Why To Do Lists Don't Work
Last week, we looked at Stress Free Ways To Get More Done. Evidently, that idea resonated with quite a few people. Part of the problem has to do with having multiple, competing priorities that all seem to be screaming at you for attention.
In February, I offered a few thoughts about how to keep track of all those incomplete items that take up at least some of your attention. That would seem to lead us toward using to do lists to keep track of what has your attention.
In a way, that is what I'm suggesting. However:
To Do Lists Don't Work - Unless, of Course, They Do!
Many of us have tried "to do" lists and, to be honest, a "to do" list works better than not having one at all. Or at least they kind of work. Sometimes.
If you have a "to do" list, where do you put it? Do you write out a "Things to do list for today" on a piece of paper? Perhaps you even have a pad pre-labeled "Things To Do Today." If so, what do you do with your to do list when you get to the end of the day?
If you're like most people, you probably wind up with several items that you didn't get done. Do you then create a brand new list the next day, copying over those items that you didn't get done the day before?
Sound familiar? If so, you may find that some of the same items keep getting transferred from one list to the next, over and over again. If you do that long enough, you may stop transferring those items, or, worse yet, you may abandon your "to do" list altogether. After all, who needs a list reminding them of all the things they keep putting off? Enough of the guilt thing already!
If you are more sophisticated, you might put your "to do" list directly on your calendar. Perhaps you even assign a time to each item. And then what happens? End of the day rolls around and somewhere between a handful and a bunch of items still aren't done. Now what?
Thank goodness for computers - all we have to do is select the item and assign it a new date and time. Again, and again, and again. And, after a while, it no longer gets transferred.
"To do" Lists Are the Buggy Whip of Productivity
It doesn't matter whether you use paper and pencil, a Word document, Outlook, or some fancy "to do" list manager - they all suffer from the same problem. The notion of "to do" list manager was dead way before we hit the 21st century. In fact, it was dead by the time we hit the '70's.
Back in the 1920's, Charles Schwab, the first president of US Steel and later founder of Bethlehem steel, found that he needed a way to get more done in the day. Legend has it that he issued a challenge offering to pay any amount within reason for ideas that would significantly improve his ability to get things done.
Ivy Lee, often cited as the creator of modern public relations, apparently got wind of the challenge and offered Mr. Schwab what was then an innovative idea. His suggestion was that Mr. Schwab and his executives begin each day by taking out a sheet of paper and writing down the ten most important tasks in front of them for that day. They were to then number them in terms of priority, and begin working on "job one." When, finished, they could move to #2 an so on until the list was done. Once the top ten were out of the way, they were free to do anything else.
Apparently, Mr. Schwab and his executives tried the idea for a month and received such incredible value from it in terms of accelerating their ability to be productive, that Mr. Schwab cut a check to Mr. Lee for a substantial amount of money. I have heard versions of the story ranging from a low of $10,000 to as much as $25-35,000. Even $10K is a significant amount of money, especially back then!
The "to do" list was a great idea for 1920-something. Back then, you could actually get 10 things done in a day without being interrupted all day long. Telephones were high tech and in low supply; email, texting, and cell phones hadn't been imagined.
In today's world, no sooner do you get started on something than the phone rings, the boss wants you, the customer has a problem, or any of a dozen different unplanned interruptions take place.
If you're trying to work the 1920's concept of a to do list executed in priority order, about the only way you can make that happen is by disappearing and unplugging from all things electronic.
The real world, however, requires a different work model.
Our next step is to get a real world list of all the things that have your attention, and get them into some kind of reliable system that will enable you to keep track of all your projects, goals, commitments, to do's, and next actions. (Cautionary note: if you haven't already compiled your "Incompletion Trigger List" then I strongly suggest you do so.)
Notice that I didn't say the system will help you get them all done - just keep track of them. Getting things done comes later. The first you need to do is get everything out of hiding and into a form where you can organize it and develop a system that will work for you.
In many respects, your list of incomplete items will become a 'to do' list that makes sense - you now have all the things you think you need to do in one place. From there, all you have to do is keep track of the list, check off the things you get done, add new ones, and keep the ball rolling.
However, that process can be a bit dulling and can lead to "why bother" thinking as the list never seems to end.
Next up, we need a 21st century way of managing all those "to do's."
Stay tuned!
