To do list tips

A written to do list is a simple technique that can increase your productivity by 20 percent or more, if you don't use it already. It also has extra benefits of clearing your mind and saving you energy and stress. Try to spend 5-10 minutes each day on planning your activities with a daily to do list. Start your day with it. Even better, every evening write a plan for the next day, listing your daily things to do. It is important that you actually write your tasks. Some people are more comfortable doing it on paper, while others prefer using a computer. Try and see what works better for you. After you've listed all your tasks, review your to do list and decide on the priority of each task. Give higher priority to the tasks that get you closer to your goals. A proven simple technique is an ABC rating of your priorities. Mark the tasks on your to do list with "A's" if they are critical for your goals and simply must be done that day (or else you face serious consequences). "B's" are less urgent but still important tasks that you should start right after you are done with "A's". "C's" are "nice to do" things that you could do if you have any time left after "A's" and "C's". Those tasks can be safely moved to another day. One important tip to keep in mind. If during a day some new unplanned task comes up, don't do anything until you put that new task on your list and rate it by priority. See it written among the other tasks and put it in perspective. The more you let go off the urge to skip that simple step, the more productive and satisfied you become. When making a to do list, break down your complex tasks into smaller manageable pieces, and focus on one at a time. Finally, after completion of a task take a moment to look at the result and feel the satisfaction of the progress.