How to do an effective todo list?
Todolist, todoist, to do list, checklist: basics of task list writing
Why draw up a list of actions to be taken
Women love writing lists to make decisions or just to remember things to do and not forget anything. This simple and quick routine allows you to lighten your mental load, avoid storing everything in your brain and thus be lighter and more efficient on a day-to-day. Indeed, you no longer forget the things to do because they are written in your todo.
The 3 main reasons for creating lists
To lighten your mental load: once written, the actions to be done no longer pollute your mind
In order to visualize all the things to do: you can prioritize and plan what you have to do
To get organized and draw up your action plan: what action(s) will you launch today?
For your time management: plan your actions to prevent you from being overwhelmed
As psychoanalyst François Leguil points out: “Writing supports the most fragile things in our memories. We spend our time forgetting what we have to do, what we have done. Lists make up for our failures, which is not in our power to memorize.”
When and how to write a todo list?
When initiating a professional or personal project, it is necessary to ask yourself, to choose the method to adopt, and to take the time to carry out all the actions to be carried out before rushing headlong. This is the first step to effectively manage all the things you have to do. To help you write your to do list, you can use a planning tool.
Moving from an action to be done to an accomplished action: what a joy!
It is very possible that during this phase you will not be able to identify all the things to be done. First of all, it is a matter of listing what you have in mind. Your task list may not be complete, it’s normal, you’ll quickly realize that a todo list is alive, adaptable and can be completed on a daily basis, especially as your project management progresses. That is why we recommend that you update it regularly or even daily. In any case, in this first step, it is necessary to prioritize these tasks.
Making lists of things to do is doubly beneficial to well-being:
- When you list these actions, you free yourself, you no longer need to think about them: everything is written, you have organized your thoughts, your task management is launched
- When you perform an action, you can cross it out or change it to “completed” status. There a feeling of well-being overwhelms you: you have fulfilled the pact made with yourself.
The enemy of the to-do list: procrastination
When you have the opportunity to perform a task you had planned: do it! Scheduling your tasks allows you to define an action plan and avoid procrastinating. An action not done on time, a forgotten deadline and it is your whole plan that is going wrong. Above all, do not postpone your task until later, it will be all the more difficult to do. Why? Why? Because the longer you wait, the more you push it away, the more you will feel guilty and generate negative energy.
The trick is to complete urgent tasks on the date you planned them. Postpone this date only if no other solution is possible: in this case it is not procrastination, but reorganization and adaptation.
Discover Wekowork: our task manager
Very complete and intuitive, Wekowork has been designed to organize and manage your tasks and to synchronize you with other participants in your project. Save time and improve your productivity with this online task manager.
Are you looking for a tool to help you have an efficient time management? Whether for your personal organization or for your work, discover the simple, clear and efficient project management software. Our application has been designed by project management professionals and is very intuitive.
Need more information, or would you like to test our free version? Sign up below.