Proven Strategies to Add Efficiency and Order to Your To Do Lists

For most of us, to-do lists (be them post-its stuck to every inch of your desk or scribbled lists on the back of a receipt) are our guides to productivity. They are the script that leads us closer to achieving our goals. While some tasks are lofty – world peace – and others slightly less so – get new tube of toothpaste – all of these tasks occupy vital space in our minds. By writing out our tasks on lists, it allows us to free up that precious space in our mind. Based on my own personal experience and tips from getting-things-done gurus like David Allen and Steven Covey, here are some strategies to add efficiency and order to your to-do lists.

Respect Your Calendar: Your calendar is for time-sensitive tasks ONLY. If you have a meeting tomorrow at 4, this event goes on your calendar, not on your to-do list. If your need to work on a project for an hour today, this task goes on your calendar. Your calendar is sacred ground. Respect its ability to organize your day by ONLY putting time-sensitive information on it. Now what about everything else….
Create Context Specific To-Do Lists: I picked up this tip from David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done, and have found it increases my efficiency ten-fold. Rather than one master to-do list with everything imaginable listed in no specific order, create separate lists based on the context needed to complete them. For instance, all errands go on an errand list. All calls, go on a call list. Here are my suggestions for some categories:
• At Computer: Any task that you need to be sitting at your computer to complete goes on this list (Internet research, pay bills on-line, buy gifts on-line, write proposal for work, etc.)
• Calls: Any calls you need to make go on this list. I also find it helpful to list the phone number next to the name so you do not waste time looking for a phone number when you have the opportunity to make a call.
• Errands: Any errands that require you to leave the house and do/buy/return something go on this list. This list is great to have with you when you are in the car so you can refer to it. If you happen to be out for lunch, the list can trigger your memory that you need to pick something up at the hardware store that happens to be down the block.
• Spouse/Partner: Once your head is out of the clouds and your feet are planted firmly on the ground, you realize that being in a partnership is not all roses and chocolates. Someone actually has to pick up the cat food, take the kids to school, make the dinner reservations, etc. I keep a list of all of the things I think of throughout the day that I want to review with my partner. When we’re sitting down to dinner it’s easy for me to talk about these different tasks and know that I’m not forgetting anything.
• Books/Movies: How many of you have been told: “You have to read this book. It’s amazing!” Of course, when you get to the library or book store, you can’t remember for the life of you the name of the book or author. I like to keep a short list of movies and books that I want to watch or read.
• Someday/Maybe: Someday I will learn Spanish. Maybe I will take fly fishing lessons. Someday I will read the top 100 classic books. These tasks are definitely things you want to remember and refer to on a semi-regular basis.
• Waiting For: This list is to help remind you of things you have done and which you are waiting for a response. For instance, I sent a letter to the court house refuting a ticket I received. I put this on my Waiting For list to be sure that I get a response from them.

By creating separate lists, you can go directly to the list you want based on what tools you have available (phone, computer, in your car, etc.). Now rather than sifting through a long list of EVERYTHING you need to do, you can efficiently go to one list and start completing items on this list. It is more productive to focus on one activity at a time, rather than constantly switching from one type of task to another.

Now where do you keep these lists? For most of you, you will have an electronic calendar that allows you to create to-do lists (Outlook, Gmail Calendar, etc.). Others of you may prefer to keep your lists on the notepad on your phone. And some of you may rely on a paper day planner. Whatever system you use, these context-specific lists can work for you. In future posts, I will take you step-by-step through how to set up these lists on some of the most common calendar systems.