Wondering how to make a to do list that will actually help you get stuff done? We all have a million things we want to do and achieve in our lives, but sometimes it can all seem too much. It’s incredibly easy to become overwhelmed, to sink under the weight of all your goals, and you may even start to lose focus. This is why a simple list is a vital tool in helping you reach your ambitions and ultimately, success.
1.
PUT SIMILAR TASKS TOGETHER
This may seem obvious, but when you have a lot to do, grouping similar tasks together can help you get through them quicker. If you have a lot of tasks that require you to think creatively and then one or two data input tasks, for example, try to group the data input together and then work out where the creative tasks should fall and in which order. If you need to do things that require you to sit in front of a computer and some things that require you to walk around, don’t let them pepper your day, group ’em together so you can block your time properly.
2.
USE THE TPB METHOD
The Project Book is a planner we designed to make managing hundreds of things and big projects so much easier. It has a simple system inside, first of all, you’ve got a timed weekly overview so you can easily block out time in your week and theme your days (which if you read point number three you’ll realize is so important) secondly in the daily planning section you can go even further into the details. Firstly you lay out your most important tasks of the day and the things you want to accomplish in the top box. Every box underneath that is for you to break those tasks down even further, what do you actually need to achieve to create the spreadsheet due at 3 pm for example, if you’re hoping to work on your novel at home which chapter are you going to start with and what do you need to do? Break it up into those boxes to give yourself a clear overview of what’s realistic.
Next, on the right-hand side of the page you’ll find your timed to-do list. Fill in the hours of your day and copy your top to-dos and goals from the left-hand page into the right one, so not only are they specific and realistic, but they are also timed and measurable. Making every single task on your to-do list SMART. We call that a win. Find the Project Book here and start using the method to get more done.
3.
DESIGN YOUR DAY
When you’re super busy, it’s easy to lose the threads of your day and feel like you’re unraveling a little. Instead, start theming your days. Monday mornings for me, for example, are all about reviewing the past week, then I move on to my next ‘block’ of tasks. Instead of spreading everything out and doing the same things split up every day of the week, I block off one day to deal with one type of task and therefore get to the end of the week with more done than before!
Even when it comes to writing articles, for example, instead of doing two hours of work a day, I try to block off an entire day for article writing and research and see how far I get. Designing your day instead of your time will help you massively, it’ll give you back some power and also help you smash off some tasks that might have been hanging over you throughout the week otherwise.
4.
BE MORE ZEN
ZTD stands for zen to done and it’s a system that will help you be more productive by focusing not only on building better habits and focusing on your most important tasks for the day. Every day you need to capture ideas, tasks, and notes in a notebook so you don’t forget them. Make quick decisions on things in your inbox and stop putting them off. Do one task at a time with complete focus, set your most important tasks (MITs) for the day and reduce your goals and tasks to essentials. It’s a complete system overhaul and is perfect if you don’t know where to start, find out more here.
