Go beyond the to-do list

I recently wrote about how innovation goes beyond our tires. It's part of the Goodyear culture and it's important that we're all taking time to look for ways to innovate, no matter what role we're in. One area in which I like to innovate is when it comes to my schedule and the tasks I need to complete each day.?

There are always more meetings and issues that can consume my time and I'm sure everyone who is reading this will have experienced something similar at work. If you're unable to protect pockets of time in your schedule, they'll just get filled up and suddenly you're back to back with meetings — leaving no time to sit and reflect on the day.?

Of course, it's important to prioritize your work and get those pressing tasks completed but sometimes it can feel like a never-ending spiral where you're just chasing the next item on your to-do list.?

Go beyond the to-do list?

Sometimes, it can be difficult to differentiate between a critical task and one that's less important. We get so caught up in checking everything off that we don't take a moment to step back and think about what we're doing.?

For those less important tasks, it's worth considering whether they could be delegated — or even if they need doing at all. Looking beyond the tasks on a list is a skill that's vital as you advance in your career; otherwise, you run the risk of being overwhelmed by the sheer scale of what needs to be done. Instead, you need to look at the big picture to understand where the tasks are coming from.?

Change what's not working?

It's easy to get stuck in a loop, forever chasing the end of a, seemingly never-ending, to-do list. Instead of going around in circles in this way, try to make time in your diary to evaluate what you could improve. This thinking time is just as important as dealing with the tasks ahead.?

Whether it's monthly, quarterly, or annually, build in time to look for ways to improve what you're doing. Ask yourself these questions:?

• Are you repeating the same tasks that could be automated or delegated??
• What problems keep coming up that could be solved in another way??
• Are you just putting band-aids on issues or could you find a better solution??
• Is there a way to improve how you approach tasks to streamline how much you need to do??

This will help you go beyond your to-do list and find ways to problem-solve within your role. This all comes back to innovation. Your job might not be technical, but looking for ways to innovate when it comes to your task list will help you see the whole picture and eliminate unnecessary tasks.?