For many people, the to-do list under-delivers and for some people it’s a source of great stress.
Why we need to upgrade the to-do list:
- To-do lists can be overwhelming. You're not encouraged to add more to-do items when you start falling behind.
- To-do lists can become don’t forget lists
- They can be used to park a task, rather than getting on with it there and then.
- And what happens to a to-do item that's not been done? It sits in limbo stressing the list owner.
To be effective a to-do list needs a solid routine or system around it.
You can add anything like you to the done list; ideas, midnight inspirations, things not to forget, without feeling like you’re giving yourself more work. This can help you feel like a more purpose-driven business.
Both halves of the list are equally important.
The benefits of an upgraded to-do list:
- There are no outstanding items on a Done List. Productivity has more to do with deciding what not to do than what to do.
- Many things will be 'not dones'. They are not done, but not forgotten either. As opposed to a To-Do which has failure built-in when not completed.
How to write a better to do-list:
So rename your To-Do list, the Done List.
- Apply the new rules and mind-set to it
- Review the dones at the end of each week and ask yourself what have you learnt, what could you do differently or better next time.
- Review the not dones. Look at the ones you don’t want to do and start with those that are important and/or urgent.
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