Have you ever tried maing a to-do list, at work or otherwise? How many actually followed the list all the way to the end?
I often use it at work, and find it extremely useful. Especially on days when I have too many items on my plate and I can't focus on one thing without worrying about another at the back of my head. There are often days when I flit from one job to another, without giving each its due attention, wasting too much time switching, and end up tired, confused, and frustrated at the end of the day, not to mention very less productive.
Lists show the way to organize work and save the day!
There are several reasons why making and following lists diligently helps. Here are some that are true for me.
A load off my head
I travel to work making plans in my head about what needs to be done during the day. Prioritizing. Fretting over a few things, looking forward to some others. When I get there, I don't rush to check mail right away. I jot down a list, with some keywords, in the order of priority, and paste it on the corner of my desktop. Immediately, I feel a surge of relief. The fear of forgetting to-do things is eased: I don't have to keep it in my head anymore; it's on the list! Phew! That's one less thing to worry and I can think about actual work.
One thing at a time
Once I'm done making a list, I start working on the items and strike them off as they finish. I resolve to think of only one item: the one I'm working on. I don't have to worry about losing track, as they are tracked already! Sorry, will look at the bug update once I'm done dealing with email. Trust me, it becomes much easier after you've delegated the tracking to a list.
Less time wasted
As I work on each item, I find myself better focussed! That means more efficient use of time working, with less worry. And my mind doesn't feel like a hive of activity. When I'm done with a few items, the saved time has accumulated. I can now use it to surf the web, chat with people, check my whatsapp, or whatever I wish. Win-Win and then some!
Achiever
So how do you feel now that you're a few items down? That's right, a growing sense of achievement. And there's still a few hours left in the day. Any item, no matter how small, when finished, is striked off the list and your mind. It's done. Nothing to do about it anymore. You can forget about it. That's not all, every item, big or small, when finished, leaves you with a tiny addition to your sense of achievement.
A list for the weekend?
A list, even a loosely made one, can help make you make the most of your weekend too. Chores, catching up with friends and family, things around the house, and even getting good rest. A list can help you fit everything in the two days you have. So you go to work Monday morning without feeling guilty that you wasted the entire time just lying in bed telling yourself that you need the rest.
Don't believe me? I dare you to try it! :-)
Take Care,
Aashish.
I often use it at work, and find it extremely useful. Especially on days when I have too many items on my plate and I can't focus on one thing without worrying about another at the back of my head. There are often days when I flit from one job to another, without giving each its due attention, wasting too much time switching, and end up tired, confused, and frustrated at the end of the day, not to mention very less productive.
Lists show the way to organize work and save the day!
There are several reasons why making and following lists diligently helps. Here are some that are true for me.
A load off my head
I travel to work making plans in my head about what needs to be done during the day. Prioritizing. Fretting over a few things, looking forward to some others. When I get there, I don't rush to check mail right away. I jot down a list, with some keywords, in the order of priority, and paste it on the corner of my desktop. Immediately, I feel a surge of relief. The fear of forgetting to-do things is eased: I don't have to keep it in my head anymore; it's on the list! Phew! That's one less thing to worry and I can think about actual work.
One thing at a time
Once I'm done making a list, I start working on the items and strike them off as they finish. I resolve to think of only one item: the one I'm working on. I don't have to worry about losing track, as they are tracked already! Sorry, will look at the bug update once I'm done dealing with email. Trust me, it becomes much easier after you've delegated the tracking to a list.
Less time wasted
As I work on each item, I find myself better focussed! That means more efficient use of time working, with less worry. And my mind doesn't feel like a hive of activity. When I'm done with a few items, the saved time has accumulated. I can now use it to surf the web, chat with people, check my whatsapp, or whatever I wish. Win-Win and then some!
Achiever
So how do you feel now that you're a few items down? That's right, a growing sense of achievement. And there's still a few hours left in the day. Any item, no matter how small, when finished, is striked off the list and your mind. It's done. Nothing to do about it anymore. You can forget about it. That's not all, every item, big or small, when finished, leaves you with a tiny addition to your sense of achievement.
A list for the weekend?
A list, even a loosely made one, can help make you make the most of your weekend too. Chores, catching up with friends and family, things around the house, and even getting good rest. A list can help you fit everything in the two days you have. So you go to work Monday morning without feeling guilty that you wasted the entire time just lying in bed telling yourself that you need the rest.
Don't believe me? I dare you to try it! :-)
Take Care,
Aashish.
I do that too :-) definitely helps
ReplyDeleteCool! :)
Deletehmm...may I know who is this, please?
Bingo!...to the point!..I too have a list for evryday!...and yes.it does give a lot of relief!...but in my case procrastination takes over aftr some time...and half of the list is carry forwarded to the next day! :(....Hope I can take some motivation from the article of urs
ReplyDeleteI'd recommend using Trello. It is a better way of organising and be reminded of things that you want to do. If you are familiar with Agile/Scrum way of doing things, you will for sure like it. I've been using it for quiet some time now and never missed any important task. It is a "To-Do --> Doing --> Done" thing. Plus you can make your own multiple boards, like one for personal, one for official. On top of that, it is completely free and is accessible in browsers and on mobiles. Give it a try. Here you go - http://goo.gl/jNLatz
ReplyDelete- Harsh