Why Stand-Alone To-Do Lists Don’t Work and What to Do Instead

Whether digital or on paper, a stand-alone to-do list will always leave you with a huge GAP in your productivity and progress between where you are now and where you could be.

Do you write to-do lists? If so, do you write them on a legal pad or a steno pad or perhaps in a notebook or planner? Or do you use a task app on your phone? Or maybe you do all of the above.

Critics of the to-do list, whether paper or digital, say there are quite a few reasons for walking away from them. One is that professionals avoid larger or more complex tasks on a to-do list in favor of what’s easier or more urgent. Another is that by avoiding to-dos on the to-do list, professionals are setting themselves up for disappointment, reinforcing an idea that they are a person who fails to do what they say they’re doing to do. And another is the stress and worry caused by to-dos that weren’t done from the day’s to-do list, which intrudes on your personal time.?

If you relate to one or more of these beliefs and related feelings and you would love to toss your to-do list, I understand. It’s not working for you. In addition, if you’re frustrated because you’re spending less time actually DOING your work and MORE time on your to-do list by categorizing it, color-coding it or otherwise organizing it, then you absolutely don’t have the right system or the right method.

But this doesn’t mean you should abandon a “list” altogether. It just means that the to-do lists, the task apps or whatever you’re using today ISN’T working for you.

However, a “list” approach DOES work.

It just needs to be approached differently. And BETTER. Much, much better.

What’s Wrong with To-do Lists Today

Whether you love or hate your to-do list today—or perhaps you fall somewhere in between—one thing is sure: it will NOT support you with optimal task management. Without a methodology for task management—a productive way of thinking and executing—you are going to spin your wheels

First of all, paper is the all-time, WORST tool to use for keeping track of things to do and a task app on your phone is no better. It’s no wonder a lot professionals get so frustrated with their to-do lists. They don’t work. And here’s why.

The following list is the Negative Nine: The Top 9 Reasons Why Stand-Alone To-Do Lists DON’T Work. This list specifically talks about PAPER, which could be anywhere, but much of the same could be said for excel spreadsheets or task apps on your phone. No matter what tool you use today, they are ALL stand-alone to-do lists and they are making your workday harder, making your productivity slower and making your stress go up.

1.?????Paper is a tool, not a system and unfortunately, a paper to-do list CANNOT and WILL NOT be able to encompass everything you need to do from day to day. A to-do list on paper is conspicuously incomplete.

2.?????Paper to-do lists are time-consuming. Like most professionals, you may take five minutes each morning to jot down a to-do list on a legal pad, a steno pad or some other kind of paper. But that’s not the end of it, because after the paper gets marked up, it needs to be re-written again. And again and again and again.

3.???Paper to-do lists are terrible platforms for making a plan of action. A paper to-do list only reflects WHAT you want to do, but there is never any mention of WHEN you will take action on any task. There may be a due date or deadline mentioned occasionally, but that’s different. And while a planner leads you to at least target different tasks on different days, a planner is still no better than a to-do list on a legal pad, because paper is no platform for prioritization.

4.?????Paper to-do lists can be overwhelming. There is a HUGE misconception that everything written on a to-do list should be accomplished today—or as soon as possible. But this is not true. There will ALWAYS be more to-do than what can be represented on one to-do list and what can be accomplished in one day.

5.?????Paper to-do lists are misleading, because both tasks and projects are included. This causes a BIG road block for planning and prioritizing. Plus, it can cause hesitation and procrastination and wasted time trying to figure out what is “do-able” right now and what is not. You might skip over anything less appealing and kick the can down the road on things you really need to do. As a result, you’re not getting things done from a to-do list that is supposed to help you get things done. It’s misleading. And disappointing.

6.?????Paper to-do lists can be lost and misplaced on your desk or in your office. They can land in a pile and never come out again, which is one of the leading causes of missed, lost or forgotten tasks, follow-ups, opportunities, reminders, ideas, deadlines and more. And if you use more than one to-do list or tool, this only causes more lost time and confusion.

7.???Paper to-do lists prevent you from prioritizing efficiently or effectively. A to-do list on paper isn’t in any kind of order and after your day changes, planning and reprioritizing is even more difficult. Since to-do lists of all kinds are incomplete, this means you’re trying to remember—as well as plan and prioritize—MANY other tasks from MANY other sources in your head. This is why you may feel like you’re walking through glue to make decisions and make any progress.

8.???Paper to-do lists don’t come with a reliable task management method. A paper to-do list is an archaic way of tracking to-dos. So is a planner. Old task and time management methods from the past simply don’t work. At least not anymore. Business is moving faster, the workday has changed and task sources have increased. But technology has also improved over the years and a digital approach for task management *IS* optimal. However, it needs to be accompanied by a methodology for the technology, because even when you can add tasks and due dates in a task app or even in a task list on your computer, these lists are STILL stand-alone, incomplete lists and you STILL might be trying to run your day by when tasks are DUE and not according to when you’ll take action. The technology needs a methodology.

9.?????Paper to-do lists leave you with worries. Have you ever suddenly remembered a task you had forgotten and now you’re in a state of urgency to get it done? Constantly trying to remember the tasks you don’t want to forget is exhausting. No one wants to go through this. Or the horror of being reminded by someone else of forgetting something. Since stand-alone to-do lists are always incomplete and tasks come from more than ten different sources in your workday, worries will always exist about you might have missed, lost or forgotten, which only increases stress.

There’s a Better Way to Manage Your Day and Your Workload.

If you’re experiencing any to-do list disasters, it’s not the LIST approach that should be blamed. It’s the fact that you don’t have a SYSTEM that encompasses all of what you need to do from the more than TEN different sources of tasks in your workday.

Many professionals think of the to-do list is just a daily list, and while there should be a daily plan, it should be part of a much larger, more all-inclusive SYSTEM. This is where you contain your total inventory of tasks and responsibilities, no matter where they came from or when you’ll take action.

In addition, projects and multi-step tasks should be boiled down to SMALL action steps ONLY—the first to get something started or the next action step to keep something moving forward. Each task gets a different target date of action, which helps you plan and prioritize, so tasks are planned for different days, weeks or months, because not everything can be accomplished today, of course. And research shows that it’s these small action steps that result in REAL progress and steady forward movement, because small steps are do-able and manageable. So there is no avoidance, hesitation or procrastination, and no need to “kick the can down the road.”

Also, planning small action steps helps you determine how long a task will take, giving you more control over how many tasks to plan for each day, which should be a very low number. With this approach, you can get every task OFF your mind and INTO the system, giving you tremendous peace of mind. You won’t have to worry about what you might have missed, lost or forgotten.

The key to working more efficiently and productivity, and making incredible progress is to get away from a to-do list that stands alone. A centralized, digital task management system that encompasses ALL of your tasks will give you 100% awareness and allow you to efficiently and effectively plan, prioritize and accomplish tasks faster and easier. Then you can accelerate achievement and make more meaningful progress.

It can make all the difference in the world between a to-do list that wears you down and a system that makes you shine.

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Leslie Shreve is a workload management and productivity expert, and the Founder and CEO of Productive Day?. Leslie is also the creator of Taskology? The Science of Getting Things Done, a simple, logical and easy-to-use system that shows professionals how to increase efficiency and productivity by up to 300% in as little as 4 weeks, while reducing stress by up to 90%. Client previously frustrated or overwhelmed with too much to do, too many emails and too little time now claim to have a secret—a strategy they can use to get things done faster and easier, and make more meaningful progress on the projects and initiatives that matter the most to them and to the future of their company.