Improve Your Lists And Improve Your Time Management

Making a list is probably the most simple and effective way of managing your time, and most of us do it already. "To do" lists are the backbone of time management, but many of us don't perfect what is a very powerful time management tool. All we do is make a list, then cross it off. It's sometimes a little more complex than that.

Types of lists

Besides the classic "to do" list, you can also apply list making to other areas of time management.

A prioritising list, for example, will help you sort tasks into those that need to be done on a short deadline and are of utmost importance to the business, and there are those you can defer or even delegate. Listing them in priority order will always help you visualise your deadlines better.

You could also make a list in order of difficulty, since this is intrinsically linked to time management. Difficult tasks, or new ones that need training to be factored in, will take a much longer time than your routine jobs at work. If you're very clever, you can give your tasks a score according to both priority AND difficulty so you can decide which to do first if you're pushed for time.

Location, location, location

There's much more to consider than simply putting a list where you'll see it or can have access to it. Some of us only make one list, and then if we lose it, we can't remember fully what was on it and in what order. You don't have to make more than one on pen and paper, and why just use the written form anyway?

Have a list digitally and written, so you can delete and cross off simultaneously. As a motivating tool, put the list somewhere where you can reward yourself once something is crossed off - by the vending machine at work, perhaps? Also, there's nothing wrong with putting more than the simple task in hand - add contacts, colleague's numbers or other resources alongside the list so they're at hand when you come to do each task.

Diversify

Constantly crossing things off a piece of paper and adding to them in a certain order can get messy. Use the tools you have at hand to diversify the way you make your list. Use your Blackberry or cell phone and the calendar feature to prioritise, record and remind yourself of your "to do" tasks, and who with. Put it in Excel or Word so you can edit, delete, and shift things around throughout the day, with a printout available at any time you need a hard copy.

Overall, lists will increase your output the more you put into them. If you neglect your lists, it can actually make your life harder. Nobody wants to be scrabbling for a sheet of paper they wrote down last week - improve the kind of list you do, consider its location (or multiple locations) and then diversify it digitally, and you'll have perfected the most powerful time management tool at your disposal. Try it!