The Art of To-Do Lists
I often get this question from my students and clients: How do I manage my to-do list?
We all have lists of things that we need to get done. Some challenges that we may face when it comes to to-do lists include 1) not prioritizing appropriately, and 2) finding ourselves in what I call “analysis paralysis,” where we overanalyze the things we need to get done to the point that we actually don’t move forward with getting anything done. Today, I share with you actionable, efficient strategies that have worked and continue to work not only for myself, but also for my students and clients.
5 Strategies for Managing Your To-Do List
There’s no doubt that to-do lists are useful. We have to keep track of what we have to do so we can get everything done. But I’m here to tell you that we don’t need to find the perfect tool or app to keep ourselves organized. Here are 5 key strategies to managing your to-do list and successfully getting things done:
- We have to prioritize appropriately. For example, we can prioritize getting tasks done based on deadlines, both externally and internally. Tune in to learn more!
- We have to commit to deadlines and trust in our own ability to fulfil the commitments we set out for both ourselves and others. Remember, these commitments are a reflection of us and our reputation.
- Know and understand that things on our to-do lists may take longer to complete than we expect, and this is totally normal! You are growing through the work that you set out to do, so give yourself a little grace and flexibility.
- Part of maturing is knowing and understanding that we can’t always do 100% of the things that we want to do when we have to finish 100% of the things that we need to do.
- At the end of each work day, write out a list of all of your next steps, everything that you still need to do, and everything that you didn’t get done that you planned to get done that day. It’s okay if this looks like some repetition on your to-do list and in your day-to-day. Here’s the beauty of doing this: After you wake up, do your morning routine, and get to your workspace, you can refer to this list and know exactly where you need to start and you can easily get started where you left off.
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Want more strategy on successfully managing to-do lists? Connect with us at Apply Yourself: The Advancement Spot! Email us at hello@applyyourselfglobal.com, or email me personally at adrienne@applyyourselfglobal.com. You can also DM us on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal – Let us know if these strategies helped you get those to-do lists done!
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