Seven superb ways to get your work list achieved

Are you getting overwhelmed with never finishing your to-do list? Each day feels like a slog that you never seem to get free from?

You would be surprised how many people feel like this. Firstly, we need to start by saying, never expect your work list to be empty (that can’t be your goal). Hey, we are at work and the very nature of work is there will always be things to do. However, what you can do, is take some simple steps to not let it make you dread opening your laptop or feeling in a rut.

There is a lot of research on this topic, and it could make you feel you are poor at time management. This isn’t always the case.  The challenge could be that you haven’t got clear goals, you might not have a focus on the right tasks, or you might just not be feeling it that week. It isn’t always that you are doing something wrong. Sometimes when we work with people on this topic, it becomes very clear the issue is more ‘they simply have too much to do’. You know the phrase “if you want something doing, ask a busy person’… well, sometimes that busy person simply doesn’t have any more capacity!

So, let’s imagine, you know how to say ‘no’ to unwanted tasks (if you don’t let us know and we will cover that another day), it is just the case that you can’t seem to tick the things off your list for days on end.

Here are some things to try to help your clear your head and work to a new beat!

1) Make a daily plan (or to-do list)

How you make that list is up to you (some love paper and a pen, some love an app, some love an excel spreadsheet), but use the list of your choice. There is no point creating one if you dread ‘opening’ it each time! Then list everything down you know you need to complete.  

If you can, there are some things to consider as are you creating it:

• Put deadlines next to each item (for example if you have been carrying something over for 8 days it probably isn’t urgent, so be honest with when you will achieve it)

• Break work into smaller tasks (so to make it feel achievable (especially if the task goes over a few days), break a very large piece of work into manageable chunks where you get time to focus on each part fully)

• Group together similar tasks (e.g.. if you need to go into a ‘tricky’ system to log a customers details, check if you have anything requiring similar work – it can help to perhaps be in that system and log 6 customers details at the same ‘sitting’ than to enter the system 6 times over)

Keep that list near you too – so you keep on top of where you are up to, but make sure your list is something you can quickly ‘scan’ to see what’s next. Each item should be bulleted (enough so you understand the task, not so much that you need to read a paragraph to know what to do).

2) Prioritise

There are many different tools and ways of prioritising. You need to find the one that works for you. A couple to consider are:

• Eat the Frog (the very simple concept here is to finish the complex tasks first)

• A t0 Z list (give each task a letter, A being the most important task, Z being the least….. If you end up with lots of A’s, keep redoing the list until you have a priority order)

• Eisenhower Matrix (separate tasks by urgency and importance)

Whichever one you pick, you should end up with a clear idea of;

• What you need to do first

• What can wait till later (or another day)

• What really doesn’t need to be on your list (it would surprise you how often this happens when you really write everything down)

Whilst looking at the new version of your list may not clear the panic or fear of how much you have to do, it will certainly give you a plan of how you are going to tackle it (and that is one step nearer to where you were before you did this part!)

3) Change your perspective

Instead of beating yourself up about how much is on your list or saying “I am never going to get this done” or “this is impossible to do”…. change that thought process. To give you an analogy, athletes focus on what they are going to do to win. You would never hear Usain Bolt before he runs the 100m say “I am not going to win this!”. No, his every thought is how he is going to win it – as he knows the power of psychology and how powerful his brain is.

Now fingers crossed, you are not about to go stand on an athletic track, but the brain you have needs positive messaging too. You already have a plan of the order in which you are going to tackle your list. You know what you need to do. You can do this (your motivation and energy levels will thank you for the different approach).

4) Avoid multi-tasking

Contrary to popular belief, you actually get less done when you multi-task. The main reason being you are not really giving any task 100% of your focus. So, whilst you might tick it off your list, have you really completed it to the standard you needed to?

This needs you to be managing the environment around you. If you are working on one of those ‘chunkier’ bits of work which really requires thought and concentration, switch off your email notifications (you don’t need that intrusion to your mind), turn your phone off (if you are able) and give that task your all. You will likely finish it quicker so you can then check in your emails when your mind is freed up.

5) Complete one ‘tough’ task before lunch

This might depend how you normally work (you might be a morning person or a night owl), but generally your motivation and creativity will be at its highest early on (before your day has had chance to get de-railed or had curve balls thrown your way!).

Use your mental energy to get that item completed before lunch and your afternoon will be free from the ‘urgh, I still have Task x to complete’ mode. Then you can use your afternoon to do the quicker slightly ‘easier’ tasks.

6) Take breaks

Please don’t just think the answer to completing your to-do list is to just sit at your desk until you have done everything. That could not be a worse plan!  Keep your mind fresh and alert and take regular breaks as it takes energy to stay organised.  

You might step outside to get some fresh air, go chat to a friend at another desk or give someone a call, do some stretching or movements, listen to that favourite song, or, eat some brain busting snacks. Whatever it is, do it! Move from that seat and that desk and give your brain chance to refuel and be ready for the next bit on your list.

7) Stop when you are still ahead

This one could be slightly controversial! As you head towards the end of the day, try and stop on a ‘positive’ or ‘yes’ moment.  It means you are working well and ordered, so in theory you would know what it was you needed to do next. So when you get back your laptop the next morning, you should be able to hit the ground running and pick right back up where you left off.

The biggest reason for procrastinating is that people simply don’t know what or where to start. However, if you leave the day on the task that is going well and your next steps are easy to spot, you will be able to crack back on with ease the next morning.

Oh, and not part of the ‘superb seven’ but still VERY important:

Take time to celebrate your progress

Be kind to yourself and recognise what you are achieving as you go. You are ticking things off; you are working through your list productively and in priority order – allow yourself that ‘yes’ moment. Remember, it’s all about the psychology, and the things you tell yourself. So, pat yourself on the back when you achieve that ‘tougher’ task first thing, or tell someone once you have completed something you found easier than you thought. Your energy will continue to thrive for you for the rest of the day.

There is no magic formula – it’s about finding what works for you. The 7 steps above might all work perfectly or there might be just 3 which hit the mark – either way, give them a go (more than once) and see what works.

Be sure that you are not taking on too much on that list though – for it to work, it has to be an achievable amount on the list initially.

Once you carry out your prioritisation list, if you realise there are things on there you really don’t need to do personally, either delegate to someone or give us a call!  We could either take some of those things off your list for you giving you time to focus on the others, or we could help you to put some of the ‘superb seven’ in practice.

Time is precious – go use it well!