4 Quick Steps For Completing To Do Lists

Are you having difficulty completing the tasks that you set out to do when you create a to do list? If you are having trouble keeping up with your to do list, these tips will benefit you. There are actually a number of simple steps that you can take to increase your effectiveness when trying to accomplish the tasks on your to do list. Try one, two or all four of these simple tips and steps and you will find yourself completing the tasks on your to do lists more quickly and efficiently than ever before.

1 - Do the most difficult or most procrastinated task FIRST. If there is a task on your list that you are putting off because it is more difficult, or because you simply do not want to do it, it may be preventing you from completing many of the other tasks on your list. If you have a task like this on your list, get it done first and you will find that the rest of your to do list is feels much easier. One difficult or procrastination-friendly task can really weigh down a list of otherwise simple tasks to accomplish. Complete this unwanted task out first, and you will notice a difference in your effectiveness for the rest of the day..

2 - Eliminate your Time Wasters.  Even though you probably have more than enough to do each day, its very easy to find yourself wasting time on non essential tasks.  This time severely eats into your day and can leave you without enough time to complete your to do list.  Time wasters such as interruptions and distractions, meetings, telephone calls and the Internet, and even loss of focus and direction waste your valuable time.  Identify what wastes your time each day and eliminate it so that you have more time to spend on the essential tasks laid out in your to do list.  Time wasters can also zap your productivity leaving you less above to get lots done and efficiently.

3 - Break Down your Tasks into Manageable Chunks.  Often the tasks on a to do list are just too big for that one day and because they’re too big they often get left untouched.  Whereas smaller actions are easier to carry out and therefore tend to lead to much larger results.  So, take a look at the large tasks on your to-do and break  them into steps that are manageable and easy to accomplish.  Choose which steps will stay on todays to do list and which ones require moving to another day.  Each step will feel like an accomplishment, and you will not feel bogged down or overwhelmed by much larger to handle tasks. Rather than list "do some marketing", instead break it into, research top three competitors, plan sales process, follow-up with potential clients, write article for promotion, for example.

4 - Defer Projects and Tasks. It is absolutely vital that you understand that you can never finish everything in a single day.  Much as we might like to think this, you need to plan realistically.  Large tasks and projects especially need be looked at realistically.  This means that much of what needs to be done will have to be deferred.  Some will need to be deferred until tomorrow, some next week, next month and perhaps even next year. Its critical to a successful day that you be realistic in your expectations, and defer the tasks that don’t fit for today and have to wait until another day.  Trying to take on too much usually doesn’t work and leaves you feeling bogged down. When you have a  task list that is realistic and feels achievable, you will find that you can get a lot more done and the more accomplished you feel, the more productive you will be.