Making a to do list is a huge and important step for helping you have productive and successful days. But just making it is just the first step to having a to do list that will really help you get more done. Which is why today I am sharing my top 9 to do list tips to help you get more done. So you can start accomplishing more each day to work on becoming the best and more productive version of yourself!
To do lists can be one of the most beneficial tools for helping you stay organized and on top of what you need to do each day. But for them to truly be able to help you keep on track of things and keep you headed in the right direction then you need to set them up and use them correctly. Which is what these tips are all about.
So let’s get into these to do list tips to help you get more done!
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9 To Do List Tips To Help You Get More Done
How to start writing to do lists to get more done:
Tip 1) Determine the best place to make your to do lists.
Some people prefer digital to do lists. And that can mean on your phone, tablet, or computer.
Others prefer pen and paper. And that can mean a notepad, planner, or even a whiteboard and market.
There is no right or wrong way or place to make your to do lists but there is a way that is going to work the best for you. Think about your days and what they normally look like. And then go from there to determine where the best place to make your to do list.
If you find yourself always having your phone on you and always able to check it then your phone might be the best place for you. Are you glued to your laptop all day? Then a note on your laptop might be the best option.
Are you not able to check your phone or other devices? Or choose not to? Then a pen and paper to do list might work better for you.
Also, it may take some trial and error to determine which type of list ends up working the best for you.
Tip 2) Make categories for the items within your list.
An effective to do list is going to contain everything that you need to accomplish for the entire time period you are making it for.
Which often leads to a really big master list that can get overwhelming and be difficult to prioritize (we will talk about prioritizing next!). So it’s really important and helpful to break down your list into the different categories of it.
What the actual categories are will really depend on your life and what items are needed on your to do list.
Some examples of categories to get you started are:
- Work/career
- Academic
- Personal
- Family
- Side business
- Chores
- Health/fitness
But there are some specific ones that could really depend on your life so don’t be afraid to get creative with your categories.
Tip 3) Really start prioritizing the important tasks on your list.
Prioritizing is one of the things that are often forgotten that make to do lists non-effective.
But thankfully it is not too complicated to start prioritizing your to do list.
The best strategy in my experience is to brain dump everything onto your to do list. And remember that every task even really small ones should be added onto the list as well.
Then once you have written all of the tasks on your to do list then go back and start with the number 1 most important task and start numbering from there which tasks are the most important to get done.
That way you know which tasks you need to really make sure you are completing since realistically you should have so much on your to do list that you can’t complete them all in one day. And this can really help you stay on track!
Tip 4) Add new tasks when they pop up.
New tasks are bound to pop up throughout the day.
And it can be easy for anyone to forget those tasks when life starts to get crazy.
Which is why it is so important to add new tasks right away to your to do list. And don’t be afraid to re-prioritize your list if needed when you add the new task to the list.
This one of the to do list tips is why it is so important to find out a strategy and place to keep your to do list that is easy to add it. So keep that in mind when you are deciding if a phone, notebook, etc. is the best place for you to have your to do list.
Tip 5) Assign a time estimate value to tasks.
Knowing or at least estimating how long each task will take you is incredibly helpful for helping you figure out what you can complete realistically in your day.
And not only can it help you reign things in it can also help you push yourself. Pushing yourself to complete a little more each day is made easier by knowing the time it will take you to accomplish each thing on your to do list.
I do recommend making a rough estimate strategy that works for you. For me I break things down into quarter hour estimates but 10 minute or hour increments might work better for you. Don’t be afraid of some trial and error with determining what works the best for your to do list.
Tip 6) Balance large tasks and smaller tasks.
As you probably noticed from the to do list tip above not all tasks are the same amount of time commitment. And not all tasks will be the same level of investment an emotional work for you either.
Which is why it is important to balance tasks so that you don’t get burnt out right away at the beginning of the day. It is okay to throw a slightly lower priority task into the middle of your day if that task is less draining and will allow you to take a breather in-between larger and more draining tasks.
Balancing your day is something that can truly help you stay productive and avoid burning out but remember to be patient with yourself while you are learning to do this! It can take awhile to really get the hang of balancing smaller and larger tasks. But just stick to it and you will see how helpful it can be.
Tip 7) Include every due date and deadline next to each item.
This is probably the simplest of the to do list tips but one that can really help to put things into perspective and keep you on track.
It can be easy to get caught up in a larger project that is more time and effort consuming. But if that task isn’t due for a month and a small task is due tomorrow you don’t want to neglect that smaller task.
So while you are making your to do list just jot down next to each task when it is due or when you would like to complete it by if it doesn’t have a formal deadline.
Tip 8) Make a rough draft to do list for tomorrow.
This tip can be a bit tiresome when you are first starting to make daily to do lists. But it is so helpful when you wake up the next morning and haven’t had your morning caffeine yet to already have an idea of what the day has in store for you.
I find that doing this during my night time routine makes it easier to incorporate into my day but you could also do it at the end of each work day. Whatever works the best for you and your life schedule which is important to remember with all of these to do list tips that you need to do what works the best for your life!
Tip 9) Don’t be afraid to re-evaluate your strategies.
The final of the to do lists tips is one that is so important in general and to do lists is no exception.
Learning to re-evaluate things with time can help you from getting stuck in a rut or with a system that just really isn’t working for you.
Our lives change throughout time and that is a great thing! But it also means that we need to re-evaluate different parts of our lives and they change. And your to do list style and system may change with time and that is totally okay.
Anytime there is a major shift in your life like changing jobs, starting a family, graduating, etc. it is essential to take a look at your strategy and then change it if needed to work for the new parts of your life!
I hope that these to do list tips are helpful in assisting you starting to make to do lists that really benefit your days and your life.
To do lists can be an incredible tool for keeping us focused, organized, productive, and on track throughout the day. And all those benefits are why I hope that these tips helped you and that you start using and creating better to do lists!
And remember to be patient with yourself. Changing any part of your daily routines takes time. It takes time to make it a habit. And it takes time to start to really feel the benefits. But just by starting to create efficient to do lists is a great step towards bettering your days. And I truly believe in you!
If you did find this helpful then make sure to keep scrolling so we can stay connected and you can always know when I have new content and freebies.
Korra-Shay
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