To-Do List Formula: A Stress-Free Guide To Creating To-Do Lists That Work!

by Damon Zahariades

writing is creative work that requires mental energy.

You may find it useful to keep a separate list for high-priority, high-value to-do items. Some people call this a HIT list, or high-impact task list.

One of the most important things you can do is to keep your master to-do list clean. You need to prune the list on a regular basis, purging tasks that are no longer necessary or consistent with your goals.

Trivial tasks can be eliminated without repercussions. These are random items that are recorded when they surface, and promptly forgotten. Your master list will accumulate them. That’s its purpose - to clear your head of things that are difficult to remember and organize.

Remove all resolutions from your master to-do list. They don’t belong there. Instead, put them on a separate “lifestyle goals” list and treat them as projects.

Recall Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

When you phrase a task with a verb, the task comes alive. It goes from being a mere line item on your to-do list to being an actionable assignment. The verb triggers something in the brain, prompting it to focus on completing the item.

Following are “tasks” (technically, they’re little more than notes) that lack verbs: Laundry Sandra’s birthday cake Accounts receivable report Car tires Breakfast with parents

Notice how the tasks lack emotional and motivational power. We can fix that by adding verbs to them: Start a load of laundry Buy a cake for Sandra’s birthday Finish the accounts receivable report Check the press...

The right verbs encourage execution. They encourage you to take action. The wrong ones do the opposite. They encourage procrastination.

Verbs like explore, plan, and touch base lack specificity. As a result, they’re less effective than verbs like research, draft, and call.

latter choices have more impact because they imply ...

Phrasing tasks with the right action verbs will motivate you to ...

Your master task list, context lists, and daily to-do lists are components of a broader system. Their effectiveness depends on that system’s integrity.

Tiny tasks don’t belong on your daily to-do list. Remember, your daily list should be limited to seven items. Save the space for high-value tasks that require more time to complete (a minimum of 15 minutes).

Following are examples of tiny tasks that belong on a separate batch list: Make the bed Start a load of laundry Email client

Each of these tasks can be completed in a few minutes. The problem is, when you address them sporadically throughout your day, you risk them becoming distractions.

They’ll interrupt your workflow, derailing your momentum and destroying your creativity.

Batch these tiny tasks together. Set aside 30 to 45 minutes to work on them. This will allow you to focus on the items, one by one, without distracting you from your important work. You’ll have set aside a separate work session to address them.

You’ve looked at your master to-do list and become disheartened by its length and lack of task-level context.

You’ve looked at your daily to-do list and become demoralized after discovering the items you’ve included are vague projects rather than actionable tasks.

you should specify the project with which the task is associated; the type of activity (analytical, creative, etc.); and whether there are any location-based constraints attached to it.

suppose you’re responsible for a high-priority project that has a looming deadline. You would focus on the tasks that move that project forward

suppose it’s mid-afternoon and your energy levels are low. You’d do well to focus on mindless work (e.g. data entry, decluttering your desk, etc.) rather than analytical or creative work (activity-based context).

weekly review session. It gives you an opportunity to evaluate the extent of your progress toward your various goals. It also gives you a chance to reprioritize tasks as needed.

How do you conduct a weekly review? Here are the basic steps: Gather all of your to-do lists. This includes your master list and context-based lists. Do a brain dump of all the tasks and projects floating around your head. Add them to your master list. Break down new projects into individual tasks. Separate new tasks according to context (project, type, and location). Create new context-based lists, if necessary. Clear out your email inbox. Send responses if they’re necessary. If an email requires you to take action, but isn’t urgent, make a note of it on your master to-do list and archive the message. Also, archive emails that don’t warrant a response or action, but may be needed later. Delete the rest. Review your master list and context-based lists. Purge tasks that are no longer necessary or important. Note the tasks that are both important and urgent. Mark them as candidates for your daily to-do list. Note the tasks for which you’re waiting on input from others. Write down the person’s name and the date you expect to receive his or her input. The date will tell you when to follow up if you don’t receive it. Review your current deadlines for high-value tasks. Make adjustments if necessary. Assign deadlines to new tasks you’ve added to your master list and context-based lists. Review your calendar for the coming week. Create your daily to-do list based on your availability.

Your goals dictate how you spend your time.

They make you accountable. When you know what you’re trying to achieve, you become aware that every decision you make either moves you closer toward your goals or further away from them.

To recap, you’ve created goals that are specific. And you’ve written them down. Now what?

third step is to review them monthly. Set aside 30 minutes at the end of each month to track your progress and reevaluate whether any of your goals have changed.

Trying different systems is important. It’s the only way to determine which ones complement the way you work. It’s also a great way to discover individual tactics you can include in your own approach.

The goal is to increase your efficiency and ultimately make your life easier to manage. When you focus on methodologies to the point that they become the priority, you risk forfeiting these goals.

Your to-do list system will only be as effective as the consistency with which you apply the principles

skipping a day or two can have a snowball effect. Once you skip a day, it becomes easier to skip forthcoming days.

If you struggle with being consistent, I recommend you use the “Jerry Seinfeld” strategy. Here’s how it works (I’ll explain its history in a moment): First, learn the 10 steps to creating an effective to-do list system. (These steps were explained in detail in the section titled How To Create The Perfect To-Do List.) Second, memorize the eight tips for ensuring your system runs smoothly over the long run. (These eight tips are found in the current section titled How to Maintain A Well-Oiled To-Do List System.) Third, buy a wall calendar that displays the entire year on a single sheet. Also, buy a red pen. Lastly, apply the steps and tips you’ve learned to your master list, context-based lists, and daily to-do lists each day. After you’ve successfully done so, cross the day off with the red pen. Seinfeld used this strategy when he was on the comedy club circuit. He would write jokes each day, crossing the day off on his calendar. The red “X” marks eventually formed a chain, which he made certain to never break. Seinfeld credited this “chain” strategy, which encouraged him to write consistently, to becoming a skilled comedian.

any productivity system, whether it’s focused on task management or workflow efficiency, is a series of learned behaviors.

Keeping it running smoothly requires developing new habits and applying them with consistency. It takes commitment and resilience.

Replacing bad habits with good ones is tough work.

The key is what you choose to do when you stumble.

Don’t beat yourself up; self-guilt has no value. Instead, brush the dust off and forgive yourself. Then, try to determine the reason you stumbled.

there’s something about writing down a task that cements it in our minds. We’re more likely to remember it. We’re also more inclined to act on it.

Typing the words on your laptop or phone has a lesser effect.

A “done list” seeks to fix this problem. It records all of the tasks you accomplish throughout the day. The idea is that seeing the completed tasks will inspire you to get more done. The done list rejuvenates you, filling you with the motivation you need to press onward.

Can a done list actually motivate you

If you need motivation to work on tasks, this can be a sound strategy. Your done list will highlight your accomplishments during the day and ...

In contrast, when you work from a to-do list, crossing off tasks as you complete them, it’s easy to overlook how ...

your done list should not replace your to-do list.

It should be clear that I feel an effective to-do list system is invaluable to organizing tasks and projects and getting things done. A done list cannot possibly take its place as a task management strategy.

your to-do list system should complement your workflow. It should suit your method of getting things done.

the purpose of your task lists - from your master task list to your daily to-do lists - isn’t to make sure you get everything done. Rather, their purpose is to make sure you’re focusing your limited time and attention on your most important work.