The Productive Power Of The To-Do List

When it comes to work routines in this current season, some of your normal habits might have changed. Levels of productivity have been constantly changing along with the turbulence of the recent months. However, our top and most important piece of advice to achieve ultimate productivity levels is to MAINTAIN YOUR TO-DO LIST.

All of our POP team are encouraged to write a daily and weekly to-do list. This keeps the entire team on track to completing every task and also ensures that nothing is missed. But why write it down? Without having a physical or digital list to view and track, it is very easy to miss smaller tasks and make excuses for not getting the work done.

Build it into your morning routine

Just as building a personal morning routine is exceptionally important in achieving a healthy and productive day, it is equally important to do the same with your work routine. From making your morning coffee to opening up your emails, sticking to that routine on a daily basis is likely to keep your mind controlled and minimise stress.

Set the tone for your day by creating a to-do list. Doing this will form an agenda for the day before you reply to any emails or open any documents. It sounds so simple, yet many neglect to do this by jumping right into their urgent tasks which leads to increased stress and reduction of productivity levels.

Set your priorities

Once you have a to-do list – find what’s urgent and set your priorities for the day. More often than not, a loaded list that seems too great, may have tasks that can be pushed into the next day. Take the pressure off of yourself by having it written down. You know what you’re capable of, so plan your day around your capacity and decide what needs to be prioritised as a result of this.

I’m sure we’ve all been in the situation where the list of things to do seems too overwhelming. So much so, that you almost ignore writing a list because you feel that it would add tangible pressure. This is why it is necessary to change your mindset when it comes to your to-do list. Allow your list to be your support system, let it tell you – you’ve got this, see that box you just checked off? That’s one less thing to do! See that task on there? That deadline isn’t for another few days, so stop panicking!

Check off your tasks and reset your mind

Once you’ve worked on some tasks, reward yourself by taking a moment to reset. As I said before, your to-do list can set the tone for your entire day, so why not give yourself check points on your list. Complete a selection of your tasks and then give yourself a break. Grab a coffee or go for a quick walk. Reward your progress so you can keep going at the same rate of productivity as when you started the day.

There is a calming effect of rewarding your work, no matter how long your to-do list is, those 5 minutes away from your task list, can reset your mind and prepare you to jump back into to your next assignment in the most productive manner possible.