Do you find yourself feeling stressed at the end of the day, as though you didn’t get everything done you need to?  Or perhaps you feel like you didn’t do enough?  I’m sure you’ve heard all about To-Do lists before, but in this special article, Jeanie Marshall tells us how and why to use To-Do Lists effectively.

The To Do List is certainly one of the most popular stay-on-your priorities approach for reducing stress and using time effectively. Recently I was asked in an interview: Does the To Do List really work? My immediate response was: yes and no. Yes, it works for some people; no, it does not work for everyone. Yes, it works sometimes; no, it does not work all the time.
The To Do List
The primary principle behind the To Do List technique is that you can view a list of key activities you have decided you must accomplish. This is helpful if you believe that you might forget something or if you need a map to see more clearly which task needs to be performed before another. The writing process can focus, propel, and inspire you.
You will surely have your own way of using your To Do List. As a planning tool, the To Do List allows you to organize items on paper or stickie notes before you begin the actual tasks, avoiding the generally frowned-upon approach of starting in on the first task that meets your hands or eyes. With top priorities in view, you can more often avoid crisis management that demands you put out the fire that burns the hottest or gets closest to the boss.
I often suggest that people write a To Do List and then select the priorities, either by circling or checking items or by creating a second list. The purpose of a To Do List is to simplify life, not complicate it. So, keep it simple. You do not want to add routine tasks or those activities you know you will do without a reminder. Brushing your teeth is very important, but it has no place on a To Do List. On the days that the list of items seems overwhelming, you might find are the days to not create or not refer to the To Do List.
In addition to providing a central place for organizing tasks and recording progress, the To Do List can provide satisfaction when you cross out or check off completed items or crumple up a piece of paper.
The To Do List = The Undone List
When the To Do List is unrealistically long or overly detailed, it can elicit feelings of frustration or overwhelm. After all, those items are the undone deeds that face you. Each one has the potential to discourage or inspire you. Many possibilities sit undone on your shelves, drawers, tables, desks, or in your head. It is, of course, more healthy and fun to let them inspire you than discourage you.
Some people use a To Do List faithfully to organize tasks into categories or to organize papers into piles. Weeks later, though, they might return to the list or pile to find that top priority items were not done at all, only organized.
The To Do List is designed to propel you into accomplishment, not induce guilt or other negative feelings. On those days you need it to propel you, the To Do List can focus your activities. On those days that the list is frustrating, you need another technique or no technique at all. It is up to you to find your balance and to know that each day you may have a different relationship with your To Do List.
I sometimes suggest a client put no more than three items on a To Do List each day, re-naming the list: The Focus List. You can and will do more than three activities, but a shorter list helps you embrace the larger picture. Of course, you have to work with attention to detail, but your vision needs to be broader than the forty-two tasks you will move your hands through. Your Focus List keeps your attention on the key issues that yield satisfaction.

Next time Jeanie will discuss an almost MORE important list…the DID IT List..

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/time-management-articles/the-to-do-and-did-it-lists-57491.html

About the AuthorCopyright © 2006 Marshall House, http://www.mhmail.com. Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment. Discover her guided meditations at the Voice of Jeanie Marshall, http://www.jmvoice.com