Using the to-do list incorrectly will only make you do more with less …
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Editor’s note: For many people, in the daily work, life or study process, in order to make themselves more organized and efficient to complete related matters, they will use the to-do list to make things important Sexual ordering is recorded and done in turn. In all fairness, does using a to-do list really improve efficiency? The original title of this article is I Don’t Use To-Do Lists; Here’s Why, the author Darius Foroux shared in the article the reason why he gave up using the to-do list, and I also recommend that readers do not understand why and Before doing anything, don’t use it blindly to increase personal efficiency.
Image source: Darius Foroux
The to-do list is one of the most commonly used productivity tools. I have been using the to-do list for many years, and my list has been piled with many to-do items. When I first started researching how to be more productive, I thought the to-do list was a tool that I had to use.
“Everyone is using a to-do list, so it must be useful!” This is probably what most people think. However, you cannot assume that this is the most correct way for you because everyone does it. There was a time when my to-do list no longer worked. At that time, the number of my to-do list was increasing, so that I could not deal with them one by one, so I tried to organize my to-do list.
I read an article before that shared 15 steps on how to make a to-do list. 15 steps! If you need 15 steps to make a to-do list, then you may be able to build a rocket.
So, I can’t help asking myself this question: Why do we always complicate simple questions about personal efficiency? Obviously it’s a simple thing, why do you need to do it in 15 steps? So, in order to improve efficiency, there must be other ways.
Since I’ve been writing a column, I also acceptIn the private messages of many readers, they asked me how colleges and universities use to-do lists. Through this article, I also hope to share some of my personal opinions with you.
Is the to-do list really useful?
Of course, there is no doubt that the to-do list decision is useful. Relevant scientific findings show that if we write down what we haven’t completed, we can further reduce anxiety. Historically, people have been using to-do lists for hundreds of years.
It’s also worth mentioning that Benjamin Franklin loves to-do lists.
Personally, I have no objection to writing down things to do. In fact, I keep a diary every day. The problem with the to-do list, however, is that it may even affect your life. Of course, I am not referring to the shopping list, after all, I also use the shopping list myself.
What I want to say is that too many to-do lists will only make your job more complicated. Therefore, in my work, I don’t use the to-do list at all now. My own principle is very simple: If I have to-do items, then I may not be able to control and manage my personal life.
As of today, I have n’t used the to-do list for more than 5 years. I also believe that our lives and work should be very simple, and there may be many repetitive tasks and issues.
If you really need to-do list to complete thousands of things in the workplace and life, do you think about this question: Do you really need to do these things? Or in other words, can you give a specific reason why you are so busy?
For me, one of the reasons I stopped using to-do lists was Peter Drucker, a management guru who wrote The Effective Executive. .
When I’m busy with things that I shouldn’t have done, I remind myself to review Drucker’s classic saying:
Nothing is more ineffective than doing things that don’t need to be done at all.
How can I avoid using the to-do list?
After using the to-do list, you may find it convenient that you only need to keep adding to-dos to the list. However, according to Drucker, if something should not be done in the first place, it would be completely meaningless for you to do it again. In response, another famous inventor, Thomas A. Edison, also publishedA more convincing point. He said:
Busy doesn’t mean that you are always really working. The purpose of all work is nothing more than output or achievement. In either case, you need to think and plan systematically. You also need to show your ingenuity, sincerity, and hard work. If it just looks like it’s working, it’s not really working.
If you don’t want to be trapped in your to-do list, you should act on principles instead of expecting tools to solve it.
You have to remind yourself, Why do you do this job? What do you hope to achieve? For me, in order to make my life easier, I have kept the following 5 efficiency principles in mind:
Do it now. A task that can be completed in less than 5 minutes, instead of struggling to list it in the to-do list, it is better to act now and complete it immediately. Such small things include paying bills, making phone calls, sending emails, or picking up items on the way home.
Focus on your priorities. When you have so much work to do that you are too busy, stop immediately and think about your way of working. I just want to make the job easier. I don’t want to be non-stop working on all kinds of work, so that by 3 or 4 pm I’m exhausted.
Make everything more systematic. Ready to consider publishing? Then write something after getting up every morning. Ready to redecorate the house? Then spend the entire weekend and focus on this matter. Want to shape and make yourself better? Then make a fitness plan for yourself and stick to exercise.
Plan 3 to 4 daily priorities. Every morning, I routinely review my goals and plans. Based on this, I will plan 3 to 4 priorities for the day for myself. You can also think of it as a to-do list, but I will just write these items or keywords in a notebook or a note paper. After the day is over, I can do all these things.
Use your calendar. Although I do n’t need a to-do list app or tool, I keep important things on my calendar.
Image source: Pexels.com
It’s worth noting that the method I provide is just a way of life. It may not apply to everyone. Of course, it is not a completely new approach. If you explore and understand further, you will also find that many people do not use the to-do list.
I would like to reiterate that I did not discuss shopping lists or housework lists in this article. What I mean by to-do items actually refers to the endless to-do items that are constantly added in order to complete various tasks and goals.
I have shared my views with many people before, and many people are quite shocked. They all say, “If I don’t have a to-do list, I might be totally helpless.” And that’s the real problem.
People like to rely on a certain item or tool to improve efficiency, but I will not rely on various tools or software to improve personal efficiency. Even without the help of tools or software, you must find a way to get yourself working.
So if you’re a heavy user of to-do lists, but you often get messed up with them, try throwing to-do lists aside. Or, at best, just use it as a wake-up alarm to remind you to review your work again. I believe that for most people, they can get their job done even without a to-do list.
Of course, I also understand why people started using to-do lists hundreds of years ago. After all, it was probably the best choice in their hands at the time. In the past, science and technology were not developed enough, so people at the time could not manage their lives better.
But in fact, the to-do list can count as the “old technology” above. Today, we no longer use fax, videotape, dial-up modems and many other tools and objects that are no longer useful, so why do we keep to-do lists?
Translator: Junyi