The Rhythm of a Good Task List
The goal of your task list is to remind you to do the things you need to do.
In a previous post, Your Digital Task List, we talked about the elements that matter in choosing a good digital task list. This time we will talk about how to use your task list to support you in actually completing the tasks you need to complete.
Let’s do this in the simplest way possible
Set a planning day and time
A task list is only as good as the thinking and planning behind it. It is extremely important that you set a time to regularly review your priorities and make sure you are doing the things you need (and want) to do.
Planning time is one of those things that most productivity coaches agree on and vehemently argue about.
Sunday morning, Friday night, once a week, once a month, daily, these things don’t matter. Whatever it is for you, do it regularly. This is your Planning Day.
Stephen Covey, the great father of effectiveness (Author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) recommends once a week. I agree.
Personally, I do my planning on Monday mornings, after numerous books and experts spouting the importance of doing it a different day or time I have tried to change it, but for me, Monday morning works best. It works best because this is when I want to do it. My planning energies are highest on Monday morning.
Figure out where your planning energies are strongest. Pick a day and try it for a few weeks, if it doesn’t stick, pick a different day.
Enter this planning activity into your task list and give it a descriptive name like:
- Weekly Review
- Monday Planning
- Reset Time
Use the description field to list out the specifics of what you wish to accomplish during your planning time.
Add tasks as you think of them
Make sure the task manager you choose has an easy way for you to add new tasks. Add whatever you think you should remember. Anything you want to do. Anything you need to do. Just add it. If it doesn’t need to be done within the week you are in just set the due date for one of your future your planning day. You can think deeper about it during your planning time. Unless the task is actually “Due” within the week think of the due date more as a “Reminder Date”.
During your planning time, when you are in planning mode, you will give those new tasks a quick look over and do the deeper thinking to decide if you actually want to do them and set a date for when you want to start or when you want to be reminded of them again.
Now – Not Now
We really only have two-time options for tasks, NOW and NOT NOW.
You cannot do everything all at once. Things take time. Choose a reasonable amount of tasks in a reasonable amount of time.
During your Planning Day, choose the tasks you want to accomplish between planning periods and date them accordingly. For the tasks that don’t make the cut, set the task date for planning time in the future.
Example: Next Monday or 3 Mondays from now. (no need to get too specific with “NOT NOW” tasks)
Most task management apps have a “due” date. This seems reasonable, but isn’t the “due” date when the task should be completed?
Unless your task manager program has a “start” date capability I usually consider the due date to be the date and time I need to “DO” something.
- Acknowledge the task.
- Think about the task
- Act upon the task
- Remember that the task exists
I generally notate the firm due date (when it NEEDS to be completed) in the notes field of the task. If I need to, I can shift the due date along to a day where I have room for the task.
Check your tasks: do your tasks, or push the date
We usually can’t get EVERYTHING done when we want to get it done. We get a bit optimistic at times. That is ok. Do a little work on your important tasks to move them forward, make a note on what you need to do next, and move it to the next day or to your next Planning Day.
You can do this monthly, weekly or daily. If you find you keep pushing a task to the future you may want to take a deeper look at it and decide if you actually need to do it. It is ok to take some things off your list.
During your planning time
Here is the general idea of what you will actually do during your planning time.
STEP 1: GATHER your tasks
Go look in all your various information buckets for everything that triggers a task.
- Start with what is already on your list for the next 2 weeks.
- Your email inbox (You may also have important things in spam)
- The inbox box on your desk. (or paper pile on the kitchen table)
- Your calendar (digital and/or paper)
- Sticky notes on your surfaces
- Rambly thoughts in your head (enter them into your task list even if they sound stupid – you can delete them later)
Get everything together in one place, your task list. If you need a good digital task list check out this BLOG POST: How to Choose Your Digital Task App
As you look at your calendar for the week it is a good time to acknowledge your calendar appointments with color. Check out BLOG POST: The Color Coded Calendar
STEP 2: PLAN your days – think binary
Evaluate the things you need to do. Urgent, Important, Good ideas. Sort everything into NOW (Something needs to happen this week) or NOT NOW (Something needs to happen next week or later).
- NOW (This week) – Take a look at your NOW list and think through the actual things you need to do and schedule times to actually do them. You can be as rigid as you like “Tuesday from 10:30 – 11:15” or “Sometime on Thursday”. In your calendar, you can schedule a big block of time to knock out a range or category of tasks. Errands, office work, calls, and such. (Can you delete, delay, or delegate things?).
- NOT NOW (Next week and beyond) – Take a look at your NOT NOW list, you will promote some things to your NOW list, delete some things that you realize you will never do or don’t need to do, and push the rest to a future weekly planning day, then set the list aside to review again at your next weekly planning. These tasks need to have due dates that reflect when you want to think about them, not when you will actually do them. (and your weekly planning time is when you will do that thinking)
STEP 3: MAINTAIN and repeat
Now go through your list. Start at the top and if you can take action on the item to move it forward, then do it or decide when to do it, then move to the next item. On your list, you will find admin-type things that you need to do each week to keep your life running smoothly. Do them now and your planning time will feel super productive. At the end of your planning time make sure your Weekly Planning Task is scheduled in your task list for your next planning session time. (either set the task to recurring or change the date for next week.)
Useful things to do to maintain your digital systems:
- Check your Downloads folder for things you should save – delete the rest
- Check your spam folders for emails that shouldn’t be in there – delete the rest
- Confirm that your cloud drives are still synced to your computer (sometimes they forget what they are doing)
- Unsubscribe from 5 – See GAME SPACE: Unsubscribe from 5
- Clear the Clutter – See GAME SPACE: Clear the Clutter
- Delete the Dregs – See GAME SPACE: Delete the Dregs
For more detailed ideas for managing your task list check out these books.
