Prioritize your to-do list

If you feel like your to-do list is never-ending, you're probably right!  Every day the whirlwind of life can take over with new seemingly important tasks popping up on our to-do-lists. While it is a great idea to keep an ongoing list of tasks that you need to complete, your first step to efficiency is to prioritize those tasks. 

Here’s how…Make a written list of commitments and tasks you have in a typical week. A few things that might appear on your list are client and staff meetings, phone calls and emails, research, exercise, family gatherings, kid's events, and drive time.  Once the list is completed, group the items into categories, i.e. work, personal, kids, etc., then pick a color for each category you’ve determined and create a legend. 

Start each day with a fresh list with these categories on it and fill your to-do items into the categories for the day. Make sure you know what your daily non-negotiable tasks are! Schedule time in your calendar to complete each category based on urgency and importance and hold yourself accountable to completing those tasks during the allotted times. 

You’ll likely have new items pop up throughout the day that need to be added. You get to decide how urgent those tasks are. Can they be competed within the allotted time for that category or can it wait for tomorrow when you start a new list?

While each day might bring on a new list, having the categories color coded in your calendar can allow you to be more productive by controlling when your tasks are getting completed. YOU are in control. If you share calendars, be sure to share your legend so others know your non-negotiable hours.

Prefer a digital version?  Consider apps like Clear or Google Now and keep your to-do list on your smartphone!

~Taren, the Calendar Guru