I had mentioned earlier the importance of ‘to-do’ lists and this chapter is dedicated completely to highlighting the advantages of a ‘to-do’ list.

The 6 advantages of maintaining a to-do list

• A to do list helps us know the different things that have do be done so that we do not miss anything.

• A to do list is more dependable than our memory.

• Once we have a written list of the things that we have to do, we can prioritize and decide which jobs should be done first.

• Sometimes one or more jobs may require that we go to another office or section. A to do list helps us to avoid repetition of labor. For example, if we have to deliver a document at an office and collect a document from another office which is on the same block as the first office, both these tasks can be done together. It saves us the time energy and effort of going to the same place twice. But only if we have a ‘to-do’ list can we know in n advance that there are two jobs at the same place. This is the way post men operate when they deliver mail.

• A to do list enables us to cross out the tasks which have finished doing and towards the end of the day when we see the list of things that we have crossed out, it certainly will give us a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. It also has the effect of shocking us if nothing at all has been done and crossed out.

• If anything remains on today’s list, it can be carried over to tomorrows list and that is excellent way of preparing a to-do list

for the day, by examining the ‘to-do’ list of yesterday and carrying out any task that has been left without completion.

Now, when we talk about preparing a to-do list, there two important points that should not be missed out.

The ‘to-do’ list should be realistic. It is not enough that only daily ‘to-do’ lists be prepared.

We say that the list should be realistic because it should include only things that can be accomplished in a day. There is no sense in preparing a list that includes items that can only be done over a week. And it is here that it becomes relevant to prepare a ‘to-do’ list for a week and a month and even a year.

It is best to pin up weekly and monthly lists instead of carrying them around. And then a very crucial point that you should bear in mind is thata weekly list is not something to be done on the last day of the week and a monthly list is not something to be done at the end of the month.I have put that down in italics because that is what most people do. If it is a task that has to be completed at the end of the month, it is on the 30th of the month that they take up the task.

So your daily to do list should include an item on doing a little bit on the task that is to be completed at the end of the month.

Does this help towards meeting deadlines?