Useful to do lists are those items written down that accomplishes a purpose or a mission. Just writing to pick up eggs from the store is not as important as writing down on a to do list that one is going to look for a job. What is written on the to do list is what makes the list useful or just a solid waste of time.
The most important thing about useful to-do lists are that it provides you with a clear, concise list of the exact things that you’re trying to achieve in a day/week/etc. Having something guide you like a list makes you more productive because you can clearly see what you’re trying to accomplish and whether you have or not.
This is a topic that is near and dear to the hearts of my readers, researchers, and website visitors. So much so that one of them were kind enough to share their own personal opinions. I don’t claim to be the best interviewer in the world, but I do promise some good, raw, and honest answers from normal people like you and me. I do my best to NOT filter these answers, except for the bad words and hateful speech.
With that little blurb out of the way, let’s dive right into the juicy bits of (potentially) life-changing insights.
Current Topic: Useful To-Do Lists
‘R’ = Richard N. Stephenson (me!) ‘I’ = Interviewee (anonymous by request unless otherwise noted)
[This interview is inspired and fueled by research done for my book: Staying Motivated at Work.]
R: What’s so special about this topic anyway?
I: Lists are a very important tool for organizing your life. With a “to-do” list, a person can categorize the list from the most important item down to the last. Doing this gives one a feeling of being organized. When you have a list such as this it takes the stress of trying to keep everything you need to do in your head. Making lists when planning a shopping trip will help you not to forget something that you really need to buy.
R: Sometimes, I think this kind of stuff could really help people in life – what do you think?
I: A useful to-do list could change someone’s life by making them less forgetful and therefore, more reliable. At work, a reliable employee would be considered for promotions over a non-reliable employee.
Secondly, by writing down a to-do list, they may remember other things to add to the list. Last but not least, someone may come to enjoy crossing off the list, having written proof of what they accomplished. In fact, it has been said a “to do” list should be called a “Things to Get Done” list.
R: Please tell me about your own experience with this topic and how it helped someone be better.
I: A useful to-do list can help people stay on track of intended goals. This to-do list could possibly take many forms, such as keeping a food journal, or making a record of everyone you’ve talked to that day in order to help get over your own shyness. I think the best use is being able to look back on it and look through all of your crossed out achievements and take pride in the fact that you managed to accomplish a goal you set for yourself.
R: Who out there is a good example of using this subject to the fullest?
I: A busy mom with many children would have a “useful to-do list” if she had a list. She would tend to have a list if she was organized and didn’t have a lot of time. She would make the list as exact as possible and try to be as timely as she could about getting everything done.
R: If you had to pick who’s the worst at this subject, who would it be?
I: A might be bad at using to-do lists might be someone who records tasks that are too ambitious and cannot be crossed off. Another person might take more time writing the lists than they do to actually do the tasks, therefore wasting time. Another person who is bad at making lists might be someone who loses lists or does not cross things off the list when they are completed.
R: If you had to pick right now, how could you use this subject in your life more?
I: Being a busy person day to day can sometimes cause me to forget things or not allot proper time to get tasks done. Making to-do lists and breaking the tasks down for the week lets me see what needs to be done and figure out which days are best for me to accomplish what. This prevents me from cramming in tasks last minute or neglecting them entirely.
Breaking them down on my to-do list also helps me with making time to relax, weather that’s by sleeping in a few extra hours one day, or getting my nails done to feel pampered and de-stress.
R: What parts of the daily routine are best for making this subject more useful?
I: In a time of chaos when one’s life is in a disarray because of unexpected circumstances is when a to do is most useful. The to do list provides a map of activities that has to get done to accomplish a task regardless of what else is going on at the time. Most people use to do lists as grocery guides when they are inundated with store and commercial advertising and want to stay on a budget.
R: Can you think of a time when it’s probably a bad idea to look into this subject more?
I: An inappropriate time for a to do list is when it is rude to be distracted. If you are at a funeral, for example, checking your list of things that you need to get done over the weekend would be terribly hurtful to the people present. Even if it is at a happy event like a wedding, showing that you are mentally somewhere else can make people feel less important.
R: Describe where you think most people could get better use out of this topic.
I: To-do lists are most helpful in achieving long-term goals. They can keep you on pace in taking the small steps which lead to achieving an ultimate goal, whatever it is. For example, to-do lists can be helpful in academic achievement. The lists may include homework, reading assignments, or other tasks which, when completed, lead to the achievement of an ultimate goal.
R: Give an example of where folks should not be working on this subject.
I: When your daily life already involves lots of running around and small micro-transactions with others. When I say this, I mean where your life is hectic. Having a to-do list MIGHT make it easier to keep track of, but it just makes it all the more stressful for you to have to follow your set guideline of where and when to go somewhere.
R: Who’s someone (or group) you think could gain a bunch from learning more about this topic?
I: I believe church should have a useful to do list. If church had a useful to do list ideal like a lot more people could be helped and saved. It would help if the list was visible so people could see what was up.
R: Give us at least one major tip we can do something with for this topic?
I: I know some people who have formal monthly, weekly, and daily to-do lists. While I don’t approach my to-do list with the same degree of formality, I do much the same thing by breaking down my longer tasks into a set of smaller tasks as I start to work on them.
For example, a friend has asked me to review six frequently asked questions for a technical publication he’s writing. It will take about two hours to do it right, and I don’t have a two-hour block of free time this week. To manage the work flow, once I start working on this project, I will divide his request into six smaller tasks, one for each FAQ.
I am comfortable that I will be able to find the time to help him this week because I’ve broken the to-do list into tasks that allow me to fit the time available and juggle these tasks with the other demands on my time.
R: Please, let us know what you think is the biggest problem related to this topic?
I: When making to-do lists, never, ever put anything on the list that takes only minutes to complete. Tasks that are completed in less than 2-3 minutes should just be done, right then and there. Put on to-do lists only the tasks that take some planning and times to complete. This simple rule keeps to-do lists from becoming bogged down by simple one step quick tasks.
R: This topic is broad and the readers will need some focus. Can you help guide them along with an example of what to do next?
I: One of the things someone could do is to make a list every day. If you have certain things that you need to do during the day, you can make a list on a piece of paper, or create a list on your phone, and mark them off once you have completed them. It will give people a sense of accomplishment, and they will end up feeling great at the end of the day. If something isn’t complete for that day, they can move it over to the list for the next day.
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Thank you for reading this personal journey into becoming a better person and having a better future ahead of you. I hope you enjoyed this interview conversation and found golden nuggets you can immediately apply to your daily life.
If you want to get more productivity (and fulfillment!) out of your work, career, and life through being more motivated, then check out Staying Motivated at Work.
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