Simple habit: the essential to-do list

(reading time: 3 minutes)

The essential to-do list is a different one than the long list you use to add whatever task arrives at your work domains  (usually created on Outlook, RTM or some other tool). I have been using it since I started testing the 80-20 Paretto principle on different dimensions of my life. It has helped me to get things done,  specially for the ones I had an aversion to engage with (eg. long project reports). To understand what is it about and how to exploit its benefits, read this illustrative steps:

• List the 5 most important tasks you could do on the next day of work.
• Priorize them from 1 to 5. The first ones are the most difficult to do and usually take a long time.
• Be as specific as you can: “Work on the report” is not specific if you expect a 200 hundred page document. “Finish section 1.2, and 5.7 of the Z Report” is specific enough and gives you a clear objective to reach on that day.
• Do the essential list just before your working day ends (until it becomes a habit, use some sort of reminder). Doing it later on the day gets your priorities for the day fresher on your mind, then when you go to sleep your subconscious will keep making associations to help you create new ideas and guide you towards solutions.
• Chose 1 or the 2 most important items of your list of 5 and assign them the necessary time slots to do them on the next day (having 1 or 2 really critical or difficult tasks should be enough and usually there is no time for more). If the tasks you have selected as the most critical can be done quickly or easily, then think again as you may have missed that one you just don´t want to get on with.
• The next day, when you arrive at your work place, do not read your email -unless is absolutely necessary for the 1st and most important task on your essencial list-. Get on working with the 1st essential asap. Be patient, don’t allow drifting to surf something on the net or check if that old mate you found on facebook accepted your friend invitation. After a 2 hours of work, take a break for 15 to 30 minutes -walk and take some fresh air, or check your FB if can’t wait anymore. You can use eggtimer to countdown your time if you are at your desk.
• Get on with the non-essencials task just after your critical tasks. In a few days you´ll find that many non-critical task are just despensable.

You may need to change some habits at work (like telling your boss that focusing on the critical tasks allow you to be more productive and get the most valuable things done, or asking -nicely- to colleagues to not interrupt you if you look busy). If you manage to do the necessary changes to focus on the 1 or 2 essentials consistently, you will be saving most of the time that was previously wasted on things that did not give you the returns the critical tasks give you.

Thank you for reading. Remember to subscribe if you haven´t done it yet, and leave me comment (maybe you know some good references about how the subconscious help you -if at all- when we sleeping)

Tagged as: lifehacks, practical minimalism, productivity, simple habits