Your To-Do List: Knowing Where to Start

You've got the long list of tasks that you want to get finished today, or this week. Some have been big, some have been small. Some have been important, some have been trivial. Some have been urgent, some aren't.

Where do you begin?

Different experts will tell you different things. The law is, though, that there's no "perfect" approach to manage your to-do list. Ultimately, you're possibly starting to get everything upon it done, or you're not. The trick is to show off your chances of removing it all finished to rise the complement that functions for you.

Here have been 4 methods, all equally valid. Give the single or dual of them the try, as good as see what seems similar to the great fit. If you've already got the complement that works, leave the note in the comments to share.

Start With the High-Energy Tasks
You competence hear these tasks described as those with "the many resistance" or as "frogs". They're tasks that you feel the bit daunted by, ones that you'd quite similar to to put off.

They competence be upsetting (e.g. phoning an angry client) or essentially quite beguiling (e.g. writing your novel). Either way, they feel hard.

By rebellious with these high-energy tasks first, you get the great begin upon your day or week, as good as you'll often have the clever clarity of feat as good as momentum.

Start With the Easiest Tasks
On the flip side, you competence cite to begin off with the easiest tasks. If you find it tough to settle down as good as work, or if you end up procrastinating the lot, these easy tasks can assistance you "warm up".

Easy tasks have been ones that do not need much energy. You do not have an romantic investment in them - they're not frightful or worrying during all. Easy tasks competence be fun, or they c! ompetenc e simple be slight similar to clearing out your junk email.

Start With the Most Important Tasks
If you could usually accomplish the single or dual things this week, what would you pick? Those have been your many critical tasks the ones that unequivocally have the difference in your work or in your life.

Important tasks competence include writing the report, anticipating 10 brand new clients, or removing your tiny company's website online.

By rebellious these tasks first, you'll know that you've made poignant swell that encourages you to lift upon working. Plus, if you do not complete your whole list, you'll during slightest have finished those 20% of tasks that get you 80% of your results.

Start With the Most Urgent Tasks
The obligatory equipment upon your list have been the ones with the looming deadline. They competence be vitally critical (like removing your presentation finished prior to the large meeting) or pretty considerate (like receiving back your living room books prior to you get the fine).

Urgent tasks often import upon your mind. By rebellious them first, you get them out of the approach as good as you can lift upon with the rest of your work but worrying that you competence run out of time.

Which of those 4 methods functions for you? You'll probably find that you have use of the combination of methods perhaps you plunge into the important, obligatory tasks first, or you begin off with something easy but obligatory so that you can get it off your mind.

Whatever technique you use, though, it's not starting to give you some-more than twenty-four hours in the day! Although you often speak about "time management", you can't unequivocally change how much time you have you can usually alter where you put our attention. So, as good as anticipating the great approach to plunge into your to-do list, have certain that you're receiving the long tough look during any tasks that competence not need! to be u pon there during all.

Written upon 12/21/2010 by Ali Luke. Ali writes the blog, Aliventures, about leading the productive as good as eloquent hold up (get the RSS feed here). As good as blogging, she writes fiction, as good as is study for an MA in Creative Writing.Photo Credit: purple slog