How to Reduce Your To-Do List
To-do lists are a phenomenal tool for organizing your life. But they are just that: a tool. Consider five changes that will reduce your to-do list and keep it short.
Do you have a to-do list? It's probably a silly question. Who doesn't have one? But has your to-do list become unmanageably long, or does it continue to grow despite your best efforts to shorten it? If that sounds like you, keep on reading.
To-do lists, or task lists as they are sometimes called, are a double-edged sword. They are a great tool for reminding yourself not to forget an essential item — better than a wall covered in sticky notes. However, to-do lists can also be frustrating and despairing when you use them to file away every idea you have in the hope that you will eventually get to it.
Here is the point: to-do lists are no storage containers for things you don't feel like doing right now. Instead, to-do lists are to remind you of your promise to complete a specific task by a particular date and time. They are a tool to help you focus and visualize your progress.
To Reduce Your To-Do List, Consider These Five Changes:
Limit the items you add to your to-do list. Apply a filter that only allows those tasks to pass that are worth pursuing. I call it "Focus on the things that matter." What matters and thus passes through your filter depends on the benefit you could gain from completing that task, such as meeting a tax deadline or launching a new product. But what should you do with all the ideas that do not make it through the filter? I recommend creating an ideas repository that you can always revisit. That way, you wouldn't lose anything.
For more information, I suggest reading my article:
► Focus! The Secret of Successful Companies.Complete the small stuff immediately. When you go through your to-do list, you may realize that a considerable portion consists of small tasks, such as paying an invoice or drafting a proposal, that usually take less than two hours to complete. Why are they still on your to-do list? Next to "I didn't have time," I often hear that these tasks are not due yet. In my experience, the easiest way to reduce your to-do list is to ignore when your small items are due. Instead, I recommend dealing with them immediately. That frees up much-needed time to focus on the tasks that take longer to complete.
Create your me-time. With calendars crammed to the brim with internal meetings and client calls, there is often just not enough time to work on anything on the to-do list, even after limiting the items to those that matter. That is unfortunate. However, there is not so much you can do about it other than learning to say "no" to some of the projects and creating your me-time — blocked space on your calendar that you reserve for working on your to-do list.
Set realistic targets and expectations. In our busy, stressful world, people commit themselves, often unintentionally, to meeting challenging, if not impossible, deadlines. Overpromising and then underdelivering can often be the reason for great disappointment among clients, employees, or business partners. Perhaps out of our desire to be liked and accepted, we don't want to be the bearer of bad news or the person who spoils the party when it just got started. However, by agreeing to unrealistic deadlines or goals and hoping that everything will be fine, you may only be delaying the inevitable. At some point, reality will catch up with you, potentially leading to significant disappointments. Unless you have a thorough plan outlining how to meet those tight deadlines, I recommend being open with the truth. You will be surprised how many clients appreciate your honesty and realistic view.
Be disciplined. Reducing your to-do list is not a one-day event that you can achieve by completing tasks for eight hours straight and then forgetting about it for the next two weeks. As you regularly add new items to your to-do list, any meaningful and lasting reduction must come from a change in the way you work. I admit this is the hardest part of all. It requires enormous discipline and willpower to use your filter, complete your small tasks right away, create your me-time, and set realistic targets on a daily basis. But once you get into the habit, it becomes your routine and your new way to work.
To-do lists are a phenomenal tool for organizing your life. But they are just that: a tool. They won't do the work for you.
Aside from regularly reviewing all items and updating their status, you will need to be disciplined to take the necessary time day-by-day to work on each task just enough to move them towards the finish line. It may be slow, but for sure, your progress will be steady.
As the famous saying goes, "Slow and steady wins the race."
