Supercharge Your Task List
If you use task lists to manage your workload then by the end of this article you will have a number of ideas that will increase your effectiveness as you work through your tasks.
I have found these tricks useful for myself and so thought that maybe someone else might find them useful.
Tip 1 - Use pen and paper rather than a pda or other method.
Firstly I use pen and paper rather than a pda.
I'm not a technophobe by any means but using pen and paper allows me to write my tasks on one side of the paper and take notes, phone numbers, dates, diagrams and other things that I can jot down.
At the end of the day I can file the task list in a folder along with all the others and it remains a useful reference for me.
Tip 2- Write the date at the top of the page.
This is a no-brainer really.
By putting the date at the top you can easily reference it at a later date.
Tip 3- Categorise your tasks.
You can use letters, numbers or symbols to categorise your tasks.
Once you have written your tasks down I find it useful to denote each task with a letter.
I use the following system: Q - Denotes a quick task that can be done in a few minutes P - Denotes a project that needs to be split down into smaller tasks I - Denotes that this task is extremely important and needs to be done asap L - Denotes a low priority task Spend time splitting your project tasks into smaller tangible tasks.
Tip 4- Find out what your most important task is and complete it.
Look down your list and look at your "I" tasks.
Work out which one is the most important and do this task before any other task if you can.
If your having trouble working out which task is important then work out which task would cause the most problems if it wasn't completed.
Tip 5- Work your way through the remainder of the tasks as fast as you can.
If you have a number of tasks that are similar in nature, for example, you have 6 tasks that require you to make a phone call, try and group these tasks and complete them all in one sitting.
Once you make your first telephone call you will find that you will be eager to complete the rest of the related tasks.
Tip 6- Cross off tasks only when they are fully complete.
It is human nature to desire completion and so you might find yourself tempted to cross off a task list before it is actually truly complete.
Try to resist this urge.
Only cross tasks off once they have been fully completed.
Tip 7- Add tasks to your list as soon as they become apparent to you.
If you get an idea about new projects or tasks then add them to your list as quickly as you can.
This way you can be assured of capturing your idea and knowing that it will get done.
Tip 8- Carry over uncompleted tasks to the next day.
At the end of the day highlight the tasks that remain uncompleted and copy them over to next days task list.
Remember to assign your letters or symbols - whatever system you use.
Tip 9- Not all tasks are important.
Sometimes your task list will begin to grow beyond what you are capable of completing within a reasonable time.
When it gets that way it can get a bit demoralising.
Run through your task list and consider each task and ask yourself if it is really important.
What are the consequences of not doing this task? Can the task be delegated or outsourced in anyway? Can it simply be forgotten about without any implications? Cross it off your list if it isn't important.
Tip 10- Look at what you have achieved.
After a few months of doing this it is extremely rewarding to look back at your completed task lists and see just how much you have achieved and just how far you have come.
Doing this will also give you a wider perspective on what tasks are really important and which tasks are not.
Tip 11- Make big tasks smaller.
Try to break down some of your bigger tasks into smaller bite size chunks so that you can move forward on them.
Remember, every big journey begins with one small step.
So there you have it.
Some simple techniques that make working through your task list a breeze.
Using these tools you can really motor and get loads done.
I hope you find these ideas as useful as I have.
I have found these tricks useful for myself and so thought that maybe someone else might find them useful.
Tip 1 - Use pen and paper rather than a pda or other method.
Firstly I use pen and paper rather than a pda.
I'm not a technophobe by any means but using pen and paper allows me to write my tasks on one side of the paper and take notes, phone numbers, dates, diagrams and other things that I can jot down.
At the end of the day I can file the task list in a folder along with all the others and it remains a useful reference for me.
Tip 2- Write the date at the top of the page.
This is a no-brainer really.
By putting the date at the top you can easily reference it at a later date.
Tip 3- Categorise your tasks.
You can use letters, numbers or symbols to categorise your tasks.
Once you have written your tasks down I find it useful to denote each task with a letter.
I use the following system: Q - Denotes a quick task that can be done in a few minutes P - Denotes a project that needs to be split down into smaller tasks I - Denotes that this task is extremely important and needs to be done asap L - Denotes a low priority task Spend time splitting your project tasks into smaller tangible tasks.
Tip 4- Find out what your most important task is and complete it.
Look down your list and look at your "I" tasks.
Work out which one is the most important and do this task before any other task if you can.
If your having trouble working out which task is important then work out which task would cause the most problems if it wasn't completed.
Tip 5- Work your way through the remainder of the tasks as fast as you can.
If you have a number of tasks that are similar in nature, for example, you have 6 tasks that require you to make a phone call, try and group these tasks and complete them all in one sitting.
Once you make your first telephone call you will find that you will be eager to complete the rest of the related tasks.
Tip 6- Cross off tasks only when they are fully complete.
It is human nature to desire completion and so you might find yourself tempted to cross off a task list before it is actually truly complete.
Try to resist this urge.
Only cross tasks off once they have been fully completed.
Tip 7- Add tasks to your list as soon as they become apparent to you.
If you get an idea about new projects or tasks then add them to your list as quickly as you can.
This way you can be assured of capturing your idea and knowing that it will get done.
Tip 8- Carry over uncompleted tasks to the next day.
At the end of the day highlight the tasks that remain uncompleted and copy them over to next days task list.
Remember to assign your letters or symbols - whatever system you use.
Tip 9- Not all tasks are important.
Sometimes your task list will begin to grow beyond what you are capable of completing within a reasonable time.
When it gets that way it can get a bit demoralising.
Run through your task list and consider each task and ask yourself if it is really important.
What are the consequences of not doing this task? Can the task be delegated or outsourced in anyway? Can it simply be forgotten about without any implications? Cross it off your list if it isn't important.
Tip 10- Look at what you have achieved.
After a few months of doing this it is extremely rewarding to look back at your completed task lists and see just how much you have achieved and just how far you have come.
Doing this will also give you a wider perspective on what tasks are really important and which tasks are not.
Tip 11- Make big tasks smaller.
Try to break down some of your bigger tasks into smaller bite size chunks so that you can move forward on them.
Remember, every big journey begins with one small step.
So there you have it.
Some simple techniques that make working through your task list a breeze.
Using these tools you can really motor and get loads done.
I hope you find these ideas as useful as I have.