I sometimes fantasize about the day when I’ll get to the bottom of my to-do list. It lasts for about a nano-second before I realize I’ve already forgotten 10 things that I need to add to said list. The reality of work (and life) is that there’s always going to be some list of things you have to get done. The secret, in my experience, is knowing how to prioritize that list so that you’re not in a perpetual state of panic and overwhelm. The problem for most of us is that we keep adding to the list vs. stepping back and analyzing what, on the list, holds the most value and will deliver the biggest bang for our buck. Productivity is all about the continual process of stepping back and re-evaluating whether you’re focused on the right things. It can be surprising how many items actually fall away. One of my favourite exercises is to take all my to-do list activities and bucket them into three categories: defer, delegate and let die. What’s left is your actual to-do list. As an added bonus, the simple act of getting everything out of my head and onto a sheet of paper is also surprisingly stress-relieving as well. If you’re looking for a tool to help here, check out The Productivity Planner. It’s been a great way for me to wrestle my to-do’s to the ground.
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