Making Your To-Do List Work For You

Often to-do lists end up becoming “one of these days I hope to get around to this” lists.  When this happens, the list become useless and worse, it makes you feel guilty and it can hold you back from taking action.  You know there’s no way you’ll ever get through your list so why even bother.  It’s ok to have a “one of these days” list but the list you look at regularly needs to include things that you are really going to act on.

Here are 10 questions to ask yourself BEFORE you put something new on your to-do list and if you’ve already got a to-do list that’s a mile long you can use these questions to help you lighten your load.

1. What’s the worst that could happen if this doesn’t get done?
2. When does this task need to be completed by?
3. Am I the best person to do this task?  Am I doing someone else’s job?  Is there someone else available, better suited or more qualified to do it?
4. Are there any decisions I need to make, materials I need to gather, information I need to get or conversations I need to have before I can make a decision as to whether or not to move forward on this task?
5. What do I hope to gain by doing this task?
6. What is really expected of me?  Is it the same as what I expect from myself?
7. Who wants me to do this task?  Do I want to do it or is someone else asking me to do it for them?
8. How far do I really need to take this task before it’s done enough?
9. What other task will I not be able to do if I spend my time doing this?
10. What would happen if I took this task off my to-do list?  What could I do instead?

Are there other questions that you find helpful?  Please share them with me in the comments section below.