10 tips for making an efficient to-do list

Cast the first stone at the one who has never tried to make a to-do list. We know that, at least once in their lives, most people have tried to use the method to try to organize their lives a little. For some it worked very well, for others… If you still haven't had success preparing one, don't worry. To help you, the showmetech separated 10 tips for making an efficient to-do list and that promise to put order in your routine once and for all!

In addition to suggestions on behaviors that should be adopted for a better result (believe me, it's the most important thing), we also bring some very useful apps that will help you in this new phase of life. Ready for a more productive 2022 with surprising results? So, check out the tips and suggestions we have prepared for you.

Why create a to-do list?

To-do lists are one of the best methods to increase your productivity. A routine can be confusing and full of things to do whether you work or study, and especially if you do both. With the current daily life that people have, it is very common to feel lost among so many tasks and not know how to take the first step. Not to mention that this feeling can generate stress, one of the great enemies of your well-being.

When you feel under pressure and end up working several hours at a time, you can build up exhaustion, develop insomnia, and gain irritation. This is how the quality of life ends up being lost. So, a well-organized to-do list is essential for you:

• Get more time with the family;
• have the chance to develop their hobbies;
• understand what is actually a priority in your day;
• gain in peace of mind because everything is marked (no risk of forgetting);
• being able to rest or enjoy leisure time;
• be more productive in household chores;
• have a sense of accomplishment.

What are the tips for efficient lists?

Choose the right app (or paper)

The first big step in looking for a more organized and productive routine with the help of an efficient to-do list is deciding where to keep it. It is very important that the tool is practical, intuitive and that you adapt well to it, otherwise you will only waste time and not have any success.

There are currently hundreds of apps that can help you with this task (we've listed a few below). However, there are those who still prefer and feel more comfortable with physical agendas, post-it notes, notebooks and paper notes. And there's nothing wrong with that. If paper works for you, don't think twice about using it. The most important thing is to use the tool that suits you and your lifestyle.

However, digital tools have a number of advantages over paper, and it's good to at least know what they are, even if you end up using paper. Some advantages are:

• They are easy to edit, which means you can update information quickly;
• They have built-in reminders;
• It is very difficult to miss them because the list itself is usually saved in the cloud;
• You can sort your tasks by priority, deadlines or alphabetically;
• You can assign tasks to other people and get notified when they complete them.

Make more than one list

One of the reasons that to-do lists make to-do lists disorganized is the random mix-up of various subjects. You may have multiple projects running simultaneously at work, and it's not a good idea to keep a reminder to review a copy of your upcoming campaign with a note about selecting vendors for an event, for example.

So don't hold back. Make lists for everything you think about (and need)! That way, you can open the backlog relevant to the current work and better focus on what needs to be done. With this, you will notice that the lists will become more effective and the chances of confusion between activities will decrease considerably.

Write it down as soon as possible and don't leave it for later

How many times do we think of something, leave it to do or put into practice later and end up forgetting? To prevent this from happening, when a new task or idea pops into your head, write it down as quickly as possible. Once you've written it down, you won't need to keep remembering it anymore, so you can eliminate it from your mind and focus on other more important things.

Set deadlines for tasks

Whenever a task has a deadline to complete, add it to your list to track it more effectively. Keeping in mind (and visualizing) when tasks are due helps you prioritize and also plan your week, which is an excellent time management strategy. Most to-do apps let you see what's due today, tomorrow, and later in the week, regardless of which list they're on (more on that in the next tip).

That way, you can see everything that's pending for the day and get a sense of what it's going to be like. With this, you can also take a moment to reschedule some tasks if you're feeling overwhelmed just looking at everything that's due in the next week.

Organize your list by workflow, priority or due date

Reorganizing your to-do list every day is a waste of time and can eventually cause confusion that leads to lost productivity. Resist this temptation by creating a foolproof structure for your backlog. If your application allows it, consider creating different sections for each type of work. Thus, it will be possible to sort the work by project, priority or completion date, depending on your preferences.

pending issues first

To ensure that the activity is completed on time and in the best possible way, it is important define which are the most important issues. Whether by leaving them at the top of the list or marking them with Tags priority, it's important to have good visibility so that the most crucial jobs don't get lost.

Despite keeping an eye on the highest priority activities, that doesn't mean they need to be finished first. Sometimes starting the day with an easy task is the best way to get the ball rolling. Or maybe you like to follow the 80/20 rule, which dictates that 80% of jobs can be completed in 20% of the time, preferring to start with them.

