There are many ideas and ways to tackle tasks, one of them is a well ordered to-do list.

I offer a different view on the to-do list that was taken from a book I finished reading called “Creativity Inc.” by the CEO of Pixar. It is a great story of the transformation of the company along with how they kept their company culture and commitment. A great read with some ideas I have reflected on and tried to implement with variou success.

One item I found thought provoking was the to-do list! Everyone has a to-do list, usually left undone. Then that makes you feel overwhelmed, busy, unproductive, and even depressed.

Filling up our to-do lists creates a constant turmoil in our heads, and has a negative effect on actually getting those tasks done. This causes our productivity as well as our physical and mental health to suffer.

When you start your workday, you usually pick the ones based on your current mood. And when there is no schedule, you’re more than likely to start switching between a few when then leads to procrastination.

Overall, the To Do List can give you the illusion of progress and accomplishment.

But planning and productivity are such an important ingredient in success. What can you do?

  • Schedule Everything Rigorously – Be a professional. Write down your tasks, and dedicate time to them
  • Give Yourself Tight Deadlines – The longer your deadline, the more likely you are to waste time and procrastinate. How many of us wait until the day or just before to complete the work
  • Prioritise – Schedule your most important tasks in the morning. Start your day by doing your most important thing, and use that momentum to carry you through the rest of your day. Lots of tactics around this, think of your focus as finite and put it to practice on the chunky stuff first
  • Be Real With Yourself  – Don’t overwork yourself. Don’t schedule more tasks than you can handle. Hard work has nothing to do with productivity

Make sure you are working on the right things and not burning yourself out on those less important tasks. Prioritise and then execute, in that order.