To Do List or Not To Do List

“One of the secrets of getting more done is to make a TO DO List every day, keep it visible and use it as a guide to action as you go through the day.”

Jean de La Fontaine (French Poet)

“For every minute spent in organising, an hour is earned.”

To Do Lists have their advantages it has to be said and I’m a great believer in them…

1.They can help relieve stress! Knowing what needs to be done and having it written down may help remove it from your mind and avoid unnecessary thinking about.

2.We can prioritise once we have a full list of what needs to be done.

3.A to do list is more dependable than our memory! With the substantial amount of tasks which one must now complete within our working and social lives we can’t really expect ourselves to remember everything, and why should we, we’re only human!

4.We can cross out the tasks once they are achieved which will help you feel a sense of achievement and true completion. You can truly recognise the accomplishments you have made.

5.If anything remains on your to do list it can be readily carried over until tomorrow. Just because you write a to do list for doesn’t mean that everything needs to be crammed within a specific time period.

6.A to do list may provide us with a more realistic picture of what we are likely to achieve within a given time period as we can recognise the number of tasks which need to completed and consider the time which may need to be allocated for completion.

Not everyone is a fan of To Do Lists…

1.The mind is powerful thing. Is it not better to trust our memory and keep our brains active?

2.It can be a time consuming process writing a To Do List; time which may be better spent completing tasks.

3.If you fail to complete your to do list you may feel guilty… it can drain you of your motivation as the list appears to be endless and time frame for completion is beyond estimation.

4.Some people suggest highlighting and placing focus on one goal for the day which will under pin your activities. Something which you are passionate about and will provide a sense of motivation for all the routine tasks which you must consider along the way.

So what’s the solution? Do what works for you!

I personally feel that writing a To Do List can be a constructive activity once it is realistically drawn up and you don’t place undue pressure on yourself to complete tasks beyond the time that is available to you. What you do you should do well and everything else can wait.

Perhaps easier said than done but there are only so many hours in the day!

“There are occasions where saying “no” is the best time management practice there is.”
Catherine Pulsifer, We Never Seem to Have Enough Time