Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Effective List-Making - How to Organize Your Thoughts

If you are feeling overwhelmed by your personal or career workload, the solution may be as simple as organizing your to-do list. Prioritizing your tasks will help you finish on time and simplify your life.

A proper to-do list will save you time and energy. Writing things down will help clear your mind of what needs to be done. Let's face it - there will always be a list of things to do! You can cross one thing off, only to add two more to the list. Focus on making a smarter list, instead of a longer list and you will be surprised with how much more efficient you will be.

To-Do Now/Short-Term Goals
Start with a sectioned notebook for organizing. The first section should be your tasks that need to be done within the next couple days up to the next couple weeks. If the task doesn't need to be done right away, move it to the "To-Do Later" section. If you are still left with a large short-term list, then number each task one through five by priority. Re-order them and go from there.

To-Do Later/Long-Term Goals
This section is for your long-term goals and tasks that don't have a deadline. The best way to tackle a long-term goal is to break it down into smaller tasks. Stuck on a task that seems impossible to finish? Stop thinking of the finished task and focus on the very next step instead. Move that very next step to your short-term list and you are one step closer to finishing that goal!

Planning Your Day
Pick a few things from your To-Do Now list for the next day. Once you get into the habit of planning your to-do list the night before, you will plan the time more efficiently. Whatever doesn't get done that day can be moved to the next day. Don't overwhelm your day with too many tasks, but challenge yourself to get enough done to feel accomplished.

Shopping List
Keep all your shopping needs in one list that's easy to pull out when you go to the store. Make it even more organized by keeping your grocery store needs separate from everything else.

Notes
Everything else that doesn't require an action goes in the notes or miscellaneous section. This section is great for ideas and brainstorming. Keep your thoughts organized and get closer to those goals.

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