Fundamental features of any to do list
The definition from lexico.com is "A list of tasks that need to be completed, typically organized in order
of
priority."
This definition says everything about how to create and use to do lists so that they are effective.
Therefore the to do list must have some of the following characteristics:
- to include tasks to be completed, broken down into longer and shorter periods
- tasks should be noted clearly and concisely so that we can easily remember any time what it is about
- preferably, the daily to do list should be done the anterior evening evening
- as far as possible, the activities should be ordered by their importance
- to include an estimated period of time in which we consider that we can complete the task
- it should be easy to edit so that we can modify them as necessary
We have the to do list, what's next?
From the moment we set our goals we can plan our activities and tasks for the next period. Whether it is about
to do lists for shorter or longer periods, it is important to constantly respect and apply the principles of
the
method chosen for time management.
We can choose from a variety of time management methods and it would be advisable to choose the one that best
suits us. We are different and therefore a method that works perfectly for someone may not be at all suited to
someone else’s lifestyle or workstyle.
Also, it is advisable not to apply several methods at once, perhaps only if they are compatible or complement
each other. Otherwise, we risk messing them around or losing a lot of time trying to implement them. In this
case, the effect will not be the desired one, but on the contrary, we risk getting the exact opposite.
Drawing up a to do list: helping or time-wasting?
To clarify this regard it is enough to consider the Pareto principle. The same principle is also known as the
law of the vital few or 80/20 rule, or the principle of factor sparsity.
The 80/20 connection was first noted by the Italian economist Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto in 1896 and
published in his first work, Cours d'économie politique. He noticed that approximately 80% of Italy's land was
owned by 20% of the population.
Later, in 1941, Joseph Moses Juran a Romanian-born American engineer and management consultant, started to
apply
this principle to quality issues.
The principle states that “80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes”. And this can be applied to various
domains. For example:
- In business management: "80% of sales come from 20% of clients"
- In team management: “20% of a team’s members are making 80% of a project’s successful results”
- In time management: “20% efforts will produce 80% of results”
Therefore, according to this principle, investing time in planning and making a rigorous to do list will help
you to achieve a greater number of planned goals.
PlanArty is an efficient time tracking solution and it is especially
designed to support your time management process whatever system you choose to apply.
Discover the functionalities:
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