Is your ToDo list holding you back?
My name is Andre Julian and I am a recovering ToDo list addict. I was trained to believe that successful people make endless ToDo lists and don’t go to sleep until all their items are checked off. Then, the realization set in that they will never all be checked off and there are an endless amount of ToDo’s that continue to be forwarded to the next day, next week, or even next year. Most of these never get done, yet they are endlessly forwarded. So, the solution was to make them secondary priorities to get rid of the guilt that developed from never actually checking them off. It even got to the point that I would complete a task that was not on my ToDo list, then add it to my ToDo list after-the-fact, simply so that I could get the satisfaction to checking it off my list.
Maybe this is similar to what you are facing with your ToDo lists. There is a solution that has worked very well for me that stems from the habits of today’s most successful CEO’s and entrepreneurs. Substitute your ToDo list with time blocking. It’s a very simple solution that makes a huge difference.
When we make a ToDo list, we tend to grossly underestimated how long it will take to complete each item. Therefore, we end up combing through our tasks without making much progress. I’m not suggesting that you get rid of your ToDo list. Instead calendar time to create it and calendar time to competing the items on your list. Set aside a specific time each day that you will spend on your ToDo list. During that block, only spend time on your ToDo list and get as many items done as you can. Then, move on to all the other tasks, appointments, etc. that you have also blocked out.
Because you are only focusing on the task at hand when you live your life within blocks of time, more will be accomplished. Additionally, you will be more fulfilled because you are living your life in the present. That is, you are not thinking of what you need to do next, or what you just did. This presence of mind is a more productive and a more peaceful way to live. Most importantly, it will allow you to plan out each day, block out times that you need to accomplish the most important items of the day, and complete as many ToDo’s within the time you have allocated the time for. Eventually, your success will come as a byproduct of you focusing on the most important aspects of your life and of sticking to your schedule.
If you feel like you are spinning your wheels with a list of ToDo’s that is overwhelming you, switch to the time blocking method and you will see a dramatic change in the quality of your life and of your results.