OPTED Magazine

My to do list, even printed in 8 point font with double columns, could be an inch thick stack of paper.  And it seems that no matter how much progress I make with my list, the tasks keep on comin’.  Such is life, which is why it’s important for me to test different strategies for tackling my list and making the enormity of it much more manageable.

At OPTED Magazine I’ve shared several of these strategies, which in combination, have made my planning and tasking much easier!  Since this blog is both a learning experience for me and a way of improving my own productivity and organization, I get excited when I put all these ideas into practice (and when several strategies come together to build an effective plan).

Yesterday, I had one of my most productive days in recent memory, all as a result of some of my own research I’ve written about on the site. Each of these ways to tackle my to do list helped me get through a crazy day:

• Batching tasks — I had a string of errands to run, a backlog of emails in my inbox, and about 10 voicemails that all required an immediate return call.  Using the idea of batching tasks helped improve my efficiency by eliminating transition time.
• Essentials first — I’m a procrastinator, I admit it.  While I’m getting better, my crazy day was made more crazy as a result of putting off the “important stuff.”  This tip and way of thinking reminded me of why I was suffering that day from such a long list of things to do, and also served as a guide to get back on track.
• High energy — I also used this premise of using high energy times to capitalize on when I would be most productive.  I had to consider store hours, family distractions, traditional business hours and how awake and alert I would be.  Without considering this, my day might have easily become overwhelming.
• Blitzing — And just when I felt I was losing momentum towards the end of the day, I used the blitz approach to clear out my list and bring back my confidence.

Sometimes, all of these options aren’t a perfect fit for my schedule or the unforeseen hiccups in my day.  But I hope some of these will be useful for you.

Any other ideas for me and the readers to tackle a long to do list?  What has worked for you?

If you liked this post, you might like::

1. Use the blitz approach for your to-do list
2. Identify high energy times for maximum productivity
3. Completing essential tasks on your to do list first
4. Batch tasks to save time and achieve maximum efficiency