Get things done: improve your to-do list (tips for designers)
I'm not sure if you can relate but my to-do list is always far too ambitious! I generally have more things on it than I know I can achieve and I often have tasks on there that sit there for weeks and months on end. Each day I move the task along another day as I haven't completed it that day. Mostly the reason I haven't completed it is because I don't really want to do it!
So, I have come up with a new framework for thinking about my task list that is based on different ideas I've heard from other 'productivity' experts.
Here is the framework I've used to simplify my to-do list and cut it right back.
Step 1: Brain dump
Spend 1/2 an hour literally brain dumping every single item you can think of that you need to get done. Put every project you 'maybe' want to do in the future on there and include every little boring task that's in your head (like getting that lock changed or ironing those shirts). Get everything out of your head so you can clear your mind of all the things that constantly float around in there.
Step 2: Sort your list using the 4Ds model
The next thing is to go through this list and sort it using a model I've been using myself to sort my own to-do list. This is my own interpretation of something called the 4Ds model, which is quite popular with productivity 'experts'. You can do this process using pens and highlighters or you can use a digital tool to do this (I use Notion).
Here is how it works:
Go through your list and allocate each task to one of the four categories below.
Do it now: These are tasks that are urgent and need to be done now (and be honest about it as most things aren't actually urgent!). These are the things that need to be done in the coming week or so. Highlight those tasks in a particular colour or give them a date to action in the next week if you're using a digital tool for this process.
Do it later: For me these are tasks that can be done in the next couple of months or sometime later in the year. Highlight these in a different colour or give them dates if you can. Otherwise what I do is 'park' them in Notion by allocating them with a tag Q3 or Q4 or Q1 2022. That way I know they have a space to get done but I can stop worrying about them for now.
Do it by someone else (delegate): These are tasks that need to get done but can be done by someone other than you. The more your can get off your own plate the more space you create to do work in your 'genius zone'. So can the ironing of the shirts be taken to a local dry cleaner? Can the documentation of your bathroom project be outsourced to a junior designer that you contract out to? What can you get off your plate and give to someone else to get done for you?
Don't do it (delete): When I went through this process recently I was pretty ruthless with this one. Any task that I had been putting off for months (sometimes a year!) clearly had a reason for why I didn't want or need to do it. When deciding what to delete I used a lens of 'what will generate revenue' or 'what excites me' as I went through my list. I managed to get rid of quite a few tasks just with this simple new lens. If it felt like a drain or wasn't going to directly impact my revenue then I deleted it!
By the end of this process your to-do list should be feeling much more manageable.
Step 3: Daily action
The final step is to now start actually getting your to-do list ticked off. Without action you simply aren't going to make progress - but the good news is you now have a much more strategic list to be taking action on.
I have a particular way of mapping my to-do list to my weeks, which I've spoken about before and you can find out more about over on my blog or YouTube channel. But essentially each week I set myself 3 big projects I need to complete that week. And then each morning before I start my day I set myself 3 sub-sets of those larger tasks that I need to complete that day. I don't look or think about the full list. I just concentrate on those 3 tasks and get those completed that day. The next day I do another 3. At the end of the week I've ticked off at least 15 tasks from my list.
And that's the simple way to make real progress!
I hope these tips and ideas have been helpful for you and give you an actionable way to feel more in control of what you have on your plate at the moment.
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Enjoy the rest of your day!
Clare x
Dr Clare Le Roy