My latest experiment — Focusing to-dos on who and why so I’m better at doing
I, like probably most people, create to-do lists of what I need to do. I have a few categories particular to household tasks, client projects, volunteer commitments, and miscellaneous interests. As the list gets longer, it can be challenging to quickly determine what to attend to first.

Recently, I wondered if the occasional struggle to prioritize is because a list of one ‘what’ after another lacks relational significance and purpose.
There is no recognition of value conveyed in just the few words typically used to record a task for later attention.
Yet, almost all of the activities I engage in are intended to benefit one or more other persons, even if I also benefit. Additionally, that value varies considerably among the tasks.
So, I’m trying an experiment. For at least the next few weeks, I am going to record my to-dos with a focus on who the completion of the task will benefit and the reason why the task should be done, along with the typical details of what to do.
In theory, an emphasis on the who and why of each task should improve my prioritization decisions.
Having the recipient(s) and reason(s) for each task noted may even aid in deciding whether to perform a to-do at all upon later reconsideration. And, I think the personification of value will also cause me to better maintain focus on completion of the task as I do not like to let others down.
By recognizing the impact of my tasks beyond the fulfillment of what is to be done, I expect that I will invest more of myself in following through with excellence.
I will most definitely post one or more updates as I progress through this experiment. And, if you are interested in joining along, please do so and share whether or not the practice has an impact on your ability to get things done.
— Jim Washok

