How To Create A To Do List That Works
If you’re anything like me, there’ll have been multiple times in your life where you’ve thought about the tasks you need to do and felt a shudder of fear. Life is increasingly busy, and most people have a seemingly never-ending list of things to do.
If you’ve ever tried using a to do list and decided that do to lists don’t work, I’m here to help change your mind. This blog looks at the different kinds of to do lists and methods to help create effective to do lists.
Jump straight to each section:
Are To Do Lists Effective?
To do lists can be an effective way to manage your time and tasks, but not all to do lists work for everyone. Finding the best type of to do list that works for you is key, but even then a to do list will only work if you are taking the time to follow it.
Different Kinds Of To Do Lists
There are many different ways to format a to do list, including:
Daily to do lists
These to do lists are usually created at the end of the day for the following day, or first thing in the morning, and contain a list of things you want to complete before the end of the day. Some people go further and create a schedule with times they intend to complete each task.
Pros: Great for people who like a fresh start every day. Can be less overwhelming looking at one day at a time.
Cons: Can be easy to forget tasks when planning on a smaller level. People tend to overestimate what they can get done in a day.
Weekly to do lists
Weekly to do lists allocate tasks to do for each day across the week. Some people prefer to plan their week on Sunday evening or Monday morning, while others may just plan 1-2 days at a time while keeping everything in a single weekly to do list.
Pros: Top level view makes it easier to plot in tasks across the week.
Cons: If planning the entire week in one go, you may find yourself having to move things around during the week.
Monthly to do lists
Monthly to do lists are much broader, with most people noting down bigger things they need to complete that month, rather than the everyday tasks.
Pros: Tends to focus on fewer, more important tasks which can be less overwhelming than a huge to do list.
Cons: Easier to forget to check back on the list. Doesn’t help with planning on a daily basis.
‘Everything’ to do list
This is the simplest form of to do list, where you write down everything you need to do and work through it in any order.
Pros: Doesn’t require much time, great for people who don’t like a lot of planning.
Cons: Can be challenging to get through tasks in an impactful order.
Prioritised to do list
This kind of to do list includes all of your tasks, in order of priority. Rather than planning for certain days or times, you work through them one by one and tick them off as they’re done.
Pros: Ensures you get key things done first.
Cons: Some people struggle to work in priority order depending on their schedules, interest and energy levels, and may end up procrastinating.
Best To Do List Method (In My Opinion)
A popular way to organise your to do list is the Eisenhower Matrix, which involves allocating your tasks to either:
Urgent AND important
Urgent AND not important
Not urgent AND important
Not urgent AND not important
Tasks that are urgent and important go on the to do list, urgent and not important tasks are scheduled, not urgent and important tasks are delegated, and not urgent and not important are removed from the list.
While I like this method, I don’t think it’s realistic for everyone. Most people don’t have a person they can designate their tasks to, and eventually the not urgent and not important tasks do need to get done – they can’t be thrown out forever.
I have found the best way to create an effective to do list is to:
Write down everything you need to do
Note down if there are any hard deadlines
Note down which tasks will have the biggest impact
From here, create a prioritised list of tasks
Plot these out across the week
Each day, fill in the remaining time with other tasks
This method allows you to get the important things done, while chipping away at the rest of your to do list.
How To Structure To Do List
When creating the perfect to do list, there are a few things you should include:
Non-negotiable tasks
What tasks do you have to get done, either due to a deadline or importance?
Other tasks
What else is on your to do list that would be good to work on if you have time? This could be smaller things that you can squeeze in your day, or bigger projects that you can spend some time on when you have a few hours spare.
Having a variety of things to work on can be helpful if you’re struggling to get in the mind frame for one thing. Rather than force it or procrastinate, you can move on to something else and get that ticked off instead.
Appointments
Make sure to include any meetings or appointments in your schedule when creating a to do list, as this will impact what you can get done.
Breaks
Similar to factoring in time for appointments, you should factor in time for breaks throughout the day. This includes time for lunch, but also around 5-10 minutes per hour for coffee and toilet breaks and simply having that time to decompress. It’s unrealistic to expect to work consistently for hours on end, and factoring in time for breaks helps to create to do lists you can actually stick to.
Timings
It’s not necessary to allocate timings to your to do lists, although some people find that helpful, but you should be thinking about how long you expect to work on each task. Most people underestimate how long it takes to do something, so I recommend adding more time than you think – if you finish early, you can start your next thing early.
Examples Of To Do Lists
I’ve created affordable daily and weekly planners that can help you to organise your to do lists effectively:
Weekly Planner For ADHD (£11): This weekly planner is designed as a to do list for ADHD. It encourages you to write down the tasks you need to do, and the tasks that are less important, separately, so you can focus on your priorities. You can then plot these out over Monday to Friday.
Weekly Planner (£11): This is a Monday to Friday planner aimed at creating to do lists for work. It has space plotted for your main priorities, then a to do list for each day. There’s also space for notes, and to prep for any meetings, as well as a small space to note down tasks for the next week.
Daily Planner (£7): This planner has a box to plan your priorities, your overall to do list, and space to plan your schedule throughout the day.
To Do Today Planner (£7): This daily to do list has space for priority tasks, wider tasks, appointments, and future to dos for any tasks that get added on to your list or haven’t been crossed off that day.
Tips For Sticking To Your To Do List
Even the best to do list in the world is only going to work if you stick to it. Here are some tips to help!
Check your to do list regularly: Whether you have a daily, weekly, or even monthly to do list, make sure to check back each day to see what you need to do. This makes it harder to forget what you have planned or for tasks to fly under the radar.
Don’t over commit. It’s better to plan in for less, and do more, than to plan for more and do less. Factor in more time than you think for doing your tasks, and make sure to allocate time for when you’re not doing things.
Be flexible. While it’s good to stick to your planned to do list, there’ll be times where you can’t (or don’t want to) do the things you’ve outlined for that day. Allowing for flexibility can help you to be more productive as you can get tasks done that are feasible, rather than doing nothing.
Having a to do list that works for you can really help to improve your productivity and time management. Try experimenting with different formats, or check out our to do list planners here to make it even easier.
