More Ways To Control Your To-Do List

Your to-do list can quickly become overwhelming.

Here are a few more ways to help you keep control of your list.

Apply the 80/20 rule. You’ll get 80% of your results from 20% of your activity. Remember this when prioritising your list. How will this task contribute to your end goal?

Use an App - there are a number of apps out there which help you keep control of your to-do list (free and paid). Wunderlist, ToDoist, Any.Do.  Many apps integrate with your calendar, sync across multiple devices or have plug-ins for email and your browser, making it easier to add, update and keep track of tasks. Find an app you like and stick with it. Allow time to get used to it and make it work the way you want.

Keep it simple. Some apps are great, some are more complex or do some of what you want but not everything. Decide what you want first then find the app or method that works best.

Use pen and paper. There’s nothing wrong with old style list making. It’s far more organic and satisfying to have the touch and feel of pen on paper, flicking through pages, crossing off tasks, creating templates than typing things in on a screen.

Bullet-journalling. Start with a blank notebook and tailor it to the way you work - following a few basic guidelines. Add as much or as little as you need, include personal goals, checklists, track progress, see your year/month at a glance. It’s a more flexible and organic option to a daily dairy or organiser.

For repeating tasks - add them to your calendar, phone, app as a reminder that pops up a few days in advance - paying bills, updating your accounts etc. Block out the time in your dairy.

Delegate - you may not have time to do everything on your list but someone else might. They can help you out, have more time available than you, be more skilled at getting it done. It’s not part of your role or responsibility.

Manage the flow. If you’ve got more coming in than you can physically or mentally manage in a day, look at how you can reduce the flow in and increase the flow out.

Reduce what comes in:

• Push back
• Say ‘no’ more often
• Unsubscribe

Increase the flow out:

• Work on the Important before it becomes Urgent
• Set time limits
• Delegate - what tasks can/should someone else do?
• Increase resources

Automate - the right systems and processes can streamline communications, keep you on track and make your life easier overall. Especially when it saves you time with repetitive tasks or prevents re-inventing the wheel each time.

Overwhelmed by your to-do list? Get in touch and let's talk through a few options to bring order to your list.

See also:

How to Make Sense of Your To Do List