We all want to get more done. Think about it… What could you do if your To-Do list was completed?
You could:
- Work on a passion project
- Spend more time with your spouse
- Enjoy your hobbies
- Have less worry
- Be happier
Photo by Thomas Bormans on Unsplash
The stress of a To-Do list can be overwhelming. Seeing the list grow and grow becomes a thing of dread. But you can clear that list by getting more done (you don’t have to add more back to your list)!
What does it take to get more done?
How To Get More Done
There will always be more on our list, but we can get more of those things done if we’re intentional about clearing out the list. To clear the list and get more done, do the following:
Make a list:
First, you have to know what needs to be done. To do this, you have to make a list. List everything you think needs to be done to accomplish a project, have a clear conscience, or rest easily at night.
You probably have a long list of things to do. That’s okay. You now have a starting point: your To-Do list.
Ask what’s the benefit:
It’s time to pour over the list. You’re going to examine the list and ask yourself a simple, but not so simple, question –
What’s the benefit?
This question is a clarifying question. You’re able to understand why the item is on the list and what it will accomplish for you.
You may find yourself saying:
- It will make me more money
- I’ll have more time to spend fishing
- My employees will have a higher level of job satisfaction
- I can see my kids more
Each of these reasons is a benefit you’ll experience from checking off a task. Knowing the benefits will give you the motivation and clarity to know why you should do it.
You’ll also have clarity on the next item…
Cut out what is not important:
Our lists can be full of monotonous or unimportant items. You may look at the list after asking what’s the benefit and see that it’s not as important as you once thought.
Do you know what you can do now? Cut that baby from the list!
You don’t have to keep everything on your To-Do list. If a task is not important, you can clear it out without completing it.
Prioritize:
Next, you need to prioritize the tasks. What tasks are the most important? Who will be impacted if this or that task isn’t completed on time?
You can see what you need to do now or later by prioritizing. It’s okay to procrastinate on some items. They’ll be there and waiting for you. Put those non-essential tasks on the back burner. It’ll be alright.
Snowball:
If you’re a fan of Dave Ramsey, you’ve probably heard him use the term debt snowball about paying off your debt. It’s where you start with the smallest debt, pay on it until it’s paid off, and then hit the next smallest debt.
You do this again and again, and you’re on a roll. You see chunks of debt fall away.
What if you did this for your To-Do list?
I know in the previous tip, I mentioned prioritizing what’s important. Snowballing your To-Do list is another way to prioritize.
Organize the list in order of what will take the shortest amount of time to the longest amount of time. Calculate the time you think it will take and list it next to the item.
Now, start hitting the low-time commitment items first. You’ll see your action items begin to fall off the list. You’ll feel as if there’s breathing room.
Once you have cleared out a good chunk of your To-Do list, you can tackle each item based on importance. You’ll feel there’s more breathing room and it’s possible to get more done.