You can find out more about Russell Bishop at http://www.lessonsinthekeyoflife.com. Contact Russell at: russell@lessonsinthekeyoflife.com
The author of Lessons in the Key of Life, Russell is an Educational Psychologist, professional life coach and management consultant, based in Santa Barbara California.
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It's somewhat astonishing that this entire article can be written, and a couple of pages of comments added, with nary a mention of David Allen's Getting Things Done. GTD is probably the premier personal task and project handling methodology in use today.
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Hi Panglos:
interesting comment. If you look at some of the links in my article, you will note that I do cite David Allen. In fact, David and I were partners in Productivity Development Group in the 1980's and 1990's and co-developed these ideas. Then again, most of the ideas existed before David or I even knew of them! Nothing like timeless wisdom!
The iPhone has great apps for managing To Do Lists. The one I like best is aptly named "ToDo". I can create checklists, change due dates, prioritize items, categorize and tag items - all very easily on the touchscreen. And I never have to re-type anything. I can even have events repeat at various intervals. My phone reception sucks, but the ToDo app is amazing. And no, I don't work for ToDo, I just get excited about anything that helps me be more productive.
I am compelled to share this...I have been a To-Do-list person, errands get done and the ones that don't get done get re-scheduled. It is simple IF you have it as a habit (besides only you know what is a priority and what can be done in extra time, right?). What makes a To-Do-list person frustrated is when it is applied (or attempts to apply) it in team work. I'd like to say a lot more about the To-Do-list effect but the bottom line is never be ruled by a list when working in a team-lots of variables to consider.
Accomplishing tasks is really important tor the mind and one's image. Being over whelmed with a never ending "To Do List" can be rather depressing if you don't keep everything in prospective.
An afternoon on the links works very well.
I beg to differ. Just don't make them too long. Five items max, and just for the day. Always works for me.
What is this article about, anyway?
You're absolutely right.
I think nellie just solved my problem!
Thanks
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Stay tuned, Nellie! We aren't done here. There's a big difference between how many open items you might have on your plate and what goes on your list for today. Being able to keep track of them, knowing what belongs on today's list, and knowing what you can leave to another day is part of the trick. Again, more to come!
The Nellie-add
Ten items max. Just add 5 items that are super-easy or have already been accomplished.
That way..... you look at your list and think, "Dang!! I got a lot done today!!! I'm a real Captain of Industry!!!
And if, perchance, your fellow co-workers, or even your BOSS sneaks a peek, why you're just a eager little beaver in everyone's eyes.
Win-win- won.
Ah yes, it is this kind of thing that keeps me managing very large projects, to good results, where others fail. Keep telling people this stuff.
My friends and i make use of task mngt software and choose the ones that work best for each of us. This stuff feels a little archaic.
Microsoft's Project. (My personal favorite) Try building anything without it.
Outlook is great too. Especially if you have a secretary to load it for you..
Provocative title. I feel baited for no good reason.
I find that I need to separate dated from undated tasks. The truly time-related tasks I write in a little shirt-pocket assignment book. Other things that I should do sometime or other I write on a whiteboard in the kitchen. I don't have to transfer any sticky notes: I just keep staring at the undated tasks as I pass them and finally get around to doing them and crossing them off.
Index cards are the way I do my to do lists, and they work very well.
They fit conveniently in my pocket, and I can check off the item as I do it. If I put something like "Buy toilet paper" on the list, I can instantly see if other items like "Buy toothpaste" or "Take cans back for recycling" can be done at the same time. If something does not get done one day, there is no need to transfer it. Ten items can fit easily on one card.
Usually I keep my to do list in my head, and just do things. But sometimes when procrastination gets the better of me, index cards are handy to make sure things get done.
they don't work unless they do. kinda like posts like this aren't read unless they are. in my case, the headline was enough
(1) Always save yourself as much trouble as possible, as, e.g., by doing anything that can be done any time when the first impulse occurs, etc. (2) Always do that part of your duty that you don't dislike — then you can think over the rest, which at any rate has by that time been reduced into a more manageable shape. Then it seems clear that one should (3) always do at once whatever being disagreeable yet must be done, and will only get worse by putting it off.
— Henry Sidgwick
My to do lists didn't work until I started separating my tasks from my projects (multi-step processes). You can read about my experience with to-do list limbo at http://jug
Oftentimes doing something on my To Do list leads to two or three more items being added to the list. Sometimes it's easier to let the list gather dust than ending up with even more things To Do.
Here's a tip: Put "Be lazy" on the list, then you can do that item and have an excuse for not doing the rest.
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