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

by Damon Zahariades

Without a proper strategy to manage tasks, our days spiral out of control. Our stress levels skyrocket as high-priority items linger past their deadlines. Meanwhile, a constant stream of new tasks comes in and demands our attention.

Recall Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” If you choose not to assign deadlines to your to-do items, don’t be surprised when those items linger on your list.

Many people do a brain dump of every task they need or want to get done. They record everything on a single list. The problem is, they neglect to categorize these tasks and put them on separate lists according to context, priority, and urgency.

This is what psychologist Barry Schwartz called the “Paradox of Choice.” The more options we have, the less capable we are to decide between them and the more anxiety we experience as a result.

Projects masquerade as tasks when they haven’t been broken down to their constituent parts.

It’s worth pointing out that doing a brain dump is an important step toward creating an effective to-do list. But it’s a first step.

You might feel productive as you complete tasks and cross them off your list. But in reality, you’ll be inclined to choose easy, low-priority tasks that require minimal time to complete and leave the high-value items unaddressed.

Open loops cause us stress.

Cut stress by closing loops using action list. Get it out of the mind swirl

The simplest way to get through your daily to-do list is to assign a “why” to each item found on it. Know the reason the item is on your list. Determine why you need to get it done. Write the reason down next to the task.

Define your why

Make sure your to-do lists are limited to actionable tasks, not projects. If an item requires more than one action, it is a project that can - and should - be broken down. By breaking them down, you’ll enjoy better focus and get important work done more quickly.

Attaching a deadline to every item on your master to-do list makes it easier to know which tasks to select for your daily to-do list.

My “limit-to-seven” suggestion refers solely to tasks that require at least 15 minutes to complete.

For these reasons, categorize each task on your master to-do list using the following three contexts: Project Type Location

What types of tasks are candidates for removal? Look for these four items: Wishes Unclear tasks Trivial tasks Resolutions

This leniency is dangerous because it impairs our productivity. Recall Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” Although you can realistically mow your lawn in 45 minutes, you’ll take an hour and a half to do it if you allow yourself that much time.

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.

Also, notice how the verbs make it easier to estimate task completion times. It’s difficult to know how long the task “laundry” will take. But you can “start a load of laundry” in five minutes.

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). Nor should tiny tasks remain on your master list. They’ll just end up cluttering it. Instead, place them on a separate batch list.

Batch these tiny tasks together. Set aside 30 to 45 minutes to work on them.