To-do lists are an indispensable tool for organization and productivity. They help us to keep track of our tasks and ensure that nothing important is forgotten. In this article, you will learn how to create and use effective to-do lists to increase your productivity.
Self-reflection: How/where do I actually keep my to-do list(s)?
Carry out an analysis: Where and how do you currently keep your to-do lists? Do you use paper, digital tools or a combination of both? What are the advantages and disadvantages of your current methods? Think about how well your current method works and what you could improve. Make notes on the following questions:
- How often do I update my to-do list?
- How often do I forget tasks or lose track of things?
- How well can I prioritize my tasks?
Practical implementation of self-reflection:
If you find that …
- …that you rarely update your to-do list, schedule fixed times to do this regularly or change the medium in which you keep the tasks.
- …that you often forget tasks and have little overview, think about how you can make your list clearer.
- …that you have difficulty setting priorities, think about why. Is it more of a decision-making problem or an overview problem? If it’s a decision-making problem, learn to set priorities or bring them about. If it is an overview problem, try to emphasize the priority tasks in such a way that it helps you.
The be-all and end-all: Regularly review and update the to-do list
Regularly reviewing and updating your to-do list is the key to using it effectively. No matter which tool or system you use, it stands or falls on the fact that it is used consistently and kept up to date. In my view, the consistency of use and updating is more important than the tool itself. Here are some tips on how you can do this:
- Schedule fixed times to check and update your to-do list, e.g. every Friday afternoon.
- Cross off completed tasks and add new ones (from the desk mat, the cell phone note app, the Post-Its floating around).
- Use the review as an opportunity to re-evaluate and adjust your priorities – it’s best to reset and re-evaluate everything once a week!
- Be flexible and adapt your list if your plans change.
And one final word:
Your to-do list should “live” outside your calendar, i.e. blockers or boxes for tasks are fine and certainly often helpful. But the task itself is (also) noted as such on your to-do list and is only completed when it is ticked off or crossed off there.
With these tips and tricks, you can optimize your to-do lists and increase your productivity. Try out different methods and find out what works best for you. Remember that regularly reviewing and updating your to-do list is the key to success.