ToDo Lists at Work

I find that it is helpful to keep lists going for your job or schoolwork that are separate from your home todo list, so today I am going to go into detail about how I use todo lists at work.

Keep a running list of all the things that currently need to be done, or bigger projects that are in process. I personally like to keep a handwritten list as there is something so satisfying about physically crossing something off. Group the list items by category or topic, so that related tasks are altogether. At the end of every week, rewrite the list. This allows for clean up of the list by removing crossed off items, adding new tasks, and altering priorities, so that it is fresh and easier to read for the next week. Physically rewriting the list once a week also reminds you of tasks you may have let fall by the wayside.

Each morning during the week, read over the overall work todo list, and identify the tasks that need to be tackled that day. Take those specific items and write them on a sticky note. Include meetings, repetitive tasks that have to be done daily, any personal calls or tasks that have to be done during business hours (eg making appointments). On particularly busy days, I even include the entertainment I intend to consume while working (podcasts or TV shows I want to have on in the background). Having this daily detailed list helps in a couple of ways. It narrows down what needs to be done that day from your larger ongoing list, which will keep you from getting too overwhelmed by your longer list. Also, the more specific the list is will help eliminate indecision and disruption as you move from task to task.

Finally, prioritize the tasks by numbering the items on your list for the day. You may end up needing to re-prioritize them mid-day, as other things come up and shift the list around, but having that list will help keep you on track and having a completed list at the end of the day will give you a good feeling of accomplish to carry home with you.

The most important thing to keep in mind when creating your daily todo list: keep it realistic!! If you are overly ambitious in creating your daily list and then get very little of it done, you will end the day frustrated and feeling like you didn’t accomplish much. If you aren’t a good judge of how much you actually get done in a day, start small. You can always add more items to your list, but having to remove items or end the day with an incomplete list will be a much worse feeling. As you use this practice, you will get a better feel for what is a realistic daily list for you.

How do you use todo lists at work or school?

(Bonus points if you can identify the duck in today’s picture.)