Five panda pointers: How to create an effective to do list

How many of you create a weekly to do list? Perhaps you prefer daily lists instead? Either way, having a list of what needs to be done throughout the week is a tradition cherished by many.

However, while it might be a habit to jot down your top tasks, are you making a habit of sticking to the list effectively? Here are our five panda pointers for a successful to do list!

1) Do not mix work and home life tasks

If you have a planner of some kind, it will soon fill up with meetings, seminars, your mother in law’s birthday and a whole mix of things to remember that would stress even the calmest of people.

You should keep your work tasks in your work space. Have a separate plan of action; you can utilise reminders on your phone, emails or a physical diary planner. Choose which of these works best for work tasks and which would be best for those important home life reminders!

2) Categorise

When writing a to do list, it’s easy to note down your tasks as and when you think of them. As such, you’re left with a long list with no real guidance of where to start. Begin with categories – follow ups, deadlines, ongoing projects and important reminders are some examples of good ways to make the list digestible. 

3) Prioritise

Once you have general categories, you can have a streamlined plan of action for prioritising your tasks. What absolutely has to get done that day/week and what needs less attention? Of course every aspect of your job is important; you just need to work out what is more important at that particular time.

4) Picking an ideal time of the day

Speaking of time, you can also assign a part of your day to suit a particular task. We’ve spoken about frogs before, but in case you missed our previous post let us quickly explain. Frogs are code for those tasks that you know you have to do, but something always gets in the way. Eating the frogs means tackling these tasks head on and devouring them…get your napkins ready! Try putting an hour or two aside for your biggest task and if you can, find a quiet space and keep your head down. It really does work.

5) Having some room to move

Try to keep an idea of how many times you HAVE to stray from the daily plan because a sudden and urgent matter came up? Not every day will go smoothly so the key to great task management is to be able to get back on track effectively.

When this happens, deal with the matter at hand and dedicate all the time it needs. It’s urgent for a reason. When you can return to your original plan, take five minutes to factor in what changes might need to be made to your list.

Always assign some extra time to tasks in the event of a career emergency! Even if you get through the task with the extra time left spare, you have a nice bit of flexibility to plan ahead with the next part of your list! 

Next time you're drawing up a to do list, try our panda pointers out for size...you won't be disappointed!