Quarterly Planning Strategies for Productivity on Autopilot – Why Your To-Do Lists Are Failing You

Do you make a to-do list for the day?

How far did you get? Go ahead, you can tell me...

Well don't beat yourself up if you didn't complete it. So many of us add too much to the to-do list that you'd have to be superhuman to do it all in one day.

Most people are not creating a to-do list correctly. The best way to fix it and have it work for you and not against you is first to understand the common reasons why they fail in the first place.

Here are five common reasons to-do lists fail and how you can change that:

 

Way Too Many Things To Do

Making a laundry list of tasks for a day is setting yourself up for defeat.

Instead refer back to your quarterly plan, see Quarterly Planning Strategies for Productivity on Autopilot – 6 Steps , and work backwards from your number one objective. Break it down to the "must complete" tasks by week, then by day to reach your objective.

 

By the way, if you'd like a little help becoming more productive in your work day, grab my latest free guide below.
It's a quick read and full of productivity techniques you can start implementing today!

 

 

Unclear Deadlines

You must set hard deadlines and have the discipline to follow through. A to-do list without them only gives you the permission to take your time or not do it at all.

Understand how long it really takes to do each activity, including prep, research, etc. Never assume you can catch up by trying to double up on the workload.

Keep your end goal in mind!

If it's worthwhile, and what you really want to achieve, it should help to keep you focused.

 

Not Adding Extra Time For The Unexpected

No one's schedule is perfect, so don’t plan it that way.

Really - when was the last time everything went according to plan? Even space launches have their hiccups. Just ask Elon...

Be flexible and throw an extra 30 minutes of buffer time into your schedule. (The dog barfed on the carpet, you're on an extra long chat with tech support, or your Internet service died...)

So don’t schedule important meetings or errands back-to-back with the idea that everything will go tickety-boo.

Creating Long-Term Tasks From A Short-Term Mindset

I think just about everyone overestimates how much can be accomplished in a day, and underestimates what can be done in a quarter.

Closely take stock of what it takes to complete activities and be realistic about it.

It's great to be enthusiastic, but don't let it cloud your judgement - it only leads to disapointment.

Unorganized and Unclear Main Objectives

Taking time to dissect and pinpoint what you want to achieve is crucial.

If you don't have a firm grip on what you want, you can’t be sure you have the right plan either.

Unclear objectives lead to unorganized plans, ideas, and actions. Learn to understand what you need and want, then prioritize to get things done in a timely and orderly fashion.

Don’t let your to-do lists fail you anymore.

To-do lists are great to keep you on track and ensure that you're on the road to long-term success, as long as you write them with these tips in mind.

 

 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay