6/19/12 Terrific Tuesday - Taming the to do List

Terrific Tuesday- it is terrific to learn the first step in taming the to do list: Not everything makes the list everyday.

Everyone has a to do list. Everyone has a list of things they have to get done for a variety of audiences. The following is a quick list of a few of my to do lists:

home

consulting firm

law firm

personal

family

Under each of these categories I have more than two dozen things that must be done. That is not impressive. Every woman alive has a similar set of to do lists. What makes my to do lists special is my special technique for making sure I only have enough on my list each day that can actually get done. My special technique is a two parter. 

Each list is divided into two sections. One is called to do today. The other is called to do after today. This means that every time there are tasks that need to be done, I add them to the master list. Each night, I review my master list and select a few things to do the next day. My days only last 24 hours, so only so many things can get done each day. So I decide, of all the things I have to do, what absolutely must get done, will get done the next day. Those things get added to the today list. The other items stay on the after today list. 

This method works because each day you are only committing to do things that must be done, that you actually have time to do. At the same time, you are still able to keep track of all the things that have to be done eventually. Some days the home list gets more attention. On other days, the consulting list or the law firm list may monopolize most of the day. The secret to making this type of system work is keeping careful track of what needs to be done and being sure to prioritize each day. 

Next week we will look at the kryptonite to every to do list; the word, "No."

So the question for you this terrific Tuesday is , what are you going to use your power to keep off the list.