My experiments with To-Do List

I have used some form of To-Do list for professional & personal chores for sometime now. The primary reason was because I have a failing memory and I ended being tardy most of the times. The secondary reason of the To-Do list is the sheer number of different things that I needed to keep up with .The task ranging from ones that  would talk a minute or two (calling a friend for information, Paying the annual insurance premium etc.,) to complex projects such as finding a school for my kid…(My wife is going to kick me for this as I did not move an inch towards this !). Thirdly, I get into an emotional high for reason that I cannot when I tick the items on the To-Do list

I started with the To-Do list being written on a piece of paper mostly in the office. While this  helped me to stay focused on doing the things for the day, I felt something missing. While I ended up doing tasks, I found being tired after each task. The reason, as I found it later, was because I usually ended up putting in the most urgent tasks on the To-Do list. To put it in a better way, I did not have the perspective of Tasks beyond a day, and all my Important tasks were procrastinated to the day they became Urgent where I had no other option but to complete.

That is when I hit upon the on-line To do list website that offers you to create and get reminder of your To Dos.. (http://www.rememberthemilk.com/). The one added benefit that I got from remember the milk was the recurring To-do items such  could be handled easily. This in turn put a positive pressure on myself to do the activities. For ex., when I check-off the Physical Exercise as “not done” , I kind of feel bad for the day. However, here too I was having the problem of Urgent vs Important things .

Finally, It seems I have a solution even though it is too early to call it so…Never to have a daily To Do list !!!...rather I prepare a weekly To Do. The difference is much more than the shift from daily to weekly. I first introspected & Identified what is Important to me in a time span of over the next 5 years…Yes  I mean it ..the next 5 years…Things like Physical fitness goals, My family, Career & Finance Goals. These are the important things where I would want myself to be focused more upon during the week and I put them under the “Important” bucket of To Do. Of course, there will be Urgent things to do that show up during the course of week that go into the “Urgent” bucket of To Do. Having this sense of perspective between what is Important  & what is Urgent and balancing the daily To Do list with a mix of Important & Urgent Items has eliminated my tiresomeness that I used to feel when I used to have a daily To Do list