If you feel like you want to be productive but don’t know where to start, it can start with your to-do list. When you have lists all over and they’re not in a system, you’re likely to forget what needs doing and when. This guide on how to manage your to-do list might help you sort through all of that stuff!
Pick a tool
Whether it’s Asana, Notion, Trello, Click-Up, a paper to-do list, a bullet journal, a diary or a whiteboard, it’s up to you. You might find it useful to plan in multiple places. For example, I do a lot of my ‘big picture’ planning on Asana but write a daily to-do list in a day-a-page diary. Sometimes, I use a planner pad if I have loads to do in one day. Picking and more importantly implementing a planning system takes time and patience. It can take a while to get set up on one platform especially if it’s online. I recommend trying one system for at least three months so your initial set-up doesn’t go to complete waste!
Track your time if you can
Before you can really start to work on your productivity, you need to know how long each task takes you. I’d recommend choosing a week or two and tracking your time throughout the days. Write down how long it takes you to do every single task. If you know how long it takes you to do something, you can plan your days/weeks/months much better! In order to learn how to manage your to-do list, you need to learn how to manage your time too!
Learn how to prioritise
Some tasks need doing, some are just ‘nice to do’s’. It’s about learning how to prioritise what is important and what isn’t. I’d probably say that anything with a deadline is of high importance. You’ll probably do the same few tasks every day or week anyway. I advise keeping a running to-do list for when you have spare pockets of time. That’s those tasks that you’d like to get done but there’s no rush. Some of mine include sorting out my email newsletter folder, tidying the photos on my external hard-drive and organising my blog post ideas in one place. Of course, I’ll get around to them eventually but they’re not a high priority. Also, they’re tasks that can be done gradually too.
Set weekly/monthly goals
Whilst I set myself monthly and annual goals, I also like to set smaller goals for the week and month. Those lofty annual goals make much more sense when you break them down. For example, say you want to read 52 books in a year. That equates to one a week or four a month. However, maybe you know you have lots of plans in February but love to kickstart the year with a bang. You could set yourself a goal of six books in January to compensate for your lack of free time in February.
Create an action plan for bigger tasks
It’s a good idea to set yourself progress goals on bigger projects, such as a website revamp or a house declutter. Break down those goals as much as you can. A website revamp can be finding a website designer or a new template, rewriting the copy for your pages and sourcing new images. A house declutter could be split by room or category with a monthly trip to the tip or charity shops. The bigger the goal, the more you should break it down into achievable steps.
Set yourself deadlines + estimate a time duration for each task
If you’re not on a set deadline by work, a client or a brand, you can set yourself internal deadlines. Maybe you want to declutter the house before you’re away on holiday or you want to launch a new website ready for September. By setting yourself a deadline, you can hold yourself accountable. Is it the end of the world if you don’t meet it? No. But it does give you some extra motivation. You can always move it if you want to because sometimes, life happens.
It can also be a good idea to estimate a time duration for each task. The more time you give yourself, the more time you will take. If you give yourself six hours, you’ll string out that time. Set yourself three hours and you’ll at least get a fair chunk of your task completed. A good way to do this is to set yourself a timer.
Use Pomodoro or a power hour
I love a power hour. Still, I’m surprised at just how much I can get done when I’m against the clock! I’ve used a physical cube timer as well as an online one. One of my favourite ways to do a power hour is by putting on a load of laundry and using that hour or so to get stuff done. Sometimes, it’s housework, other times, it’s writing a blog post.
If you can’t concentrate for an hour at a time, choose smaller chunks of time. The Pomodoro method uses 25-minute chunks before a five-minute break. It’s a great way to introduce focused work time if you’re someone who struggles with that.
Batch similar tasks together
Have you ever noticed how you struggle to focus when you dip in and out of tasks? That’s why I try to batch similar tasks together. For example, I try to block off an hour a week to catch up with my business admin and do my accounts. Maybe you waste an hour every night cooking? Could you start meal prepping one or two days a week instead? Cooking an extra portion for the next day doesn’t take any extra time if you’re already cooking but it will save you loads of time tomorrow!
Write tomorrow’s to-do list the night before
If there’s a quick way to learn how to manage your to-do list, write it the night before! It takes you five minutes at the end of the work day or before you go to bed. However, it’s so satisfying to wake up and know what you need to do. Of course, stuff crops up at the last minute but just add that to your list if needs be.
Learning how to manage your to-do list is definitely a process and requires patience while you learn what tools work for you. I’m a big fan of switching it up too but I do try to stick to a system for a while first.
If you enjoyed this post all about how to manage your to-do list, you can find my other productivity and organisation blog posts here. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok too.
