To do lists are very useful when organizing ideas, workflows, and projects. An effective one has clear goals that are manageable by an individual or at scale.
The most important aspect of writing a good to do list is the clarity of each task. Without clear steps or incremental activities, you can burnout or move in circles. Even worse, without a to do list you may get nowhere at all!
Tips For Writing Clear Goals
- Practice Daily
- Make It Real
- Organize By Project
- Don’t Overreach
- Set Daily Goal For Completed Tasks
- Start Weekly Or Monthly Then Work Backwards
Top 22 Online To-do List Apps To Stay Ahead in 2020
Practice Daily
Writing a to do list is an essential process for anyone looking to move the ball forward in their lives. Practicing this habit daily not only improves the likelihood of success in the long run. It also holds you accountable in real time. Doing this everyday allows you to optimize tasks, because you will understand how quickly you perform certain goals overall. Lastly, if you know what need to do today and better yet know what you did today, you can make an informed plan for tomorrow!
Make It Real
That running list of goals and projects in your head may be hurting you more than you realize. How much of your brain power goes to just remembering the tasks? How do you make up for forgotten tasks and the subsequent inefficient planning? The quickest solution to this – WRITE IT DOWN! Wether its hand written or digital is relevant. Jot it down somewhere and update as you go. A tangible list of goals is more effective and more likely to be completed than a mental queue.
Organize By Project
Separating your goals by project makes it easier to maintain a workflow between each separate milestone. Mobile tools like Todoist Asana and Trello and offer great solutions for business and consumers managing multiple projects simultaneously. When putting together more than one project, time management is even more crucial. If you’re unsure which to prioritize, try outlining the full scope of each project and tackling the one with less steps. With multiple ongoing projects it’s best to schedule time daily for each to help stay on tasks evenly.
Don’t Overreach
This objective goes back to tracking your performance over time and exercising good habits so you don’t burn out. Each task on your daily to do list should be specific and incremental, not vague and overwhelming. For instance, you would be better served by the entry “Practice JavaScript for 30 minutes” and not “learn to coding.” One has a clear purpose and duration; the other is open for interpretation.
Set Daily Goal For Completed Tasks
This one is pretty easy! Setting a baseline on your performance will kick start your productivity. If you commit to completing 5 goals a day (or more there’s no limit!) you’ll see some basic improvements in your efficiency. Combine with the other tips mentioned above for optimized performance.
Start Weekly Or Monthly Then Work Backwards
If you’re having trouble breaking down your goals into increments it could help to think big picture first. If you don’t have a clear idea in place for your milestones, setting an accurate pace daily will be nearly impossible. Forecasting where you want to be in one week, two months, etc.. can give you the insight you need to move forward today as it will solidify your end goals and target metrics. Practice setting goals in 6 month and 3 month timelines. Once these are in place create daily objectives to make them a reality.
