You know how it works, you keep adding to your to-do list but you don’t seem to ever cross stuff off. Find out how to actually start getting your to-do list “done”.
Our previous article about How to Get Things Done talked about some of the things that you can do to actually get started on the items on your to-do list. Just moving from neutral to moving forward is a big step. The next step is about how to keep the progress going to follow through with the task to completion.
1Small Tasks
This was mentioned in part 1 of the article, but it is so important that we’re repeating it here. It is easier to get started on a task that is smaller and it is also easier to stay focused on a task until it is completed when it’s a smaller task.
If your task only takes 15 minutes to complete, it will be easy to focus on it until completion. If it will take 2 hours, it will be much harder to avoid becoming distracted.
2Get Things Done By NOT Multi-Tasking
Many people think that the best way to get things done is to multi-task, but most of the time this causes more problems than it saves. If you are surfing online, checking your email, watching tv and trying to complete a task all at the same time, chances are you aren’t doing anything well. Each time your attention is changed to your email, etc you lose your place in your original task, you have to spend a few seconds refocusing when you come back to it. Those seconds add up.
If you really want to get stuff done, focus on doing one thing at a time.
3Unplug Yourself
You probably won’t like this tip on how to get things done, but it is true. If you really want to finish a task, turn off your computer and phone. You will be amazed at how much more you can get done if you don’t have to look at your computer screen every 30 seconds.
You don’t have to go crazy here and turn off everything all day. Just try it when you are working on your to-do list. Grab your list, turn everything off for 30 minutes and see how much you can get done.
4Clear Your Workspace
This can be a helpful tip to help you get things done, depending upon the task. If your work area is too cluttered, it can be more difficult to concentrate on the task. It can be helpful to take a few minutes to clear off your desktop, etc.
However, don’t let this become a procrastination tactic. I’m reminded of stories about college dorm rooms that only get cleaned the night before finals. If the clutter is truly distracting, clean it up. However, if you are just looking for an excuse to not get started, don’t do it.
5Taking Breaks Helps Get Things Done
This may sound counter-intuitive, but sometimes taking breaks is the best way to get things done. If you really concentrate and focus on something for too long a time, you will get burned out. At that point, you won’t get anything else done on the task you are working on and it will be difficult to do anything else too.
Really focus for a short period of time, then take a short break, then really focus again. If you follow this pattern, your list will be done in no time.
6Take a Walk
Sometimes you may be working on a mentally taxing task that you don’t quite know how to approach yet. Or you could be suffering from writers block. If this is the case, it can be helpful to completely change your focus and NOT think about it for a short time.
Taking a walk, doing some yoga or even taking a shower can give your mind a break. You will probably find that as soon as you give your mind permission to stop trying so hard, you will come up with your best ideas.
7Limit Your Goals
One of the big things that prevents people from getting stuff done is the fact that the list is simply too long. That makes it difficult to get started and it is difficult to stick with it because you won’t really feel like you’re making progress.
Instead of putting everything on your list, limit it to the items that you can realistically expect to complete. If you want to keep one huge master list, that’s fine, but keep it out of sight.
The goal is that each evening, you create a list for the next day. When you wake up and look at your to-do list, you will be excited because by the end of the day you should be able to cross off every item on the list.
8Summary
Now you know how to organize your to-do list so that it’s easier for you to get started and it’s easier to get stuff completed. If you follow these tips, you will soon find yourself sitting on the patio reading a book because your to-do list turned into a “done” list.
What Do You Think?
Do you have other tips on how to get things done that might help someone?
Do you have friends or family who seem to have trouble getting things done? Feel free to share this with them.
