11. Tips for creating effective to-do lists

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Try the “SMART” method the next time you feel overwhelmed with your academic, professional, or personal to-do tasks. CREDIT: UNSPLASH

Tips for creating effective to-do lists

Creating a to-do list will help you to get organized, conquer your next project, and reach your long-term goals

CHEN CHEN

Overwhelmed with tasks and don’t know where to start? Creating a to-do list is a great way to manage your time when you have lots to do.

Here are some tips and strategies to help you create effective to-do lists. By the end of this article, you will have gained a better understanding of the different types of to-do lists, as well as how to use the SMART guideline to create effective to-do items.

Types of to-do lists

There are different types of to-do lists for different needs. Regardless of the type of list I create, I find it most efficient to create it on a digital device like a computer or phone. This way it’s easier to drag and drop items and they can also be synced across multiple devices. Let’s look at some of the different lists you can create. Master list

A master list serves as a type of inbox where you can dump all of your ideas, no matter how big or small, work-related or personal. Whenever you think of a todo item but are not sure how to categorize it, you can put it here. The master list can contain items of various priorities, projects, and lengths, therefore it can be quite lengthy and will need to be sorted and organized further. Day list A day list contains tasks that you need to complete during the day, such as work, school, or personal tasks, depending on your daily schedule. Prior to starting your day, you can review your ongoing projects and determine what you need to accomplish next. Refer to your daily schedule as you create your day list and fill it with appropriate tasks. It’s recommended that the day list should not exceed seven items. When the number of items increases, you are less likely to finish them all. Project list Project lists are created for specific projects. For example, a group project may involve several tasks and may require input from several people. It is therefore convenient to group these tasks together under a project list and share the list amongst project members. List by task type If you are using a to-do list app with a ‘label’ function (e.g. Todoist), you can further categorize your tasks by adding labels indicating the task type. For example, ‘mindless task,’ ‘creative task,’ or ‘analytical task.’ This can help you pick the most appropriate task according to your current mood and situation. For example, if your productivity levels are low, you can pick the mindless tasks and complete them while listening to music. Tiny task list The tiny task list is for tasks that can be completed within 10 minutes. For example, putting your laundry into your washing machine or doing your dishes. These tasks can oftentimes be grouped together and completed all at once.

Keep in mind that to-do lists are there to help you get the right things done and that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Try different ways to sort your tasks and find a system that works for you.

Using the SMART method to create effective to-do items

Let’s review some guidelines when creating to-do items. You should write your tasks out in a specific way so that it is easy for you to understand what needs to be done. For example, writing ‘review chemistry lecture notes from chapters 1 & 2’ is better than ‘review chemistry final’ because you will know exactly what to do in order to study for your chemistry final.

Also, using the ‘SMART’ method will help you to add relevant details to your to-do items.

SPECIFIC

The to-do items should be specific rather than general so that it’s easy to begin taking action. Consider the following example: • Example 1: Work on final project

This item doesn’t give you any specific action to work on. After looking at the to-do item, you only know that you need to start working on the task but still don’t know how to get started. When you don’t know how to get started, you are more likely to procrastinate on the task. Let’s add more detail to the to-do item: • Example 2: Read the instructions for the final project and create a work plan (1h)

This task includes the exact action required and also the estimated time for completion. This increases the specificity of the task, and you can then book a one-hour time slot to work on it. Specific tasks are easily understandable, and they save you time on figuring out the exact action required.

MANAGEABLE

One of the common mistakes people make when creating to-do items is confusing projects with tasks. A project contains several tasks, and it can take several non-consecutive work sessions to complete, whereas a task is a to-do item which can usually be finished within one or two work sessions.

For example, ‘writing an essay’ is a project which contains tasks such as researching, planning, and writing, while ‘writing an outline for an essay’ is a task that can be completed within a one-hour work session. Putting a project in your to-do list can be troublesome because it cannot be easily checked off. It’s important to distinguish between a project and a task and limit your to-do items to tasks only.

Take some time to review your to-do lists and check for projects that are lurking in there. If you have tasks that will take you more than two hours to complete, consider breaking them down further into work that can be completed in one-hour intervals. Depending on your attention span, you can break down tasks even further. Personally, I use the Pomodoro Timer to work in 25 minute intervals. Therefore, I usually break my tasks into chunks that take around 25 minutes to complete. The goal here is to create manageable to-do items which are easy to start and can actually be checked off by the end of the day.

ACTIONABLE

To-do items are actions to be taken, and therefore, you should add specific action verbs to describe what needs to be done. For example, compare the following two items: • Laundry • Put laundry into washing machine

The second to-do item might be easier to initiate because it specified the action that needs to be taken. For another example, consider this: If you need to contact your classmate for project information, instead of noting down ‘contact classmate,’ try to specify the action that needs to be taken by using the exact verb. Is it emailing, texting, messaging, or calling? Noting down the specific action verb can help you to get started with the action required.

RELEVANT

The relevant principle refers to attaching the tasks you do to your goals. You are more likely to complete the tasks if they contribute to your long-term goals.

For example, one of my longterm goals is to become a learning and development specialist. Therefore, as I examine my to-do list, I want to make sure that the tasks will contribute to this, such as ‘read an article on time management strategies.’ This task is attached to my long-term goals; therefore, I feel more motivated to do it.

Reflect on your long-term goals, and then review your to-do

Make the most out of your to-do lists by using the type of system that corresponds with your different needs and goals. CREDIT: PEXELS

list. How are the tasks that you are doing moving you towards your long-term goals? If you use a digital list, try adding a note on which long-term goals your tasks are attached to.

TIME BOUND

mate how much time it will take you to complete the task. For example, look at the following two to-do items which are due by the end of this week: • Create an outline for the final paper • Create an outline for the final paper (30 min)

Estimating the amount of time it will take you to complete the task can help you gauge where to put it. If you have an hour of free time between two meetings, you can easily fit in a 30-minute task. Or if you have 20 minutes between classes, you can fit in a 10-minute task such as reviewing your tasks for tomorrow.

Overall, your to-do list should be customized to fit your personal work style. Experiment with the SMART method and the different types of to-do lists and see what works the best for you!