Creating effective To-do Items

Before diving into my system, I would like to explain my best practices when it comes to making to-do lists.

Most Time management techniques focus on how to create effective to-do lists and how to complete them. In this post I will explain how to effectively create a To-do list item.

Before I explain this in detail, lets begin with an example:

If you were to have the to-do list on the left, which of the four items would you most likely start on first ?

The answer is simple right? : Drink a glass of water !!!

But why did you end up choosing that? Because subconsciously , the mind will pick the smallest task which you can easily accomplish first. We invariably focus on the shortest task for the psychological payoff (dopamine release) which comes from crossing an item off the list.

So the best way to go about completing your task list would be to pick any tiny task that you can easily accomplish to set yourself up for a small win that will boost your motivation and energy and make you want to do even more.

However most tasks in our lives are not as simple as drinking a glass of water. So how would we go about finishing a list with complex/time consuming tasks? The answer : Make it simpler.

The general rule I follow when I am making a To-do list is that each item must fulfill the four following conditions:

• Precise: 
• Actionable
• Short
• Succinct

The rule can be easily remembered by the acronym : PASS ( Precise, Actionable, Short, Succinct).

In the above list , the remaining three tasks do not satisfy our rule. Lets take " Booking a trip to Canada " for example. The task is complex but if were to break down the task using PASS into smaller items , it would now look like this:

Now that we have broken the task into smaller items, you would be more motivated to do it. How much time does it take to check your calendar for free time ? About the same time you would take to drink a glass of water !!

By breaking down tasks into smaller tasks, you not only make progress, but also feel that you are getting more done since you completed five tasks instead of just one. If you are interrupted or short of time, you could always return back to the list and complete one of the the five tasks which eventually lead you to the goal i.e to "Book a trip to Canada " or whatever your task maybe.

In my next post I will be explaining how to prioritize tasks effectively to make sure you dont miss any deadlines or forget something important.

See you next time !!

References:

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/overwhelmed-by-your-to-do-list-how-to-decide-what-to-do-now/
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225416

Introduction

Time management has always been an important debate over the years. It is a significant aspect, especially in today's fast paced life where nobody seems to have time for anything. Since we have so many things to remember and do, we cope up by making to-do lists to keep track of the things we need to do.

However, once you start making the list it grows fast like an organism. Now, when you decide to actually start working on the list you feel demotivated since the list is too long and there is no sight of the finish line. To cope up we end up making more and more lists without actually being productive. It is the vicious cycle of unproductivity.

I was stuck in the same cycle for a long time and kept trying to break out by trying out several time management techniques. However no such one technique left me felt motivated enough to continue working on tasks on hand.

Finally I decided to come up with my own system , by finding out what motivates people in general. I started my research and came across several good ideas.

From the next post onwards, I will be explaining the best practices I follow by explaining how my own system and the various apps I have used enhanced my productivity significantly.

See you soon !