We all have been there at one point or another. You know you have things you want to get done, you create a list, put it on the refrigerator, and before you know it you have forgotten it and it has gotten buried underneath other papers. Perhaps you have spent the money on a personal organizer only for it to sit in your desk drawer with things unfinished.
If this sounds like you, don’t feel bad because we have all been through it. The good news is that there are ways to create a “to do” list and stick to it if you know a few simple tips to help you stay motivated and put an end to uncompleted lists.
1How to Prevent Falling Into the Trap of Endless Incomplete Lists
If you are the type that has countless numbers of incomplete lists lying around the house, on the refrigerator, in the desk drawers, or perhaps the glove compartment of your car, it is time to throw all of them out and start fresh. Just the fact that you visually see all of these lists lying around is enough to zap your motivation to get things accomplished. The first thing you want to do is have a clean out of “to do” lists wherever you find them hiding and make an agreement with yourself to never create them again.
2Decide on the Medium You Will Use
One of the reasons your “to do” lists are not working is because you are most likely creating them haphazardly and then stashing them in a place that you never look. Take some time to determine where you spend most of your time and keep track of things you access on a daily basis.
For example, if you use your PC a lot then make that the source for your “to do” list. Perhaps you use your smartphone frequently or you travel with your netbook and if so, make that the source of your “to do” list. Whatever you do you must first decide on a location where you are going to see your “to do” list on a frequent basis and make sure it is only one source that you choose.
As an added tip, if you use your PC or a mobile device a lot, Google Calendar is a great medium to use and you can set it up to alert you when something needs to get done. If you have a habit of placing your “to do” lists out of sight this tool can be a big plus and it is free to use.
3Things to Consider When Creating a “To Do” List
In order for a “to do” list to be effective you must narrow it down to things that are achievable. If you make a mile long list of things you know you should get done, you will be too overwhelmed to get started and you will be stressed out in the process.
Instead, start by listing the important things that you really would like to accomplish. At this point you can let the list get lengthy on a temporary basis. Keep in mind that this is not the list you will be using because it is too long; however, it will give you a general overview of some of the things you would like to see happen. Try to leave out some of the small and insignificant things so the list does not get too overwhelming.
4Prioritize
With your large list in hand start prioritizing what must be done right away and what can wait until a later date. Separate these items so you can see everything in front of you.
Take the items that must be done in the near future and break them down more by ranking them in terms of priority. For example, if one of the items is to take a family member to the doctor in the next 24 hours, this will likely be high on your priority list. On the other hand, if one of the items is to drop off the dry cleaning that may not be as high of a priority on the list.
5Make a Daily List
Don’t try to do everything in one day. You will get frustrated and quit. Instead make out a list of things you want to accomplish in a day. Keep in mind that unexpected things are going to come up that may prevent you from getting everything done. If this happens simply add the tasks to your list for the following day. Remember that small steps that are attainable are what will help you to get things done on the initial huge list that you created.
Once you have a daily list make it a ritual to check your list every morning when your mind is fresh and you can think clearly when it comes to prioritizing. Review your list to make sure that everything is in the proper order that it should be accomplished. Make sure the things you have listed are realistic and can be accomplished within a day’s time.
6Make a “Not to Do” List
If you easily get sidetracked by checking your email every other minute or other things that tend to get you off course, make a list of these things to remind yourself not to do them. Make an agreement with yourself that you will only check your email twice daily or set a time to keep in touch with contacts on social networking sites.
7Visualize the End Result and Reward Yourself
Every time you see a task on the list that you have to do keep visualizing what it will be like once the task has been completed. If you always begin the task with the end in mind you will be more motivated to get the task accomplished. Once you accomplish something reward yourself with something you enjoy doing.
