Finish that To-Do List

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Full Transcript

Welcome to Focus Forward Business Design and module two of showing up as your best self.  As we learned in the last module, that can have a lot of different meanings but the one first step is to show up for ourselves. Now that you know what that looks like it is time to get a bit more tactical. I am Leigh and this is Focus Forward Business Design.

To-Do lists are something that come with a ton of controversy between influencers, business leaders and university business instructors as well as anyone that has ever used one. Everyone has their own opinion of how to best use a to-do list or if it is even productive to use one at all, or if you are better off to lose the to-do list and focus on priority items that only accelerate your successes, goal completion as well as joy and personal advancement goals.

I truly don’t believe there is a right or wrong answer and that it is an entirely individualized decision based on what works best for you. However, I am constantly hearing people who truly have anxiety over this crazy list that seems to have more control over their days than anything else.  What that tells me is that even though I do believe there are a number of ways to handle the daily and weekly chores as well as the errands that must be done, people are not looking at the options available and truly defining the best system for them.

In order to try to make some sense of this necessary evil, I am going to go through 4 solutions for the to-do list.  I encourage you to take good notes and see if one resonates with you more than another. Give it a try. Another option that I really like is to try each one for a couple of days. One day is not enough to give anything a fair chance, as it is likely that the first day will come with some frustration, as it usually does when we try to implement any new process into our life. Most of us are creatures of habit, even if the habit is not best serving us. So, again I would give it a couple of days before passing judgement too harshly. The goal is that by the time you have tried each system you will find one that really makes sense for you and works with your schedule. If I am right, my guess is that ultimately you want to get more of the tasks done in less time.

All right, let’s get to it.

For time’s sake and because I am assuming that we all know what the traditional to-do list looks like, we will not be discussing that hot mess.

Number 1 – This is one that many of the business coaches that I know try to advocate for and that is no list just a calendar. The idea is that all of your to do’s for the day get a time spot on your calendar, much like time blocking.  Many people have said that it does give them a sense of urgency to get things done as it has a designated spot. The problem that I personally have with this method is 2-fold. The first is that I really like highlighting things off my list for that quick hit of dopamine. I know that is my issue. But the larger issue is that I am a large believer in using our calendars for time blocking our big rock projects in uninterrupted time blocks. If you have listened to any of my time blocking classes, you will get the reasoning and the science behind this. However, this idea of calendaring your to do’s may be one that you find useful…try it for a couple of days and see what happens.

Number 2 – To-do Apps    Since we are now all living in the land of apps where we can do or order or be entertained in a variety of different ways with a simple app on our phone, it is no surprise that there are a hundred different apps out there to organize our to-do's.  I am familiar with a number of these apps, and I must admit that some of them do some pretty cool things. Others however…most actually do little more than a piece of paper and a highlighter. I would recommend checking a few out if this is a direction that appeals to you, as some have the capability to organize your tasks with color coding and a variety of other tactics. Many of the people that I spoke to thought the app was cool but after a day or so, the shiny wore off and they forgot that they had it and found themselves with sticky notes back in their life with their to do’s.  I really think if you are one that uses apps a lot and that is a really convenient way for you to compartmentalize that piece of your life then by all means keep an open mind and give it a try. One that seems to be very popular is just called to do list.  Microsoft also has one that is available called Microsoft to do and is free and seems to offer most of the features that the pay sites have…just a suggestion to try and if you decide the app road is going to be your jive then jump in and find the super fancy one that calls and schedules your dinner reservations that are on your calendar.

Number 3 – If you are a person that finds yourself getting distracted or overwhelmed when presented with a large number of things to do, this next idea may be one that works for you. There is not really a name for it, so we will just call it “The One Thing List”.  The idea behind this is that you still have your regular to do list that you have created. Here is what you get to do with it though. You get to hide it. But what you are going to do first is take one task from the list and write it on a sticky note and put it where you can see it. In this way you only have one thing to focus on to get done rather than the overwhelm of fifty items. Once you have completed the item you move on to the next one. A really great thing about this one if you are someone like me is you not only get to highlight the big list, but you get to wrinkle up the post it and toss it when you are done…super duper dopamine.  

Number 4 – Divide and conquer with multiple lists. This one is a spin off of one of the systems that I teach when goal setting and can make a lot of sense in that it forces us to prioritize the to do’s that can really make a difference from the ones that just take up space on our list.  Not to say that the lesser items don’t have to be done, but likely no one will notice terribly if they get pushed back a bit.  So, what you are going to do when you try this one out is to make 3 lists.  The first list is the list that has the items on it that are must do items.  If these don’t get done then goals are not being achieved, dreams are not being chased and someone or something may be compromised.  The second list is the one that has the items that are of lesser consequence if it doesn’t happen today.  Maybe, it is picking up the dry cleaning or registering for a class that starts next month.  Again, they are important but not critical to the outcome of the day. Finally, the last list is one that I find extremely important and is a constantly moving project. The items that make this list are the things that may be out in the future a bit, or on a back burner but if they do not get written down, they may get forgotten. This is a list to continue to add to and move items onto the first list as time is appropriate. To some people this system may seem like too much, but to others who love organization this just might be the ticket to keeping things under control and completing the most important items each day leaving them with a feeling of completion or success. Again, give it a try.

There are going to be pro’s and con’s to all of the systems, but one or two of them may be just what was needed to transform the dreaded “to-do list” into something manageable and useful.

I hope that this gives you some ideas to work with while trying to manage all of the things that we must accomplish in our busy worlds. The key is to control the distractions and focus on the items that are imperative to your success.

Please share this with 5 of your friends that are looking for ways to better themselves just as you are.  If you have questions or comments, please put them below so we can personally respond to each one.

Remember that the choice is always yours to Focus Forward!