12 ideas to make lists work for you
Lists don’t have to be overwhelming, even when they’re long
A colleague told me last year that they had only been making lists for a few years, and they hated them. This surprised me since lists are a key tool for me. My brain just can’t keep track of everything, and writing it down is the only way to make sure I do all the tasks I need to or don’t forget my toothbrush when I’m headed off on a trip.
But I get it. Lists can be overwhelming. So here’s some ideas on how to better manage your list of to-dos:
1. Add dates.
Some tasks have built-in deadlines for when they need to be done. That makes it pretty obvious when you’re supposed to do them. For the others, put a date on them. That can prompt your brain to take on the task at that point, when you might not otherwise be motivated.
2. Make your list longer.
This might seem counterintuitive, but breaking up big tasks (like “write a feature”) into many smaller tasks can help. Instead of having one huge overwhelming task, you now have lots of easy-to-do tasks.
3. Turn your list into a plan.
Group related tasks and add dates to them and suddenly you have a basic plan. If you’re working with other people on a project, make sure you add some names to each of those tasks.
4. Make a list of lists.
This idea came from my mom when I was going off to grad school. Each big task (sell condo, sell car, put things into storage, find apartment, etc.) got its own page in a new notebook, with the first page listing all the lists inside. Everything can be too much. But when you only see part at a time, it all becomes a bit easier.
5. Do the easy thing first.
If you get motivated to do things by having accomplished something, take on an easy task first. It can be a warm-up for later tasks.
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6. Do the hard thing first.
Maybe the hardest task is the scariest and you just want to get it out of the way. Go for it.
7. Do the fastest things first.
Getting off that flurry of emails, for instance, can let you check off lots of tasks at once, making your list shorter and letting you focus on the bigger tasks.
8. Do the biggest thing first.
Similar to doing the hardest task, this might give you some piece of mind to tackle the rest of your list.
9. Get out a die or check out a random number generator.
If you’re having difficulty deciding what to do, and there’s no obvious must-do-first item on your list, give everything a number and let chance decide for you. If you’ve got a set of DND dice on hand, grab those. If not, find a random number generator and let it decide what you’ll do first, second, third, etc.
10. Ask for help or delegate.
There are some days when you know you won’t get everything done that you need to. You can either try to pull an all-nighter (not recommended) or ask for help from your colleagues. If you’re in a leadership role, go ahead and delegate. And if you work on your own, you might be able to pay someone else to take on some of those tasks.
11. Negotiate.
Do you really need to do that thing on your list? Maybe it can be postponed or eliminated entirely. Talk to your editor/supervisor/contact/etc. and see what can be done.
12. Reward yourself.
Give yourself a small reward when you complete a task or three. It doesn’t have to be big. A piece of chocolate. Cuddling with your cat. Watching something on YouTube. Coffee. Whatever gives you motivation to take more things on.
One of my favorite rewards is to give this guy a mid-day belly rub. (Credit: S. Zielinski)
Which of these ideas will work best for you will depend on your work and your brain. I use a combination of these techniques: Everything gets a date, though those are often fungible. I tend to chunk big tasks into lots of smaller ones so they don’t seem quite so scary. I like doing the fast and/or easy tasks in the mornings so I get quick wins. And when everything gets to be too much, I have wonderful colleagues that I can ask to help me out.
But I’ve probably used each of those 11 strategies at some point. And I recommend giving ones that are new to you a try the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed and stuck.
Just remember that sometimes nothing is going to work. And that’s OK. Walk away for a bit. Head outside. Get yourself a cup of tea or coffee. Hang out with your pet. Read a chapter in a book that’s not related to work. Scroll TikTok for a bit. Do whatever you need to do to come back with a fresh brain that can look at everything anew.
Because you’ve got this. Whatever “this” is.
Till next time!
— Sarah
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