5 To-Do List Mistakes and How to Fix Them
To-do lists are a popular tool used by millions of people to stay organized, manage their time, and boost productivity. As an entrepreneur or small business owner, your to-do list can be overwhelming at times. On any given day, you have numerous tasks to complete, deadlines to meet, and people to manage.
A to-do list should help you accomplish your daily tasks efficiently and effectively. But creating a smart to-do list can be a challenge, and even the most motivated business owners can make mistakes that impact their productivity and worse — actually keep them from reaching their goals.
So let’s take a look at five common to-do list mistakes that you should avoid and how to fix them. By the end of this short article, you'll have a better understanding of how to create a quality to-do list that helps you accomplish your goals by working smarter not harder. Sound good? Let’s get started.
5 Mistakes to Avoid with Your To-Do List:
Not prioritizing tasks
One of the biggest mistakes people make with their to-do list is putting everything in the kitchen sink on their list. It's easy to create a long list of things to do, but it's essential to prioritize them based on their level of importance. Identify the tasks that are urgent, those that are important but not urgent, and those that can be done later. This way, you can focus on the most critical tasks first and work your way down the list.
Now I’ll be honest with you. This is the first tip and also the hardest to implement. It will take dedication, because as humans, we tend to gravitate to what feels “easy” in the moment. Notice when you start putting quantity over quality. Focus on the one priority thing on your to do list and ignore the 15 things that won’t actually move your forward.
Failing to break down tasks
Another mistake people make with their to-do list is failing to break down tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. My favorite phrase I repeat all the time is “Deep breaths and small steps,” because it reminds me that we can’t do everything all at once.
Good news: it's easier to accomplish a task when it's broken down into smaller parts, because it helps you stay motivated and focused. For instance, instead of listing "write a blog post," on your to-do list, you can break that task down into research the topic, outline the post, write the first draft, edit, and publish.
(Bonus points when you realize that doing this allows you to start delegating smaller tasks to capable members of your team!)
Not being realistic
It's essential to be realistic when creating your to-do list. It's tempting to overload your list with tasks, but this can lead to burnout and frustration.
Be honest with yourself about how much you can accomplish in a day. Set yourself up for success by creating a list that you can realistically complete.
It’s too long
It's essential to be realistic when creating your to-do list. It's better to have a shorter list of high-quality tasks than a long list of low-quality ones. A really long to-do list is a surefire way to feel stressed, overwhelmed, and frustrated.
If you need to put all of the ideas running through your head onto paper, do that! But know that your brain dump list and your to-do list are not one and the same. I like to think of my brain-dump list as my shopping cart, and I carefully consider what I need to put on my To-Do list for the day before I pull something out of it. If I finish my priority tasks earlier than expected, I can dip back into my shopping cart as time allows.
A good rule of thumb is to stick to three to five to-do list items per day. Focus on completing the most important task for the day and let the other tasks follow suit.
You’re not celebrating your progress
Celebrating your achievements not only feels great, but it also helps to reinforce positive behavior and motivates you to keep moving forward. So, whether you treat yourself to a nice dinner, take a day off, or simply pat yourself on the back, celebrate your successes and acknowledge your hard work. This will help you stay focused on achieving your goals.
One more thing…
Don’t hate the messenger, but one of the biggest downfalls of to-do lists is that by the simple fact of creating one, it’s easy to feel like you’re being productive. But that’s not necessarily true. A badly curated to-do list can wreck more havoc or be more of an impediment to your success than no to-do list at all.
That’s why it’s important that you avoid these top 5 to-do list mistakes listed above, and that you consider this secret ingredient that ensures your to-do list always supports you and your goals…
If you want to develop a smart to-do list day in and day out, you need a system.
Improve your TO-DO LIST with the BGA method
The BGA journal is the perfect resource to help you curate a to-do list that truly serves you and your goals day in and day out. It helps you stop overcome overwhelm once and for all.
During a season when I noticed that I was getting distracted by Instagram and “busy tasks” that didn’t matter, I came up with the BGA method as a way to re-center. I shared it with my coaching clients and Upleveler Society members, and the results after just one week spoke for themselves. We needed a system.
With the BGA journal, you can create a to-do list that is customized to your needs, prioritize tasks, break down tasks into manageable steps, and celebrate your progress regularly.
It's the perfect tool for entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to stay organized and achieve their goals.
