Do you make to do lists and does it actually help you accomplish anything? I'm not talking about writing down big goals. I'm talking about lists of stuff like "do laundry," "get car tuned up," "review goals that I wrote down," "post interesting stuff on success vibe. ;)"

I think some people actually do this all the time. I've only done it a few times in life and things did *seem* to get accomplished faster, although I don't know if they actually did or not.

I'm thinking it may help with procrastination.

If you can make it a habit, its good to work on a To Do list on Sunday Evening. I find it takes away a lot of stress when I know exactly what I have to do the following week. My mind gets chaotic without it. I advise taking a look at the Franklin Covey Planning Software for PDA. It's probably the best out there.

I use lists, although I don't call them "to do lists" - I've thrown away the "to" so now they are just "do lists".

"to do" had too much of a "future" and procrastinating ring to it for me.

"Do lists" are things that I'm working on here and now.

My goals turn into plans - and these plans kinda migrates into my "do lists"

I like it! "Do Lists"

And filmlawyer is right, making it a habit is key. When I am in the habit of doing things on my task list (now to be called my "do list") I was so productive. I'm trying to get back into that habit myself.

I am actually going to make a "do list" today, as I am swamped with stuff I have to do.

do a 'do list'!

Lists are a great idea, and should be done on a daily basis,

1.write down anything that you need to do
2. prioritise the list
3. complete task

as you complete the priorities throughout the day, and more tasks become instramental, continually re-prioritise the list .

ad finitum!

Time Management is actually a module I am studying for my Diploma at the moment, and today we discussed To Do Lists.

The way we were taught is to list all the tasks you need to complete, then rate them in terms of urgency and importance. This gives you a better perspective of priorities, and identifies tasks that can be put off until later.

Seems like an excellent way of doing it to me. :yup:

gotta agree scarlet.

how much better could your quality of life be if you could deal with all of the important things first, rather than procrastinating, and just letting life pass you by.

try management by determination and create incredible habits

I make a to do list everyday... things I need to get done... I keep it as a "Things to Do" list in Outlook and just cross things off as I go. Whatever I don't get done, I move it over to the next day... There are obviously things I need to do everyday, so I do those first, and then tackle the rest from there...

Time Management is actually a module I am studying for my Diploma at the moment, and today we discussed To Do Lists.

The way we were taught is to list all the tasks you need to complete, then rate them in terms of urgency and importance. This gives you a better perspective of priorities, and identifies tasks that can be put off until later.

Seems like an excellent way of doing it to me. :yup:This is actually an integral part of the Franklin Covey time management system. The franklin system allows you to incorporate your "to do's" with your goals so that the activities your engaged in are related to your goals.

This is actually an integral part of the Franklin Covey time management system. The franklin system allows you to incorporate your "to do's" with your goals so that the activities your engaged in are related to your goals.

Yeah, since reading The 7 Habits and starting to read First Things First, I can see that my lecturer drew heavily from Stephen Covey. Especially from the 4 Quadrants.

I keep a "to do" list....I had a palm pilot for a while but I just couldn't get into the whole PDA thing. So my list is kept in a sweet little notebook I bought at a bookstore in Hawaii, and it makes me happy every time I open the notebook to look at my list. My famous thing though is writing stuff I need to do/remember urgently on the palm of my right hand. People laugh at me but I can keep up with my appendages a lot better than I can keep up with a sticky note!

My mother is the King Kahuna, freakazoid of all list makers. So she turned me off to the practice, long ago.

Picture a fierce poverty mentality combined with a massive to-do list that can NEVER EVER be accomplished in one's lifetime or on one's budget and you can see what shaped her general demeanor during my growing-up years. Harried, frustrated, helpless, defeated. Not that she was always like that. The blessed woman was great. But when she got in the mode, it was awful. :yikes:

So, the only lists I make are grocery lists. I also have a list on the whiteboard on the fridge which is purely for the benefit of my husband who will, if left to his devices, spend all our money on golf, things that plug in, things that plug into the things that plug in and beer.

So when he starts talking about ANOTHER big screen TV, you know because the price is so great, I just tell him to peep the board, cross a few things off and then we'll talk.

