Do the 'to-do list'

Am I being an old school? Huh, I actually don’t care! I believe this is the one practice that is extremely critical for everyone to survive and sail through both personal and professional life. Irrespective of how good you are at your work, what is the point when you are not able to deliver it within a timeline. Here, my friend the most famous ‘to-do list’ helps!

I started making a to-do list long back, I don’t even remember exactly! It’s now part of my everyday schedule. Surely, I took up this habit from various experiences in life. In a country like ours where the population overshadows everything most of us never were, are, or will be scholars. I was an average grade student with aspirations. And believe me ‘to-do list’ helped me a little to stand out from the crowd. Just to share a small incident, I remember when I got placed during my MBA internship and my then boss told me -

“All the work, the dedication you showed is fine all the other interns are doing the same, what got you the job is that you are well organized”.

I will never forget his words and whenever I feel down, less motivated I just remind of myself what makes me special!

I know completing all the tasks especially in the #newnormal juggling between housework, office work, working out, taking time out for family and friends, etc., seems like more work than the work itself. But, trust me, creating a to-do list is an amazing step. There is no rocket science in it, take small steps:

• Pick which medium you are comfortable with, for instance being an old school I like writing it down on a small notebook or diary. But if you are comfortable with digital mediums its perfectly fine!
• Try to note down realistic action items rather vague
• Keep the list simple, don’t complicate it by adding n numbers of action items
• Set a clear timeline
• Make sure you prioritize the action items in your list which are an absolute must to be done
• To keep a track on it, initially, you can also share it with your dear ones, totally your choice!
• Lastly, if a few things didn’t complete as per your list don’t stress out. Don’t be harsh on yourself!

The year 2020 is already pretty harsh on us! A lot of chaos, developments happening around and in between of that completing task after task enlisted in the to-do list gives a sense of achievement at the end of the day.

We all know self-discipline is a good thing, it balances our personal and professional life. But so are relaxation, hobbies and pleasure! Make sure you leave room for yourself on the list. Your to-do list should contribute to your happiness and not dominate your life. Also, if you don’t wish to create a to-do list, it is totally fine, ‘to-do list’ isn’t the only way to reach your goal. It just makes your life a little simpler!