Turn Your "to-do" List into Your BFF
You know, Best Friend Forever. That’s a term we used in junior high and high school. He or she was the one person who would stick with you through thick and thin. You could always count on him/her to be there for you.
And that’s what I want you to do with your “to-do” list. Most business owners and executives have a ton of things to do. At times it can feel overwhelming. A well organized “to-do” list and system can keep you focused and help you get a LOT more done in a day.
Many business owners keep their list in their heads. Often important things fall between the cracks and don’t get done, or get done late and in a hurry. If you can build a system that presents everything that needs to be done, and puts those items in order, you can eliminate this problem.
Other executives make a list at the beginning of the day of all the things that need to be addressed. By the end of the day, some items are crossed out, and others may be added. Many of my clients get discouraged about the list being longer at the end of the day. And they feel guilty about what hasn’t gotten done.
Here is a quick guide to turning your to-do list into a friend:
Step #1: List everything that needs to be done.
You can try this alone, but I recommend working with a small team. Write things that need to get done down on a white board, using your computer, or on paper. Don’t put down little things that only take a few minutes to do. Big projects, like building a new warehouse, probably need to be cut up into more manageable size tasks.
Step #2: Prioritize each item by importance and timeliness.
Organize your items in a spread sheet and sort by priority group. I use a system of ABC and 123.
A is for an item that is so important your business will fail if it doesn’t get done. An “A” would be making payroll or filling an order.
B is for items that the business needs to run the way it should. A “B” might be writing an employee manual or cleaning the bathroom.
C is for things that are nice but you could live without. A “C” might be painting the break room blue.
1 is for things that you wish were done yesterday.
2 is for things that need to be done now or very soon.
3 is for those things that could easily wait a while.
Step #3: Separate your to do list from your calendar.
The only things that go on your calendar are obligations, such as meetings and deadlines. Keep your to do list separate. Take things out of your to do list only when you are ready to work on them.
Step #4: Update your to do list once a week.
When you get good at this you will be amazed at how much more you will get done. Things won’t fall between the cracks. And you will free your mind of all that you have to do. The next item comes up as you have prioritized it.
If you would like help setting this system up, I offer what I call a “Productivity Boost”. I would be pleased to work with you if you would like some guidance.
