Have you ever gone to the grocery store determined just to get a few items when only to get there and realize that you can’t remember everything you need to get? Even worse, you forgot to make a follow-up call or missed an important deadline? A simple list could help to avoid that situation.
In our hectic lives, it’s easy to get overloaded with all of the tasks and responsibilities that we shoulder every day. One simple yet profound tool can genuinely help you to design a great day where you get more accomplished in less time. It’s the single greatest time management tool ever invented!
A simple daily to-do list is an amazing productivity enhancer!
- Start by writing down everything you need to get done. It’s helpful to categorize the different areas of your life i.e. business, personal, home management etc. There’s something cathartic about just writing everything down. It helps to give clarity to what needs to be done and it also unburdens the brain so we don’t have to be concerned with trying to remember everything.
- Prioritize. The tendency is to start on the tasks that are most urgent however most business strategists tell us that we must focus on the items we have deemed most important first. A simple A B C ranking system can help you determine where your attentions need to go first, second and so on.
- Make and keep your list where you can easily access it. If you’ve ever found yourself grabbing the closest piece of scrap paper that you can find to create your list or if you have sticky notes stuck everywhere you need to create a system.
- Write your list in the same place every day. Use your Phone’s note App or calendar App is simple. This is the perfect place because you almost always have your phone near you.
- We live in a technology-filled world and there are lots of options out there to support you in creating a high-tech list. Most of these software programs interface with your Smartphone or e-mail account. They come with reminders via e-mail, instant messenger, and SMS so now we have no excuses! Besides numerous APPs and Google, here are just a few lesser known options: www.rememberthemilk.com, www.mindtools.com, www.Todoist.com, https://basecamp.com and www.Toodledo.com Choose the best solution for you—And use it!!
- Check things off as you get them done! Remember how much fun it was to get a Gold Star in 2nd grade? Every time we check something off of our list, it has exactly the same effect on us! Small victories every day give us an all-important sense of accomplishment!
- End your workday by creating your To Do List for tomorrow! There is something about relieving the mind from having to hold on to more data than it needs to. It has been said that list makers enjoy a better night’s sleep because they don’t need to rehearse tomorrow’s activities. We have all experienced lying in bed, trying to relax, and an endless loop continues to play in fear that we might forget something.
A Great Life is created one day at a time. I’m wishing you a Great Day!
