By Suzanne Blake (PCC), Senior Pear CoachMany of us are pulled in too many directions so we may avoid or dread our to-do list. To help you get on top of the list, and not have it manage you, here...
By Suzanne Blake (PCC), Senior Pear Coach
Many of us are pulled in too many directions so we may avoid or dread our to-do list. To help you get on top of the list, and not have it manage you, here are some “work smarter, not harder” tips below to make both your personal and professional life easier and more organized?—?based on what your particular struggles are.
1–3–5 List
If you always plan on doing too much, use the 1–3–5 list to limit yourself to a more realistic amount.
List 1 big task, 3 medium tasks and 5 small tasks to tackle.
Take Advantage of High Energy Times
If you work best at certain times, organize your tasks by how much energy they take, so you know what to do when. Track your high and low energy times for 24 hours (perhaps over several days), and then organize your tasks accordingly. For example, are you a night owl or morning person?
When you have high energy, do your hardest task; medium energy do a normal task(s); lowest energy do your easiest task(s).
Prioritize Urgent vs. Important Tasks
If you want to cut some things off your list, group them by urgency and importance to figure out what matters most right now.
Urgent/Important: Task to do now
Not Urgent/Important: Task to do later
Urgent/Not Important: Task to delegate
Not Urgent/Not Important: Task to remove from list
Block Off Time for Specific Tasks
If your days always seem like they’re getting away from you, give each task a block of time on your schedule. If needed, you can even set alarms on your phone.
This way you stick to a schedule while also minimize overworking.
Give Each Bucket You Manage a Specific Day
If you’re always juggling a lot of things, give each day of the week a theme so you can focus on similar “to-do’s”. This can work for personal or work-related tasks. Here is an example:
Monday: Financial
Tuesday: Health
Wednesday: Household
Thursday: Auto
Friday: Family
Try one of these tried-and true methods for a few weeks until it’s anchored into your routine and then add new ones as needed.
For information on leadership coaching for yourself, your managers or team, email contact@pearcoaches.com or call/text 888–708-PEAR (7327).
About the Author
Senior Pear Coach, Suzanne Blake (PCC), designed and facilitates the exclusive programs and courses Pear offers. A leader in the coaching community, she brings over 20 years of experience in executive, career and productivity coaching, corporate soft skills, management training and human resource development.
5 Smarter Ways to Organize Your To-Do List was originally published in Pear Coaches on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
