Final week! Day 28

Having started on some of my time managements tips are you able to stick to them? I find that giving myself a shake up about once a month refreshes the theory and improves productivity.  These habits do slip unless you are super regimented with yourself (which lets face it not many of us are)

So here are some suggestions as to how to stick to your to do list.

Mondays are great days to work on your to do list. You can look back to what you didn’t complete. And you can look ahead to what you need to accomplish this week. But, sticking to your list can be a challenge.

How do you focus on the to dos that are on your list?

Stay on Your List

You make your to do list so that you know what you need to do. You probably assign priorities or order the tasks on it. However, it can be easy to set our list down and work on every little task that presents itself.

Have you ever picked up a small task that wasn’t on your list?

Soon, you have spent 3 hours doing something that you had not planned on doing today.

(And probably shouldn’t have been doing…)

How many times have you started a quick web task, ends up in a 30 minute surfing session. Or a simple 2-minute to do becomes 2 hours of searching for a lost piece of information.

That is why it is important to stick to your list.

7 Ways to Stick to Your To do List

Your to do list can be one of your best friends.And it can prevent you from doing things that you shouldn’t be doing. However, you have to stick by your list if it is going to help you.

Here Are 7 Ways to Stick to Your To do List:

1. Include Everything – Your list is only as good as what you put on it. Make sure you put all your tasks on to your list. One way to keep from being diverted is to make sure that annoying to do is on to your list for later.
2. Don’t Go Off List – When you find yourself starting a task, stop and make sure that it is on your list. If not, go back to your list. Stick to the tasks that you know you should be doing.
3. Have One List – It is important that you have one list. Don’t scribble notes anywhere. (Like on a Post-It note…) Having multiple lists inevitably leads to lost and forgotten tasks.
4. Review Your List Regularly - You should have your list with you at all times. (This makes #1 possible.) And you should review your list every single day.
5. Keep It Visible – Keeping your to do list visible leads to action. Put your list where you can see it. When your list is out of sight, your tasks are out-of-mind.
6. Delete Things Off Your List - Just because you added that task to your list, doesn’t mean you have to do it. You might put something onto your list only to find later that it isn’t really important. Don’t hesitate to delete unnecessary tasks from your list.
7. Mark Those Tasks Off! – It doesn’t matter whether you use a check mark or an “X.” Marking things off your list feels good. Get a Sharpie (other markers are available) in your favourite colour and use it to mark off things as you finish them

Only Do The Tasks on Your List

Going off your list for even the smallest of tasks can lead you down rabbit holes of non-productivity.

Today, stick to your todo list.

You will find that you get more done.

And by staying on track, you will get your most important work done first.

See you tomorrow!