Why to-do lists don't work and how to fix it

Why regular to-do lists don't work

In a simple to-do list, you do not reflect how long it will take to complete any task. And most likely, you start with small and uncomplicated ones that take no more than five minutes.

Gradually, you come to the conclusion that time after time you only take on simple things, and constantly put off important and time-consuming ones for later. As a result, large projects do not budge. And most of the points of the plan remain unfulfilled, because you continue to add new ones to them, without having any control system.

Here the Zeigarnik effect is triggered, according to which people remember unfinished or interrupted actions better than performed ones. This means that the thoughts of unfinished tasks from the to-do list will keep swirling around in your head until you complete them. You will be haunted by an obsessive feeling that makes it difficult to focus on getting the job done. This can ultimately lead to stress and insomnia.

How to plan effectively

Describe your ideal day

Jason Womack, executive coach, speaker and author on productivity, recommends his approach to organizing the process to achieve a goal. He suggests writing a script for the perfect day to focus on. The realization that the ideal is for you motivates you to work.

To create a script, answer the following questions.

How do you want to spend your day?
What tasks exactly need to be completed today?
When are you most productive?

Based on the answers, you can divide the working time into segments, each of which will contain certain tasks from your to-do-list.

This method will help you work more efficiently with your to-do list and deal with urgent and important tasks on time.

Plan everything on the calendar

To make your to-do lists as effective as possible for you, don't make simple plans without deadlines and deadlines, but learn to use your calendar wisely.

Describe in detail the upcoming day or a whole week. Mark all your things on the calendar and live according to the created schedule. This will help you decide which project to tackle first and whether you can add more tasks.

Instead of your usual prioritization, form plan items with a date and exact time - especially on the most important tasks. This will give a sense of urgency, and you will be able to complete them by a certain point.

Evaluate each task

If you don't analyze how you spend each day, chances are you are wasting most of it.

One of the important rules of productivity is not to let a task take longer than it needs to.

For effective time management, it is not enough just to know what needs to be done. You need to consider how long it will take. It is better to say, “Today I only have 40 minutes to do this,” instead of planning things in a simple order of importance with no specific deadlines.

Add to your to-do list an estimate of how long it will take to complete each item. Try to schedule every minute from 8am to 5pm. Determine in advance when there will be breaks. Schedule to check notifications, email, and social media.

It may seem that this activity is only wasting time. But in reality, it sets the bar that you try to meet. As a result, you will see that your concentration has improved.

Keeping track of how much time you spend on tasks can be a real discovery for you. This will define the style of your work and can improve it. It also helps you understand at what time of day you are more or less effective.

Measurement is the first step required to monitor and ultimately improve performance. If you cannot measure something, you cannot understand it. If you cannot understand something, you cannot control it. And if you can't control it, you definitely can't improve it.

James Harrington Entrepreneur, Process Management Specialist

Analyze your time, and then you can allocate it correctly.

Timeline

Open your day planner or scheduling app and add deadlines to your list of tasks. Assign a priority level for each.

And to understand what is worth spending more time, answer yourself a few questions:

What tasks will take less than 20 minutes?
What tasks will take more than an hour?
What is the best thing to do in the morning when you have the most energy?

Now instead of "Complete the design project" write "Complete the design project in two hours." Even if you do not have time to finish it, you will at least get off the ground without spending the whole day on it.

If you don't have a goal to complete the task on a specific date, plan to spend a certain amount of time on it every day. And then move on to other equally important things. This way you can gradually get rid of large tasks.

Break big tasks into smaller ones

Some tasks can take hours or even days. If you have a large project ahead of you, take a few minutes to think about it. What parts does it consist of? How much effort does it take and how long will it take? Write it down.

Next, split the project into several tasks with a clear deadline and solve them one by one until it is completed. The more small actions you get, the more doable they will seem.

When an unapproachable amount of work becomes something small, the brain focuses on what needs to be done right now - on a specific task and a small goal. Therefore, it is better to arrange sprints of 40-60 minutes with short breaks.

Work on one task at a time

Give it your full attention, and then you will be able to be as effective as possible.

Forbes 'Mark Murphy explains: "When people can avoid work interruptions, there is a 67% chance they are left with the impression' today was a very productive day."

It really makes sense to work for an hour on one task without distraction. But it can be difficult, especially if you are constantly receiving notifications or have to answer questions from colleagues.

For example, the Pomodoro technique helps to focus on work. It involves 25-minute work sprints with short five-minute breaks. After several such approaches, you can fully relax.

This method is not universal: the duration of concentration and work style are different for everyone. So try different time management techniques and stick to the one that works for you personally.

For example, if you are more productive in the morning, then postpone tasks that take more time. This will help you get organized and achieve more.