A Bit of a To Do
This post first appeared as a Kaizen Tip and was written by Steve Marriott of the Kaizen team and inspired by an idea from Catherine Smith of Continuum Group.
I’m regularly asked for advice on how busy people can manage their time more effectively. Every week there seems to appear yet another ‘tool’ to help us in our quest. I’m constantly on the lookout for that special something which moves beyond a mere tool or process and transforms the way people approach ‘time management’ and work-life balance. I love this idea from Catherine, both for its simplicity and for the transformational effect it had upon the group.
The stalwart of time management…the ‘to do’ list.
Like many, I benefit from simply recording my tasks for the day/week/month AND often feel frustrated that my lists just never seem to get any shorter! Every time I review them I always find ever more tasks to add. That’s just the thing with to do lists – there’s always something more to do.
On our recent workshop, the group were exploring various methods to manage their time better. A large number of the group discussed the benefits of listing when my age old problem surfaced.
“I have lists of lists…”, “I sometimes spend more time writing my next list than I can afford…”, “My list just never gets any smaller…”
We had earlier discussed my use of a technique called ‘Headlining’ – each day I write a virtual headline such as
Steve finishes tip! Steve clears in-basket at last!
Which helps me to prioritise and focus my efforts. That’s when inspiration struck! Combining listing with headlining – Catherine created ‘To Finish’ lists. Rather than dwelling upon the endless stream of new tasks, Catherine decided to list only the one, two or three things she absolutely must complete today (anything else would be a bonus). We all enjoy the sense of closure when a task is finished so why not use this motivation more consciously? Aside from the obvious benefit of its simplicity, and focus, this idea will also enable Catherine to enjoy a healthy dose of dopamine and serotonin (feel-good chemicals) each time she finishes an item on her list.
I loved the idea immediately – as did many within the group so Catherine – consider your idea well and truly nicked and shared.
Call to action
Next time you reach for the to-do list, why not convert it to a ‘to Finish’ list and notice the difference?
I’ve a little twist to add to your nice tip on ‘to do’ lists. It plays on the ‘feel-good chemical’ factor you mentioned…
I run my list on Excel and, like you, used to get disheartened by the fact that it never went down, even though I’d eagerly delete items once done. Then I realised that I wasn’t getting a real sense of just how much I was getting through. So now, rather than deleting ‘done’ items straight away, I simply colour the cell. At the end of the day there’s loads of colour and I feel a great sense of accomplishment. The next morning I get another buzz about what I achieved, before deleting the coloured items ready for the new day’s challenges.
Very best!
Tony
Hi Tony,
Thanks for your response – I particularly like the increased visual element you’ve added to this idea. Do you find working with Excel adds any more time to this process?
Best regards
Steve
No, in fact just the opposite. I found that with paper lists I was forever producing new ones and spending time transferring incomplete jobs, or ending up with several on the go at once. I find the Excel version more efficient and more satisfying to use. But then I do spend a lot of time at my computer..