Don't overdo the activities

There are certain moments when many demands accumulate and, in an attempt to put the house in order, a number of activities are stipulated far above what the body and mind are used to. The result of this is excessive fatigue that ends up harming the following demands and, consequently, worsens the quality of life and well-being.

There's yet another scenario: you're excited and decide to take on too many projects at once. At the end of the day, you can't handle it and you have to “stick” the deadline with your boss or deliver a product well below what you could do under normal conditions. So there's no point in exaggerating. Don't make a list of 10 activities if you're only used to doing 5 a day.

Write tasks, not goals

Ideally, keep separate lists for your tasks and goals. the idea is do not include goals on your to-do list. While tasks can help you achieve your goals, they are bigger desires and not something you can achieve throughout the day. For example, “learning to speak English” is a goal; however, you can break this down into a task by saying “read English content for 15 minutes” or “watch a movie in English”.

This also extends to goals. You can see these as milestones. Going back to the example of speaking English, a goal might be “to discuss my favorite foods with someone in English in a month”. It is the desired outcome you are looking for in your practice.

don't leave anything behind

It is not very uncommon to find that task that should have been completed last week. Next time, ask yourself why it wasn't performed. What were the difficulties? Does your priority need to be changed? Or does it need to be assigned to someone else? Is any part of the task preventing you from doing it because it is not clear? Knowing the reason for the delay can help us to be more efficient and nip these backlogs in the bud.

Review your daily to-do lists

Just like in any sphere of life, stopping, thinking and reviewing certain issues is very important and your to-do list is no different. Daily, take 5 or 10 minutes and look at your to-do list. If necessary, make some adjustments for it to continue bringing benefits and a more organized routine for you.

Useful apps to get organized

Google Keep

O Google Keep is Google's note app that, with a simple and intuitive interface, promises to make your routine more productive. It can be accessed via Android, iOS e desktop with, both in Windows how much in iMac. synchronized with the Google Drive, is perfect for organizing the day's appointments and other information you don't want to lose.

Like other apps of the same style, the Google Keep allows, in addition to creating notes, to make use of bookmarks and reminders – favoring the completion of all tasks on the scheduled date and time. The app also has a very efficient search field, allowing the created notes to be easily searched: just enter a term that is in the content of the note or list, and it will be displayed.

Google Tasks

O Google Tasks It's another way to organize your day-to-day tasks. With it, you can organize to-do lists in the cloud, allowing access on any device where you have access to your account. Google. It is also integrated with Google Calendar, causing every task that has a date to be automatically added to the Agenda.

No Google Tasks you can organize your tasks by subject, however you like, through Lists. The app can be downloaded from Play Store, on cell phones Android. You’ll also find places to stay in App Store, at iPhone. For PC, the app is integrated with the gmail and can be accessed from any browser.

Trello

O Trello is a collaborative platform that allows project management, aligning tasks between teams. In order to increase organization and productivity, the tool is ideal for companies of any segment and size. O Trello It can also be used for personal projects, such as organizing work tasks, household routine, vacation planning and bills to pay.

With a well thought out system, it allows you to divide tasks into tables and columns that can be subdivided according to the status of each task (eg to-do, in progress, in review, completed). The tool has most of the features released for free, but with some more elaborate paid features.

organize

Available in online versions, iOS e Android, organize is an incredible solution for managing personal finances – which are still tasks that require planning, right? In addition to allowing the manual entry of all expenses for the day, there is the possibility of linking your credit card and bank account. Therefore, all movements carried out in both channels will also be demonstrated in the organize.

On the app's home screen, the user can already have an overview of their finances. Only in this first analysis is it possible to know if the accounts are positive or negative. The app also has a specific tab to check transactions through reports that bring information such as income, expenses and bank transfers.

Google Calendar

Another application that can be very useful for anyone who needs to organize their appointments and activities is Google Calendar, a virtual electronic calendar service with a very similar style and as easy to use as the gmail. The tool is also synchronized with all other applications in the Google workspaceas the gmail, Google Drive e Hangouts.

O Google Calendar It has a very simple and easy-to-navigate interface. You can view your appointments by Day, Week, Month or Appointments (you will see them all as a list). The tool even allows you to create more than one different schedule. This option is for those who use the tool for their professional and personal life or also for those who have other different projects.

See also:

Home office? Discover 14 perfect tools for working from home or anywhere and still leverage your productivity.

14 home office apps to boost productivity

Sources: Asana, PCMag, Lifehack.