Even before I became a professional organizer and founded Seattle-based Essential Organizing LLC, I loved a good to-do list. Especially one on paper where I could draw little boxes and then check them off when I completed a task.
But when I left my full-time job to start my professional organizing business, my standard to-do list just wasn’t cutting it. I had started with my first few clients. I was developing a marketing plan. I signed up for several professional development classes. Then I added in some volunteer work: helping plan an annual charity run (shameless plug: Seattleites, sign up for the run!) and joining the board for a local organizer association. And of course I was also trying to be a good mom/wife/friend/daughter/sister.
I had too many to-dos in too many categories of work and life. I was missing details. I accidentally scheduled two commitments at the same time. I was overextending myself and not living the balanced life I had imagined. Also, I’m supposed to be organized. How was I failing at time organization?!
That was several years ago and since then I’ve completely restructured my to-do list and developed principles that I use with productivity consulting clients:
Table of Contents
Principle 1. Don't track tasks in your head.
It’s so tempting to think: I’ll remember that when I get home/get to the office/get to the grocery store. Instead:
Create a reliable system for capturing every task that pops into your head, when it pops. The system won’t be the same for everyone and whatever works for you is fine: a small notebook, sticky notes, a voice text to yourself or a notes app on your phone. Get everything out of your head so you never have to wonder whether you forgot something.
Ensure it feels easy to capture tasks in the moment. If there are too many steps to track something, you’re less likely to do it.
Build the habit before you buy an app or invest in a project management tool. Starting low tech will allow you to more easily test and refine your new system.
Principle 2. Organize your tasks into simple categories.
I recommend starting with two categories: now and later. This was my biggest failing with my original to-do list. I was looking at categories of tasks that I could do today or two weeks from now at the same time.
Consider every task you have on your plate. People you need to call or text back, forms you need to fill out, tickets you need to book, gifts you need to buy and write them all down.
Now sort them into categories: what tasks can you do right now? What tasks can you do later? Some items might have hidden tasks. For example, if you’re ready to book tickets for your next business trip, write that down in “now.” But if you need to talk to your spouse before you book tickets, “Confirm business trip dates with spouse” goes in “now” and “Book business trip tickets” goes in "later."
Tasks can be categorized as “later” because you have to do something else first, because they aren’t a high priority or because they are associated with a specific timeframe that hasn’t happened yet. The most important thing here is making sure your “nows” can truly be done now.
It can be tempting to subcategorize the “nows” but start without subcategories and see how it goes. Adding subcategories is just another thing to do when you’re capturing tasks and takes additional time.
One subcategory exception to consider: professional vs. personal tasks. Whether you keep these together or separate is up to you. Just like you have to organize your home in categories that make sense to you, the same is true of your time. If you’re someone who works when at work and doesn’t want to think about personal tasks, keep them separate. If your day flows back and forth between professional and personal (mine does!), keep them together.
Once the "nows" and "laters" are working for you, you can test whether you'd like to add additional categories. For example, "big picture planning" or "trips to take."
Whether you’re running a business or running a household, there are many tasks that you need to do regularly. Rather than have recurring tasks permanently on your to-do list, identify a natural time on your calendar to accomplish these tasks and block time for it.
Principle 3. No matter how organized you are, things change. Prioritize your list in real time.
Don’t judge yourself for not getting what you wanted to get done. Instead, refer to your list each day and prioritize what must happen. New tasks and new time constraints will come up. As they do, consider:
Is the new request important, urgent or both? If something is urgent but not important, resist the urge to prioritize it over something you were working on.
Assume there will always be more tasks than time. Your to-do list isn’t about getting it all done, it’s about tracking everything you could be working on so you can continually prioritize. Once you let go of the idea of accomplishing everything, you are free to prioritize what’s important to you.
Principle 4. “Declutter” your to-do list once a week.
After you finish a home organizing project, you keep things organized by ongoing maintenance. The same is true for time organization and your to-do list. You don't have to write a new to-do list each day or each week; instead, "declutter" your current list. Once a week, I recommend:
Making sure you’ve collected any tasks tracked via sticky note or voice text and added them to your to-do list.
Reviewing your “later” list and moving anything to “now.”
Deleting any “nows” that you already accomplished.
Still struggling with time organization?
A solid to-do list is only one factor in successful time organization. If you’re still struggling, ask yourself the following questions:
If your list is overflowing, is it because you’re trying to manage a project with a series of tasks?
How is your calendar working or not working for you?
How long do you spend managing email each day?
How do you process your mail and household paperwork?
How often are you distracted or interrupted?
A productivity consultant can help you look at all the factors that contribute to better time organization. Check out my productivity consulting services to learn more. Every project starts with a no-obligation video call to get started.
And remember, writing a to-do list isn’t about the list itself, it’s about trusting that each day you are going to spend time on what really matters to you.