{"id":4554,"date":"2012-10-08T05:45:42","date_gmt":"2012-10-08T12:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.communify.me\/newvinegrowing\/?p=4554"},"modified":"2019-06-07T13:39:43","modified_gmt":"2019-06-07T17:39:43","slug":"be-more-effective-by-making-better-to-do-lists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.communify.me\/newvinegrowing\/be-more-effective-by-making-better-to-do-lists\/","title":{"rendered":"Be more effective by making better to-do lists"},"content":{"rendered":"

It seems the socially correct answer to the question “How are you?” is no longer “Good,” but “Busy.”
\nMaybe it’s all the technology that keeps us plugged in 24\/7, or the never-ending flow of information from social media, websites and blogs, or the added work load on employees left at downsized companies. Whatever the cause, I frequently have conversations with people who feel they are running as hard as they can and they still can’t make headway on their to-do lists.
\nToday’s post is not about how to do more things on your to-do list as much as about doing the right things on your to-do list.
\nI think the single most important step is having a filter for what makes it to your to-do list in the first place.
\nFor me, that starts with having a clear vision of my goals and my priorities<\/a>.
\nThink of a successful, popular company like Apple. They could probably sell just about anything remotely techie and Apple fans would buy it. But if they say yes to every possible product they could make, they dilute their resources and attention from the innovative products they really want to make<\/a>.
\nBut you don’t have to be Steve Jobs to find it helpful to knowing what your priorities are. I find it easier to say no to things that don’t fit so I have time for what matters most.
\nOnce something does make it to my list, I still like the ABC-123 system I learned when it seemed everyone lugged a Franklin planner around to meetings in the 1990s. First you make your list, then you decide whether an item is A, B or C priority, and then rank the As from most to least important, the Bs and the Cs. I find this exercise helps me avoid the temptation of picking off less important items because I’m procrastinating the harder, more important work.
\nBut like most people, I still find myself moving some items from one day’s list to the next over and over again, or feeling like my day flew by without making the progress I would have liked.
\nSo here are two recent items that have inspired me to take another look at my to-do lists:
\nSix Clever Tricks for a Better To-Do List<\/a><\/strong>
\nThis article on the Business Insider offered good pointers on making better lists to help you get more done, including:<\/p>\n

#1: Write Action<\/em> Items<\/strong>
\nA really effective to-do list<\/a> uses action items. That means starting each task with a verb, and being specific about what you\u2019re going to do.
\n#2: Break Big Projects into Smaller Tasks<\/strong>
\n
\n<\/strong>Sometimes, a vague item is a big project that needs breaking into smaller tasks. \u201cWrite report\u201d often isn\u2019t something you can easily get your head around \u2013 but \u201cget data for section 1 of report\u201d is.
\n#3: Put Timings Against Each Task<\/strong>
\n
\n<\/strong>Perhaps you write a to-do list every day, but you rarely get through more than a few items on it. Unless you have at least a rough idea of how long your different tasks will take, you won\u2019t know how many you can accomplish in a day.
\n#4: Split Your List into Different Categories<\/strong>
\n
\n<\/strong>If your list is a mess, it\u2019s also far too easy to end up prioritizing the little tasks over big ones<\/a>: you want to clear out as many to-dos as possible, regardless of how big or small they might be.
\n#5: Batch Together Similar Tasks<\/strong>
\n
\n<\/strong>If you\u2019ve got a bunch of similar tasks, try to do them in batches, rather than one at a time. For instance, if you need to make ten phone calls this week, it\u2019ll be most efficient to do them all at once \u2013 say, on Tuesday morning \u2013 rather than doing two each day.
\n#6: Prioritize Your To-Do List<\/strong>
\n
\n<\/strong>One powerful way to prioritize is by using your best time of the day<\/a> for your highest-energy tasks. That way, you\u2019ll get the important things done while your brain is in gear, and you can deal with chores or admin when you\u2019re not feeling quite so energized. Your peak time might be morning, afternoon, or night.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is a very abridged version of the original — I recommend you put it on your to-do list to read the full piece<\/a>.
\nThe second item came via Chris Brogan’s Human Business Works email newsletter<\/a> — a missive with the subject line, “What Do You Reach For When You’re Bored?”<\/strong>
\nThis one isn’t posted online, you have to be a newsletter subscriber to get the content, so I’ll describe briefly Chris saying it’s so easy to fritter away time on Facebook, Twitter, email and all the other rivers of content that your only hope for getting the right things done is a really good to-do list that you commit to honoring.
\nThen he gives this impassioned call to action:<\/p>\n

LISTS ARE YOUR SAVIOR FOR DOING THE WORKS
\nIf you’re ever to learn to love the grind, you’ve got to learn the habit of lists. No matter your role, a list will help you through it. Yes, I’ve read The Checklist Manifesto<\/a>. (I’ll save the emails about that.) Lists are what separate those who are working near the peak of their potential and those people who are “doing stuff.” Every day that I don’t work with a list is a day I fail to accomplish all that I’m capable of conquering in the time allotted (I’ve never spelled that right the first time).
\nBut wow, do we all tend to do lists poorly. We have a few habits about lists. See if this is you:<\/p>\n