To-do lists are a powerful force in the world. Accomplished athletes, actors, and business professionals can attest to the power of writing down what they wanted to do and following through on those tasks.
New York Times best-selling author Randy Pausch, known for his 2007 lecture, “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” said, ″You can always change your plan, but only if you have one. I’m a big believer in to-do lists. It helps us break life into small steps. I once put “get tenure” on my to-do list. That was naïve. The most useful to-do list breaks tasks into small steps.”
Having made countless to-do lists, I wanted to share a guide on how to put them into practice.
Start Small
I recommend writing to-do lists for tasks you want to accomplish in a single day rather than long-term goals. Writing tasks down can be daunting at first, but you will be happy with each item you check off or cross out. If you are new to to-do lists, start with 3-5 non-challenging tasks so that your list is a small hill rather than a mountain.
You can write your to-do list at any time of the day. After you finish most or all of your written tasks, consider adding two or three more to that list. You might find that you have crossed out a dozen or more tasks at the end of the day.
I prefer making my to-do lists with paper and pen. Still, there are countless free mobile apps and digital tools dedicated to the subject.
Achievements Can Make You Feel Good
Celebrate your success! Whether it is folding the laundry, finishing a chapter of a book, or writing a paper, let yourself be happy for doing both the extraordinary and the ordinary.
If you write and accomplish “read a chapter of a book” on a daily to-do list for a couple of weeks, you will have finished that book! Cross that item out each day with a big marker and give yourself a pat-on-the-back for your accomplishments.
Using to-do lists can benefit your personal life and professional life.
Personal To-do Lists
Personal to-do lists can range from doing chores to benefiting your health to practicing personal development and self-care. Here are some examples of possible daily to-do list items.
- Empty and fill the dishwasher/wash the dishes.
- Take out the trash.
- Sweep the kitchen.
- Walk one mile.
- Spend 30 minutes cycling.
- Eat two servings of fruit.
- Spend 15 minutes in meditation/prayer.
- Spend quality time with family.
- Listen to a podcast.
- Read 10 pages of a book.
As you get more comfortable with accomplishing such tasks, consider adding more time-consuming or challenging items to your list. You can also add daily tasks that will lead up to a long-term goal. If your list gets to the point where it causes more stress than benefit, scale it back.
Professional to-do lists
Professional to-do lists can help you reach your career goals, one step at a time. They can also help you accomplish your required tasks, large or small, in a current occupation. Many workplaces require maintaining to-do lists.
For a current position, a task can be as simple as reviewing and responding to emails as you begin work. Check that off the list and pat yourself on the back. If you currently have a job, make a daily to-do list similar to the personal list mentioned above, but with your work tasks.
Maintaining and following through on a to-do list can help you reach your employment goals if you are seeking a job. Consider having both a daily and a weekly to-do list for your job searching. Write down your ultimate goals with your job search and see how you can progress towards it daily and weekly. Daily to-dos may include tasks like making a new connection on LinkedIn or applying to multiple openings, while a weekly goal may be to read one book related to your profession of choice.
To-do lists are a great way to accomplish tasks, develop yourself, and work towards meeting your goals, no matter what they are. Remember, you can do anything you set your mind to!
Enjoyed this? You may also like these additional posts from me:
My Tips for Personal Development.
