To-Do Lists Video
Video Transcript
Use a To-Do List to organize and prioritize your tasks.
When you have a lot to do, it's easy to forget an important task or commitment. This can leave you scrambling to meet deadlines.
If this happens often, your work and your reputation starts to suffer. None of us want that!
This is why it's so important to use a To-Do List to organize and prioritize your tasks.
These are simple lists of all the things you have to do, in the order you need to do them.
They enable you to keep track of all your tasks and commitments, and help you avoid stress, as you don't have to worry about remembering everything you need to do.
To-Do Lists are helpful whenever you have several pieces of work on the go. You can also use them to break up a large activity into smaller ones, so that you don't feel overwhelmed or forget something important.
When you write out your list, start by jotting down all of the tasks you need to complete. Once you've done this, allocate a letter to show how crucial each activity is, from A – very important – to F – not important. Then, rewrite the list in priority order.
Next, work through your To-Do List, starting with the high priority A tasks first, then the Bs, then the Cs, and so on.
It's helpful to spend five or ten minutes redrafting your To-Do List at the end of each day. Look at what you’ve done, and what you'll need to do tomorrow.
To-Do Lists are most effective when you have a fairly limited number of things to get done. If you have a lot to do, you'll want to use an Action Program instead. Think of Action Programs as "beefed-up" versions of To-Do Lists.
Find out more about To-Do Lists and Action Programs in the article that accompanies this video.
Sorry you had trouble with the imbedded video. Here is the link to our video resources (you can find it on the "Other Resources" tab from the main menu): http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/main/videos.php The To-Do Lists one is listed in the Time Management section.
Hope you have success this way. Let me know if you are still having difficulty accessing them.
Dianna
Thanks,
Bianca
Like you say, To-Do lists are very much a part of everyone's approach to time management. I think we'd be hard pressed to find someone who has never used such a list. The problem is that the list method itself isn't very effective unless it has some additional structure - and the system you have put together does that perfectly.
Let us know if you try new things or find improvements to the system - we can always use good, practical tips!
Enjoy your new productivity!
Dianna