How To Harness The Power Of Your To-Do List

A To-Do list is a list of tasks to do and complete in a given time period usually by the end of the day. Such a list is only that, a list of tasks and nothing more. If you are having trouble completing your list, you may be overlooking why you don’t complete it.

A common mistake people make is to perceive their To-Do list as a challenge to get as many things done as possible. They start out with a big list and the result at the end of the day is a list that is half complete or less.

What is interesting is that people will do this over and over again, day after day without any idea that they have more control over the list than they ever imagined. So, now let’s look at what we can do to be more efficient at completing a To-Do list.

The real power generated with a To-Do list is in completing your tasks. It is the feeling of accomplishment, success and piece of mind. Most importantly, completing creates free time for you to enjoy!

Let’s now examine the impact not completing your list has on you. How does it make you feel? What do you think the impact has on others in your life? For example, do people shy away from you because you are too busy for them?

Once we understand the impact, we can now learn to be more efficient. A To-Do list when properly used is a way to keep things and your life in a productive and orderly path. It is a way of bringing a sense of commitment to doing the things you feel are important.

If you can complete a shopping list, you can complete a To-Do list. The only thing that will stop you with a shopping list is if you cannot find the product you are looking for. What stops you from completing your To-Do list is you!

Give yourself a chance to complete your list. Be flexible in what you schedule yourself to do. I always give myself the option to take a task and save it for another day. There is nothing wrong with starting out small with a few tasks to complete just to get you on the right track.

Keep your list in proper perspective. If you complete 80% of your list, that’s great!
If you spend 80% of your time on one task because it was the most important thing to complete, that’s fine too!

Time is your worst enemy! You want to create space not time to complete your entire list. The way to do this is to put your time piece away. So, if you wear a watch, take if off and put in your pocket. If you have a wall clock, take it down and put it away.

What you want to create by taking time out of the equation is focus. I remember when I first started doing this, I felt like I was a kid again playing all day without a care in the world. You will discover that as time flies by, you are completing more things, in a smaller amount of time.

Once you get the hang of working with your To-Do list, you will notice that you are doing and completing more things than you ever have before... Most importantly, you will feel whole and complete every day

Planning your day is planning for success. A To-Do list is a great exercise in Planning Your Work and Working Your Plan. When you practice the right way to complete your tasks, every day will become your masterpiece! nn