The Three-Year To Do
I must confess that a to-do once lived on one of my next action lists for three three years before I crossed it off. Three years. What was this monstrous task, you ask? Writing a PhD thesis, perhaps? No. It was to send a thank-you email that would have taken not twenty minutes to complete.
After letting something like that linger for so long, I’ve developed methods to ensure that it won’t happen again. Here’s how can you ensure that to-do’s get done, rather than become permanent fixtures:
- After each to-do, write the date. The to-dos on my next action lists now look like this: Email Richard F thank you re: wedding — 2008-09-28. This way it’s easy and embarrassing to see which to-do’s are lingering in in system.
- Never write anything twice. In a paper-based system, like my paa, only allow yourself to write a to-do once. This rule forces you to keep the original page with the to-do written on it. You may only throw out a list when all the to-do’s on it are crossed off. I particularly like this method because the old sheets feel scuzzy. Letting them build up for too long is like not brushing your teeth — eventually you just have to do it.
--
Header photograph by CarbonNYC
--
--
If you would like personalized help in being more productive and managing your time then click here to read about time management coaching from Silver Clipboard. The first session is free, so why not give it a try?
Most Popular Articles