How to control your to-do list, with top tips from the experts
If you want to get organised, but never seem to accomplish essential tasks this professional advice will help
There’s something very satisfying about crossing items off a to-do list. (Conversely, it can be pretty stressful to see a list full of things you still have to do.) Whether they’re in a homework planner at school or on a sticky note on a desk at work, to-do lists are an easy way to lay out what has to be done.
But how do you avoid the chaos of dozens of little pieces of paper or a digital document that requires endless scrolling? We spoke with experts to find out how to make to-do lists that will help you efficiently accomplish tasks so you have time for activities you really want to do.
Stick to a simple method
The purpose of creating lists and organising systems shouldn’t be to create extra work, said Julie Morgenstern, a New York productivity consultant and author of Organising from the Inside Out.
A colour-coordinated list with stickers and extras could work well for one person but might be distracting to someone else. Someone may find comfort in an Excel spreadsheet, but it may cause stress to others. The method doesn’t matter as much as its usefulness.
“You want to use a list as an asset, not as a way to delay doing what’s on the list,” said Stephanie Shalofsky, founder of the Organising Zone in New York.
