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Using a To Do List to Keep Organized – Step 1 of 3

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with all the projects you need to complete? I get overwhelmed when I try to remember everything. If I am depending on my memory, I am bound to forget something. To alleviate the strain of recalling the projects I have committed to accomplish or deem necessary to complete, I keep a running To Do list on the right-hand side of my desk. In this 3-part series, I will share how I create, prioritize, and execute my To Do list.

STEP ONE:     Creating my To Do list.

My list is written on a pad of paper (3.5” x 6.5”). When I think of items I need to do, I jot them down on my list. The order of the items is based on when I remembered or decided to add that item to the list. As I complete an item, I cross it off the list. I continue to use the same list until I need more space for other items. At that time, I will transfer the remaining unfinished list items to the next sheet on the pad of paper to create a new list.

I re-created my list last night. Here is what it currently holds:

  • Research baseball ideas for son’s birthday
  • Switch out kid’s winter clothes for summer outfits
  • Write blog pages
  • Write blog posts for April
  • Pay bills
  • Clean upstairs
  • Respond to insurance appeal
  • Contact representatives for school’s Fall Festival
  • Make house for son’s history fair project

Try writing out your To Do list and keeping it in a visible location to review often. As you find items you need to address, phone calls to make, errands to run, and any other responsibility you need to complete, write it down. Now you don’t have to remember all your projects. You can just refer to your To Do list.

Next week, I will explain how I prioritize my To Do list and decide which item to complete next. How about you? Do you use a To Do list? Do you keep it on your phone, your computer, or on paper?