To Dos Without "When Dos" and "What Dos"

Do you continually compile some sort of To Do list? Are you very good at adding things to that list, sometimes without being fair to yourself?

Remember anyone can make commitments ... it's the keeping of commitments that is the tough part. Ask yourself: How can you make a commitment without making a firm commitment to yourself about WHEN you will accomplish the task and how long it will take?

Oh ... you might say you do not know how long it will take because many of your tasks are complicated and complex and depend on other things, and other people for that matter. You are right! So at this point all you can do is commit to the very next action step. That is all you can do and that is all you have ever been able to do. I have worked with so many people that try and tackle a series of projects all in their mind AT ONCE! For some reason, we tend to program ourselves to do that. You know what that leads to ... STRESS !!

Of course if you do not put a deadline next to your commitments or block time to actually accomplish the next action item, all you have is an ambiguous list with no clarity or urgency.

If you don't have a deadline, you do not have a finish line and all that may do is add stress. So, do yourself a favor next time you are taking on a new commitment. First define the specific next action step and then get it in your calendar. If you cannot find the time you might actually have to say "no" or delegate it to someone else. Now you do not have a "To Do", you have a specific "to act" and a "specific when."


One technology tip: If you use Outlook and keep your open items, projects or To Dos in the form of Outlook tasks, you can click on that task and drag it into your calendar at the specific time. It keeps the task in the task list and also adds it to your calendar.