my home, my schedule is totally out the window. And, it’s driving me a bit batty.
I’m going to sit in the box with them in a bit and really prioritize my list. Thank you for this!
Unexpected priorities do throw some curve balls into a schedule and it means the priority list gets readjusted for a while. The 13 little cuddles will definitely want a piece of that priority time. So, re-prioritize it is.