Monday, December 1, 2014

The ABC Daily To Do List

One of the most effective ways to stay on track and actually get things done is a  daily to do list.  An advantage of keeping a daily to do list is you do not have to remember what to do next.  It is on the list.  On busy days it is easy to forget tasks or become distracted.  Keep your tasks written down so you do not have to rely on your memory.

Use the following method when creating your daily to do list.  Rank items according to the level of importance A, B, or C.

Brainstorm tasks.
List all tasks you want to complete for the day.  Do not worry about the order or anything else.  Just list all the tasks.

Estimate time.
For each task listed, estimate how long it will take to complete.  Be sure to over estimate if you are unsure.  This leaves room for the unexpected.  Add up the time needed to complete all your tasks.  Also add up all the unscheduled hours.  Compare these two totals.  If you have 8 hours worth of to do list items and only 2 unscheduled hours to do it in, this is a potential problem.

Rate each task by priority.
To prevent over scheduling, decide which tasks are top priorities, given your time frame.
Simply label each task A,B, or C

A's are most critical.
B's are important but not critical and can be postponed for one day.
C's are the tasks that do not require immediate attention.
They are often small easy jobs with no set time line.  These can also be postponed.

Now schedule a time for all your A's.
B's and C's can be done randomly during the day when you are in between tasks.

Cross off activities.
Keep your list with you at all times.  Mark off items when they are done or add new tasks when you think of them.

Evaluate.
At the end of the day evaluate your performance.  Look for A's you did not complete.   Look for items that are B's and C's and never get done.  Adjust your priorities before they become a problem.  When you are done evaluating start your list for the next day.  That way when you wake up you can start getting things done right away.

When it comes to to do list, one size does not fit all.  Another method I prefer is the 80/20 Method.  This method states that 80% of the value of your list comes from only 20% of the tasks listed.  So if you have a list with 10 items, choose 2 that will contribute most to your life today.  Complete these 2 tasks without fail.

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