When it comes to running a business, we’re inundated with tasks, appointments, and correspondence. It can be very difficult to keep track of our daily activities without forgetting something or getting side tracked.
One of my favorite ways to avoid forgetting tasks is using a To-Do list. To-Do lists help you stay focused and efficient. They also serve as a reminder of the tasks you need to accomplish each day. They’re great time-management tools and can help reduce stress because fewer tasks will “slip through the cracks”.
When creating your To-Do list, keep these important points in mind:
- Timing is everything: Set aside 10 minutes at the end of your day to make your list. This will help to get all of those To-Do’s out of your head and down on paper. Better to have them on paper than to try and remember everything off the top of your head first thing in the morning.
- Small tasks, big rewards: Taking on a large project can be overwhelming. Break it down into smaller steps, so that you have that sense of accomplishment along the way.
- Centralize, centralize, centralize: Keep all of your To-Do items in one place. Use a small notebook, buy a pre-made “To Do” list, or use an online tool. Pick the tool that works best for you, but place it in one central location.
- Prioritization is key: Put the most important tasks at the top of your list.
- Short but sweet: Don’t put too many tasks on your list. There are only so many hours in one day, so only put the items that have to be done on your list. If you have 50 things on your to do list for one day, you may never accomplish all of them.
- Life changes: Be sure to leave room for flexibility. Unexpected delays or emergency interruptions may happen. Don’t feel bad if you don’t get everything done that day; just move the task to the next day.
- Know your accomplishments: When you finish a task, cross it off, so that you can see your accomplishments!
- Make it a habit: Most important, get into the habit of using the list everyday. Even if you have a well-organized list, if you’re not using it, it doesn’t do you any good.
Great tips, Melissa! I recently integrated capturing my priorities as well as to do’s to help me see the forest for the trees and keep the ability to focus on the most important things vs. just the urgent ones that inevitably capture my attention. It’s AMAZING what this has done to reduce my stress level…if I regularly add/move projects around my priority list, I feel much more in control of my workload…it’s a great feeling!