Unfinished To-Do List Getting You Down? Try This.
By: John Teehan
Tags: Work, Advice, To Do List, Freelancing, Productivity

Unfinished To-Do List Getting You Down? Try This.

The trick involves moving the goalposts

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Daily to-do list got you down?

You’re not alone.

People approach the day’s tasks in many different ways, but one of the most popular is the simple, laundry-list style to-do list of tasks you’ve set yourself to accomplish by the end of the day. It doesn’t matter much what type of work you do or where. Office employees, freelancers, work-from-home warriors, and retail managers often start their day composing or reviewing their to-do list for the day — and finish the day growling at that same list.

The problem with the daily list

Huh… not everything was checked off, was it? That’s annoying.

This happens to me all too often.

I’m a freelance writer and book designer and am often working on several different projects at once. Many of these projects require updated information or elements from clients, so it’s actually not surprising that I don’t always get to check jobs off as “complete” at the end of the day.

Intellectually, I know I’ll eventually be able to check them off, but emotionally it can be a little disheartening. It gives the impression that, by the end of the day, I’ve not really done much at all.

Then I tried something different.

I got rid of my daily to-do list and replaced it with a weekly plan.

Photo by Renáta-Adrienn on Unsplash

The weekly list

At the start of the week, I list what work I have ahead of me — sometimes adding items as they come in during the week. As each job is completed, I check it off and really only review my productivity at the end of the week.

Where once I had a bunch of relatively short lists with maybe half the items crossed off by the end of the day, I now have a longer weekly list with nearly everything checked off.

By shifting my focus from daily productivity to weekly productivity, I’ve greatly improved my attitude about how much work I’m getting done and feeling better about things overall.

It may seem like a cheap morale booster, but there’s nothing really wrong with that. We could all use a boost at times, and every little bit helps.

The monthly option

If a weekly list is better than a daily one, then a monthly list must be better than a weekly one, right?

Let’s not get carried away. A weekly list is manageable as most people will be able to fit their tasks for a single week on a single page. If you go monthly, you’re just complicating things.

That said, I do feel I can recommend using a monthly planner to supplement your weekly to-do list. I used mine to record more long-term projects. This could include notes regarding jobs that span a couple of weeks to major projects lasting months. It’s an excellent way to get a sort of bird’s eye view of everything you’re doing.

I find it’s also a helpful place to drop in reminders of significant non-work-related tasks such as medical appointments or social events.

Photo by Elena Kloppenburg on Unsplash

Results may vary, so should your approach

Whenever I talk about something productivity-related, I always try to remind the reader that results will vary. My work experience is going to be different from yours. And vice versa.

With that in mind, if you’re finding your to-do list is causing unwelcome anxiety, try the weekly to-do list. Organize it in whatever way best suits your work and your approach to work. The same would go with the monthly calendar option.

There are a lot of planning books and guides out there, but I’ve found a blank notebook works best for me. I can set it up however I want, and I can change it whenever I need to. I use monthly planners with large pages and large spaces to write in.

That’s what works for me.

Be free to explore your options when whatever you’re currently doing isn’t working.

Find what works for you.

Cheers!