The Power of To Do Lists in Project Management
To Do Lists have been known around since the early 20th century. They were created as a means to improve productivity. Today the majority of people in different spheres and industries probably admit to using them from time to time as a proven way to manage their workflow.
A To Do List (or a list of things to do) is a principal tool in project management.
Nowadays effective project managers associate the To-Do List concept with any smart task management app or tool. In fact, this is fully justified, because such tools make task management as simple as possible, while at the same time offering managers wide opportunities for work.
Choosing a task management service is mostly a matter of personal taste and use case. Some of them are Kanban-oriented, some are too complex while others are rather simple to use. Anyway, you may choose whatever you want.
Why To Do Lists are so popular in project management
Let’s agree, we tend to worry about issues that we have left uncompleted. Our brains will always care about the things that need doing. The interesting thing is that a list of things to do actually tricks the brain into thinking that the task has been done. That’s why writing your issues on a to-do list means that you stop worrying, and actually have time to prioritize and complete tasks.
How to write a To-Do List
There is no tool without flaws. Some To Do Lists do not work because they are too long or too hard. And this is the reason for project managers to start worrying again.
Here I combine some basic ways in which you can create To Do Lists that will help to achieve more.
1. Write more than one To Do List
If you are the kind of person that cannot remember things if they are not written down, then
For some people who cannot remember things if they are not written down, it is worth having more than one list. You may manage the list of things that need doing at some stage when you have time and the list of tasks that you need to complete within a defined period (for example, today).
2. Keep your To Do list manageable
A lot of people think that daily lists should contain no more than 3 items. It’s up to you to prolongate or short it.
In any way, it’s important to keep your ambitions manageable.
Too long lists may cause anxiety because you fret about whether you will have time to complete all tasks, and how many things are left to do.
3. Break tasks down
Breaking tasks down into smaller steps will make your list more manageable. The vague tasks make us procrastinate. That’s why it’s important to be as precise as possible and break tasks down into smaller steps.
4. Keep your lists up to date
We always care about what we need to do in the next period. Taking time to plan and review your list’s points means that you will not forget to do anything on the overall list. Try to take about five minutes each day to do it.
Also, do not forget to remove anything that you realize you have no intention of doing.
To Do List Format
The format of To Do Lists also matters. The well-defined format will make it easier to get things done.
If you have hesitations about what format to choose, read the short descriptions of the popular To Do Lists formats.
Kanban boards
Teams that work with Kanban boards use the Kanban method to visualize their work.
The Kanban method used mostly for software development focuses on the to-do issues you have to do right now.
It’s applied in a wide variety of businesses. You may create your own Kanban board with a few sticky notes and an actual board or study how to do Kanban with a project management tool. Here’re how the boards look like:
In Hygger:
or in Monday:
Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro technique is one more interesting way to visualize your To Do List. You may dive into the detailed description of the Pomodoro; here are just the key points on how it works:
- Select a task. Your list may be large or small, current or outdated. Actually, as long as it deserves your attention it’s perfect.
- Set time for 25 minutes with a timer. Spend exactly 25 minutes on a particular task. Work on that task until the timer rings.
- Sign a checkmark when your timer rings.
- Take a small break and relax. Do anything that’s not work-related. Repeat the steps 1–4.
- Take a long break when you’ve completed 4 sessions (25 minutes each). 25–30 minutes should be enough. You will feel refreshed but not long enough for you to completely lose your rhythm.
What are the benefits of the Pomodoro technique?
- it trains you to eliminate interruptions
- it trains you to better estimate your time and effort
- you will work more efficiently to maximize your 25 minutes
- it helps to spot areas in need of improvement
This technique minimizes distractions, eliminates burnout, and maximizes your productivity.
The 1–3–5 List
The main idea is: on any single day, assume that you can only accomplish:
- one big thing
- three medium things
- five small things
If your list has more items, narrow them down your to those 9 items.
Nothing scary. You have so many hours in the day, and you’re only going to get a finite number of things done.
Choosing the set of a 1–3–5 list means the things you accomplish will be the things you chose to do, rather than what happened to get done.
This kind of prioritization method can be flexible for sure.
Would you like to learn more methods and tools that can be helpful in managing and optimizing your To Do Lists? Feel free to study Hygger learning center where you will find a lot of interesting things.
