Your to-do list - alternate reality or real plans?
Productivity / / December 23, 2019
If your to-do list resembles a strange document describing a parallel reality, it is worth considering what he does for you. Instead, to build sky-high plans that were never executed, you can every day to include in the list of things that are sure to become part of your day.
In 2012, a study of the popular social network Linkedln showed that More than 60% of the specialists create to-do lists, and only 11% carry out all that is written there.
Another study was carried out on the service iDoneThis, which allows you to celebrate what you've done today, and share their achievements with others. According to the survey found that 41% of cases never planned to have been completed, and of those cases that have been marked as "done", only 15% planned in advance.
In other words, the list of human affairs, usually has little to do with real life.
Why it happens?
The biggest problem is that the lists do not reflect what we're going to do really. They are, most often, is what we should do or what other people want from us.
What is the purpose to create a job that you ignore? This is not just useless, but even harmful - your list of tasks creates the illusion of progress, while in reality you do not develop.
How can I change this?
Not to forget their grand plans and ever implement them, you can create a separate list called «someday, maybe. "
When you have important work that you want to perform, but are not sure what would happen to enter it.
If your to-do list for tomorrow is scheduled seven meetings, the work which you intend to enter between them (cleaning the garage, for example), you can safely send to the list of "someday / maybe".
Honest list
It is important to reconsider its attitude to the list of cases for tomorrow and the main principle in its drafting to do honesty.
Include in your list only what is really going to do and specifies the time interval that will be required for this.
Honest list will include not only meetings, projects, housework and other useful things, but what exactly do you do every day: watching your favorite web sites for relaxation, lunch at the cafe across the road and others.
If you will be honest to list all his work - work, leisure and entertainment, you will not particularly straining to do everything we planned on the list.
When you first get to perform everything you feel like a real winner, and your list will no longer seem like a greeting from a parallel reality.
We begin to develop
Once you learn to fully carry out its list, you can start - very slowly and carefully - to add more complicated tasks once or twice a day.
The main thing - make sure you do not overload yourself and continue to keep pace with the growth of your list. If you have not done some task from the list today, tomorrow turn it smaller items, or you may return to the useless giant to-do lists.
prioritize
It is better to strive to fulfill one important thing you schedule and execute ten of them are six of the most simple and important. One important thing to day - it's not very much, but on the other hand, it is five decisions a week and 20 - a month.
Be realistic, assess their capabilities and the plan is fair.