One of the worst feelings in the morning is to stare at the to-do list as it looks like the passenger list of a large cruise ship. The items go on and on forever. You sit there transfixed without a clue how to even start tackling that Mt. Everest of lists. The items mock you from the page turning into animated whips swatting you across the eyes as they mock you. Brutal!
I did not learn the beauty and help of a to-do list until I was an adult. It wasn’t long and I became addicted to that list by carrying around a pad of paper listing all of the items I needed to conquer.
The problem was that I got caught in the to-do list backwave. Alexander the Great did not have as many problems as my to-do list caused. Here was a list of all the items I needed to take care of for the day and now it seemed an insurmountable mountain to climb. As the days went by and the number of items completed never amounted to more than just a small handful each day and a gloom of depression fell over my soul. I tried hyperaction working 18 hours a day trying to complete everything. Still did not conquer the list as new items kept popping up. The list was ruining my life.
The to-do list is still a powerful tool but harsh action must take place to keep the list from taking over your life. There are some good strategies to conquer the to-do list.
Prioritize
My first interaction with the list was to just write down everything as I thought of it. There was a great temptation to handle the items as they were listed. This was a disaster as low importance items were mixed with critical ones. I didn’t help myself much when I randomly knocked down items as presented in the list.
Prioritizing is a painful and necessary step. Some would rather pull a porcupine quill out of their hand than prioritize a to-do list. Others stop to straighten furniture, do another load of laundry, or count how many times the letter R is in the newspaper headline. Everyone needs a hobby!
There is no formula for prioritization except for your own preference. For example, you may be tempted to list the easiest tasks first. It will give you a fantastic feeling of wacking down those items but you will miss some critical deadlines. I usually prioritize items with the closest due date so I don’t miss any deadlines.
After that, I tend to list the more painful items next. For example, if you have to make a phone call with bad news or something that will cause a conflict, I like to handle those first so I don’t have to dread them all day. It makes the mornings painful but it gets those snapping dog tasks out of the way.
Focus on One Item at a Time
I have one serious case of ADD. I think my attention span is about the level of a sand flea. Working around people is very dangerous. Any noise, movement that catches my eye, visitors to my desk, or an itch all give me a huge interruption. I also have a bad habit of working on one item for a few minutes and then switch over to another as critical items jump into my mind. So, in the end, I accomplish nothing.
The problem of a to-do list is that you will end up with several items with a top priority. Wonderful! I can only work on one thing at a time and I have several critical tasks that need my attention all at once. Joy to the World!
No magic answer here but I just pick one of the tasks and push through until it is done. I summon all my focus to keep on one task regardless of what else is going on around me. Even if I picked the “wrong” task, at least it is out of the way.
Rewrite the To-Do List Each Day
Not a lot of fun but absolutely essential. If you use a paper list, it does take a few minutes to rewrite the list every day but it is worth it. This forces you to review each item daily and determine if it is important and how it should be prioritized.
Good luck with the to-do list. I find it helpful to carry around two small books with a to-do list for personal and work items. Yeah, I know I have OCD problems but it works!