Things like clean the garage and buy the organizers we need for it. Have the trees cut down. Buy and install garage vac. Screen doors. New roof. Paint for the house. Landscaping. New deck...new fridge.

Usually shuts him up fast and he sulks away.

Jennifer

My mother is the King Kahuna, freakazoid of all list makers. So she turned me off to the practice, long ago.

Picture a fierce poverty mentality combined with a massive to-do list that can NEVER EVER be accomplished in one's lifetime or on one's budget and you can see what shaped her general demeanor during my growing-up years. Harried, frustrated, helpless, defeated. Not that she was always like that. The blessed woman was great. But when she got in the mode, it was awful. :yikes:

So, the only lists I make are grocery lists. I also have a list on the whiteboard on the fridge which is purely for the benefit of my husband who will, if left to his devices, spend all our money on golf, things that plug in, things that plug into the things that plug in and beer.

So when he starts talking about ANOTHER big screen TV, you know because the price is so great, I just tell him to peep the board, cross a few things off and then we'll talk.

Things like clean the garage and buy the organizers we need for it. Have the trees cut down. Buy and install garage vac. Screen doors. New roof. Paint for the house. Landscaping. New deck...new fridge.

Usually shuts him up fast and he sulks away.

Jennifer
Jenni now that is hysterical.


you are such a baaad girl

I like to make a to do lists and cross them off as i go .

I use the Eat that frog principle of makeing the first task the one i have been avoiding so all the rest seem easyer to accomplish.
I also find it makes me feel real good to review at the end of the day as i am making up the list for the day to follow to see how much i achieved

I can't say for sure that "To Do" list work for me. I use to make one on my days off and then I would try to follow it. Rarely did I accomplish every thing on the list. When I learned how to clear my head is when things started to get done.

The trick is to focus on what you have to do without making them seem overhelming. I usually take some time first thing in the morning. No TV, no radio, no food or coffee, and run the things I have to do in my head. Then throughout the day the things I have to do just pop in my head like a popup window. I took six classes this summer and did all the homework assignments and projects by their due dates witout using my planner at all.

I know what you're thinking,:cookoo: right? But it's true. You have to enable your mind to do things like that. I realized that the things that are suppose to make our life easier are sometimes more like cruches that limit our minds potential. I like planners but I don't use them for day to day things because the mind is wired to take care of those things but you have to allow it to do so.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it yet, but to do lists can often be counter productive.

I strongly suggest you look into David Allen's "Getting Things Done" System". He describes an organizational process where you make a variety of productive lists including Next Actions, Waiting For, Someday/Maybe etc.

highly recomended

I carry a little notebook and if I think of something I need to do (which I can't take care of at the moment) I write it down. I am not a slave to lists, but I do find if I write what I need to do it clears my mind.

And, yes, writing it down makes me do it and remeber to do it right away.

I like writing rather than a pda as well.

I've had aspirations to actually stick to making lists at several points in my life. I've owned 3 or 4 pda's and they end up being glorified eBook readers. Then I discovered GTD, and now everything goes in the inbox, and it gets reviewed daily, and I never have to get hung up about whether I forgot something. At least when I stick to it.

My mother is the King Kahuna, freakazoid of all list makers. So she turned me off to the practice, long ago.

Picture a fierce poverty mentality combined with a massive to-do list that can NEVER EVER be accomplished in one's lifetime or on one's budget and you can see what shaped her general demeanor during my growing-up years. Harried, frustrated, helpless, defeated. Not that she was always like that. The blessed woman was great. But when she got in the mode, it was awful. :yikes:

So, the only lists I make are grocery lists. I also have a list on the whiteboard on the fridge which is purely for the benefit of my husband who will, if left to his devices, spend all our money on golf, things that plug in, things that plug into the things that plug in and beer.

So when he starts talking about ANOTHER <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=24&k=big%20screen" onmouseover="window.status='big screen'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">big screen</a> TV, you know because the price is so great, I just tell him to peep the board, cross a few things off and then we'll talk.

Things like clean the garage and buy the organizers we need for it. Have the trees cut down. Buy and install garage vac. Screen doors. New roof. Paint for the house. Landscaping. New deck...new fridge.

Usually shuts him up fast and he sulks away.

Jennifer

Wow total control of a man :eek: ;)