The to-do list is certainly one of the most POPULAR stay-on-your priorities approach for reducing stress and using time effectively. Recently I was asked in an interview: Does the to-do list really WORK? My immediate response was: yes and no. Yes, it works for some people; no, it does not work for everyone. Yes, it works sometimes; no, it does not work all the time.

SETTING UP YOUR LIST

You will surely have your own way of using your to-do list. As a planning tool, the to-do list allows you to ORGANIZE items on paper or stickie notes before you begin the actual tasks, avoiding the generally frowned-upon approach of starting in on the first task that meets your hands or eyes. With top PRIORITIES in view, you can more often avoid crisis management that demands you put out the fire that burns the hottest or gets closest to the boss. I often suggest that people write a to-do list and then select the priorities, either by circling or checking items or by creating a second list. The purpose of a to-do list is to simplify life, not complicate it. So, keep it simple. You do not want to add routine tasks or those activities you know you will do without a reminder. Brushing your teeth is very important, but it has no place on a to-do list. On the days that the list of items seems overwhelming, you might find are the days to not create or not refer to the to-do list.

THE UNDONE LIST

When the to-do list is unrealistically long or overly detailed, it can elicit feelings of frustration or OVERWHELM. After all, those items are the undone deeds that face you. Each one has the potential to discourage or inspire you. Many POSSIBILITIES sit undone on your shelves, drawers, tables, desks, or in your head. It is, of course, more healthy and fun to let them inspire you than discourage you. Some people use a to-do list faithfully to organize tasks into categories or to organize papers into piles. Weeks later, though, they might return to the list or pile to find that top priority items were not done at all, only organized.

LIMITING YOUR LIST

I sometimes suggest a client put no more than three items on a to-do list each day, re-naming the list: the FOCUS list. You can and will do more than three activities, but a shorter list helps you embrace the larger picture. Of course, you have to work with attention to detail, but your vision needs to be broader than the forty-two tasks you will move your hands through. Your focus list keeps your ATTENTION on the key issues that yield satisfaction.

BEYOND THE BASICS

The did it list is not intended to be merely the TRANSFER of the completed items from a to-do list to a new list, although that is a viable way to start a did it list. However, I think of the did it list as a new list, started afresh at the end of each day. Perhaps items that did not even MAKE the to-do list appear on the did it list. Instead of calling it the did it list, one client calls his an "Accomplishments List" and another calls hers a "Success List."

RELAX

With all this talk about doing, did, done, undone, it is important to remind you to BE. You can even use your to-do list to remind yourself, with such items as "Relax" or "Breathe deeply every hour on the hour" or "Meditate." Or you can write a daily AFFIRMATION on the To Do List so that each time you look at the list you are reminded of the affirmation.