Conquering To-Do Lists

One of our blog post discussed S.M.I.T.N. – single most important task now – making to do lists that seems never ending and not writing it down would discourage and overwhelm anyone, any day. So, we’ve discussed that we need to focus on S.M.I.T.N. so you can give the right attention on your most important task and get it done, before moving on to the next one.

1. Single - One thing, not “top 3 priorities,” and absolutely no multi-tasking

1. Most important Task - Your #1 task or the top of your to-do list. Important, not urgent.

2. Now - Not tomorrow, not next quarter, but at this very moment.

No matter how good we are at multitasking and juggling tasks, doing that just splits our thoughts and concentration that it causes us more chances to forget and leaving out parts on our to-do lists, hence, focus on that one important part before moving on to the next one.

On top of it all, take care of yourself. You cannot over do things to get things done, only in the end, nothing gets completed.

So here are a few reminders when making and accomplishing your to do lists.

#1

Before you start doing your tasks, decide which is the most important one, rank it 1-2-3 if possible, and work on it accordingly. As is in the book Eat that Frog by Brian Tracy, focus on hardest and most complicated task first, and the rest of your tasks will seem easy as pie. Also avoid being distracted and multi-tasking.

For example, schedule the most difficult task first thing in the morning and put all your effort on that. Once you are done with that proceed with the second important task, or wait until after lunch. Then, perhaps work on the third one after an afternoon break. Some of the other smaller tasks can be done at other certain times of the day or during breaks.

#2

Schedule enough time between tasks – don’t try to do back-to-back meetings, pick-ups, or appointments, only to be late, be stressed out, because one ran too late, or it was traffic, or something came up. It’s unnecessary stress you can avoid, and you don’t need that. Schedule enough leeway between each task so you can take a breather, a time to take everything in, and if one meeting gets heated, a time to cool down.

#3

Schedule breaks – when running errands or doing your tasks, don’t forget to also schedule a break – to eat, to have coffee, to sit, to breathe. A lot of us forget to do that, we just keep going and going and going, like the Energizer Bunny, and that will just cause us to burn out faster than we can even say ‘Energizer Bunny.’ So don’t forget to take your break. It is mandatory to take breaks from work. So why not take breaks when doing errands and accomplishing your to-do lists as well.

#4

Say NO – we cannot emphasize this enough. We all have so much to do in our lives as it is, and saying yes to other things just adds up. More tasks pile up on our to-do lists, next thing you know, you don’t even have time to yourself. I’m sure at one point in your life, this has happened. So, we all need to learn to say no. Just say NO. No matter how hard and how difficult that is. It really has to be no.

#5

THEIR EMERGENCY IS NOT YOUR EMERGENCY – have you noticed that some people would call you in a panic asking this or that, demanding you to do something about it – and yet, you’re in the middle of something yourself, and it really is not an emergency. Well, something I was taught in my 20s, by a boss of mine, “their emergency is not your emergency” remember that. So, either (1) learn to say no, or (2) if they need your help – they have to wait. That’s just how it is.

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Remember

to-do lists doesn’t have to be overwhelming, just need to take it one by one. Also break it down little by little. What do I mean by that? Well, don’t make a task that is too broad. Tasks also need to be broken down into a plan, like constructing a house, we do it step by step – we can’t start with the roof, or else the house will never stand up.

Don’t just write down – to-do list: Go Camping

• Look for a campsite and book it

• Find the tent, and tent footprint, and clean it

• Pack the air bags, air beds or air pads

• Pack the kitchen bin, make sure it’s all clean

• Pack the chairs and a table

• Make a meal plan and go grocery

  • Chicken and veggies

  • Sausage and veggies

  • Steak and shrimp

  • Smores 😊

  • Snacks and chips

  • Juice and water

• Prepare the first aid kit and make sure it’s still up-to-date

• Prepare water supply / water purification system

• Charge all electronics and pack it

• Pack clothes in packing cubes

Conclusion:

Once you get the hang of it, it will all be easier to manage. After all, life is about managing time so as not to drive oneself senseless. So hopefully this helped bring some guidance and direction.

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