I have been thinking about the to-do list quite a lot this week and wondering how many people use one and in what format. My to-do list keeps me sane and helps me keep on top of the many personal and professional tasks that need completing on a daily basis. Not only would I not be very productive if I did not have somewhere to write down what I need to do, I would also find myself stressed and would find it difficult to switch off.
HOW DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU NEED TO DO?
To-do lists come in all shapes and sizes. Some of us make mental notes to ourselves, telling us what need to do today, or during the week - I must make an appointment with the dentist, buy a birthday card, write that report etc. Some of us write on memo boards stuck on the fridge, in diaries, in a notebook or input everything in our mobile phones. Then we have a personal to-do list, a professional to-do list and the list goes on and on! With our ever increasingly busy lives we have long lists that are always full and they do not seem to get any smaller despite always (mentally or physically) ticking off our accomplished tasks with relish.
THE TO-DO LIST CAN MAKE YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE
Apparently, our minds are naturally drawn to the business of our unfinished tasks and this helpfully enables us to remember what we need to do, however, this method of remembering can sometimes fail us. We sometimes forget important dates and projects, but if we write down the things we need to do it is unlikely that we will forget them. I know that when I am reminded of a number of things I need to do once I put them down on my to-do list I feel better and my mind feels much clearer. I go to my lists regularly throughout the day to ensure I have completed the necessary tasks. According to Psychologist and Author Dr David Cohen, aside from getting things done people also perform better when they have written down what they need to do (link). This activity provides structure, gives us a plan we can stick to and shows us clearly what we have achieved, giving us a great boost.
SLEEP AND THE TO-DO LIST
I am sure all of us can identify with times when our minds have been going round on a loop just as as it's time for sleep. We suddenly remember all of the things we haven't done this week and some unfinished tasks that we haven't even thought of. This is usually entirely unwelcome and so making a to-do list before bedtime can help you to sleep better (link).
TO DO-LIST TOOLS AND APPS
Being a freelance PA means that I can be supporting a few clients at once, along with constantly learning new skills, apps and tools to help me to do my job better. Along with my studies and taking care of my family I am constantly adding tasks to my to-do list and it is often huge! I have a personal and professional to-do list and I rely on them both. There are many great tools out there for managing your to-do lists and weekly plans/projects. Below I briefly list some good tools and apps that can also help you to manage your time effectively.
Simple Antnotes I love these simple little sticky notes for Mac, that look like post its notes. I have different coloured sticky notes all over my desktop with all the things I need to complete today, this week and this month. Microsoft Sticky Notes are the Windows version.
Toodledo is one of my favourites in terms of simplicity. You can create simple lists that can be organised into folders. You can add notes, track your habits and share and assign tasks to other people.
WorkFlowy is a great way to make notes and lists. You can make lists within lists by adding tags that will help you assign tasks to that particular tag. If I click on my #today tag it will highlight all the tasks that I have assigned to that particular tag.
Wunderlist allows you to create to-do lists that you can share with people who are also able to edit the list whilst you are both on-line. Great for people that want to collaborate on something together remotely, at the same time.
Trello is a to-do list/project management tool that is really easy to manage and also looks great. You can create colour coded boards for each project and cards within each project (which are items on a list/project). You can add attachments and notes, which is what makes this a useful project management tool.
todoist allows you to add tasks, sub tasks, priority levels and due dates in a colour-coded, clear and simple way.
Makings to-do lists are simple, enable you to be more productive and help you to sleep better. How do you keep on top of the long list of things you need to do?