Is your to do list just one more “to do” item?

by Sarah (March 28, 2008)

I have two kinds of “to-do” lists - lists that I make in order to get things done, checking things off as they’re accomplished, and lists I make just to get the information out of my brain, because if I don’t, it will keep circling and distracting me from whatever it is I need to be doing.

In my case, the second kind is probably more important than the first, and sometimes it only ends up having two or three items on it, which helps me to put things into perspective and keeps my day from spinning into unmanageability for no good reason. When I do have a lot to accomplish, however, it can sometimes get to the point that just making the list exhausts and overwhelms me. If that’s the case, there are a couple of things I find it helpful to remember:

• Don’t break down each of the items too finely - the list is there as a memory aid and reminder, not as a planner for each of the tasks.
• While the list can help me to plan and create timelines, I can’t get too rigid about it. I have to remember that whether it’s in writing or not, it helps to remain flexible and respect my energy levels and limitations.
• Don’t keep going back to the list just to cross things off (or worse, write things on the list that I’ve already done or that are very simple, just so I can cross them off later). The only reason to look at the list is to confirm the next item that needs to be completed. At the end of the day, I can cross things off, determine which items aren’t going to get done anyway, and make a new, hopefully much shorter, list with which to start the following day.

I’ve seen myself and others reach a point where we become so obsessed with making the lists that we lose sight of what it is we’re trying to accomplish by making them. If I’m looking to increase my productivity, it’s not going to help me to feel like I’m always writing “make/manage to-do list” on my to-do list.

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