WHY TO DO LISTS DON'T WORK + WHAT TO TRY INSTEAD!

[@ConstantCompanion]

Well? Probably my biggest thing would be to never have more than three or four things on the to-do list. I usually shoot for 3. I can always add later if there's time or inclination, but I try to stick to just the three. It kind of jump-starts my day and I add on later. I find that if I have too many in The To Do List I don't do anything.

[@TaraWagner]

I saw that title and was like “Whaaaa?!” 😆 But then I hear the RIGHT way you describe is exactly what I do. One tip: add TIMEFRAMES with cushions to your tasks. If you think it’ll take 15 min, write down 20-25 min. This not only helps you “time block” (something I’m a huge advocate of) but it helps you plan for the unexpected by having wiggle room in your schedule. And if you have an extra 30 min open up - like a cancelled appt - you know exactly what you can squeeze into that timeframe at a glance. It also helps you not feel overwhelmed when you have a LONG list but you can see they are all quick tasks.

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Tara Wagner yes! I call that wiggle room white space!

[@christinaruiz4183]

Tara Wagner That's a great idea! I also separate calls from chores, etc. So if I am tired and need to sit, I can see what calls need to be made and still be productive while I sit.

[@TaraWagner]

Christina Ruiz smart!

[@ConsciousMomprener]

Thanks for sharing this. I experienced similar thing. Why do we always want to to something else before finishing task/project we are at? This “innocent” habit actually kept us from achieving all our dreams. This realization was so significant to me that I decided to share my experience and system for battling it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIbXe4uteb-oqLc

[@JenNippsOnline]

There's a technique I recently learned about. It's still basically a to-do list, but you divide it into three columns. Now - 0-3 months; Next - 3-12 months; and Later - 12 months and more. Dividing it up this way, I can see there's much more than I can do and realistically sort what I know I can do now as opposed to what's basically a wish-list item that can be put in the "Later" list or even left off entirely.

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Jen Nipps Interesting, thanks for sharing!

[@outinarizona]

Add me to the wagon train of OMG! DUH... for "we put projects on the to do list instead of tasks." I knew something in that range was off in my planning and couldn't pinpoint it and this was it. My planner has undergone a major transformation since the first watching of this video. I return once a week. THANK YOU!

[@mobileempire5522]

Thanks for all the excellent ideas. I like to put a hourly timeline down the left side of my To do lists , then when I get off work I have a plan set up for what i'm going do each hour . 4pm shopping Shopping list Parts for projects ECT ECT long shopping list right on to do list 5pm build projects Projects prioritized when needed All info / details needed for projects are right on to do lists 6pm etc I also have my top priorities prioritized at the top of the list and then I draw a line underneath them and put non important things in what I call kinda a clutter catcher section , then sometimes something might move up from the clutter and become a priority. You were talking how you have some things on different pieces a paper , I used to have it like that but then I started glueing all the papers together to create one long to do list , ended up 4 foot tall when unfolded , my thinking is less clutter. Over time as i worked on the 4 foot tall to do list it kept getting shorter and shorter to where it all fits on a single sheet of paper. I also do today lists but throw them away at the end of each day. I love to-do lists , super productive. Oh I forgot to mention I have to buy quality paper or it degrades from all the folding unfolding. I wish I had the 4 quadrant system for that 4 foot long to do list but i'll be using it from here on out on my single page.thanks for sharing

[@hotstar9000]

OMG 😲 projects on my To-Do list is the reason why I was de-railing myself. I just realized the importance of not listing five projects on my daily task, that time wise, take a day to complete. I wasn’t listing the 20 steps it takes to complete One project and I was not really thinking it through. My list was pretending to work because I’m not doing it right ❤️🙌🏻❤️Thank you🙌🏻❤️☕️😁

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Linda Plummer Absolutely!! No wonder!! I personally set 5 projects per week not per day and they don’t have to be projects I intend to complete just things that I need to move forward even if by one task! Definitely check out that video where I talk about the #1 mistake on your to do list it goes more in depth with an example from my own planner too!

[@bonniehosmer2021]

When I clean I breakdown all that needs to be done. Ex: Vacuum dog hair, dust, vacuum house, clean bathrooms wash curtains, wash windows & sills, sort laundry, wash clothes, collect empty hangers. So when my husband or grandkids ask what they can do to help, it's easy to assign a task too.

[@PlowAndPantryHomestead]

That makes so much sense. I totally enjoy making the to-lists and goals sheets and planning, etc...and often don't execute. I've just not found a way to consistently execute.

[@MissTrenchcoat]

All Things Alicia so glad to help you make sense of things!!

[@tlmiller1971]

Alexis I found this to be a problem for 3 years ago after I had my stroke. I was in lots of different therapies but speech therapy was very helpful to me. I know everyone thinks how could speech therapy help. The kind of stroke I had severely effected the executive function of my brain aka planning for one thing. So my speech therapists (I had 2) worked with me 3 times per week to learn how to plan my day...each day. I'm not just talking about a to do list but hour by hour. It included self care, meds, simple tasks, rest, exercise...literally everything. What I did learn is that for me a to do list in less affective than a more structured hour by hour plan. This is of course not something that will affect everyone at all. I used to be able to plan with a monthly layout only. I went from that to week on 2 pages and then to day on 1 page (or 2). I also have to plan like you were saying, brain dump, desperate, prioritize, and honestly my best plan is hourly. Thank you for all your great tips!

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Tracy Miller thank you so much for your insight, I do hope you are doing much better now 🙏

[@tlmiller1971]

You're welcome and I am a lot better thank you. Never 100% my before "self" but I am learning every day to be the best me. 🙂

[@tlmiller1971]

@@hlb0111 I also had ADD before my stroke and the stroke was in the area where this is affected...the cerebellum. I 100% understand. I am way far from perfect at planning and being productive. I never had the kind of help like I had after the stroke but I could have really used it. This is something I want to do in the future...give back...help others...I'm working on this goal. Good luck! 🙂

[@tlmiller1971]

@@MissTrenchcoat thank you again for doing what you do. Also, thank you for highlighting my post. I'm glad someone or anyone can relate and it is encouraging to me. I do want to give back and help others...something I have been aspiring to do since my stroke. Thank you. 🙂

[@sammiejay4real]

I love the brain dump section for my planner. One thing that I use when creating task list are colors. Things that need to be focused on sooner I put those is eye grabbing colors anything else is probably a blah color. This helps me stay focused.

[@amyrohr9679]

This is so timely for me! I’m currently reading 7 habits! Also I recently watched a video that was explaining that when we make a to-do list and don’t get it done it’s actually training our brain that the list results in NO action. The simplified science is neurons that fire together stay together and neurons that fire apart stay apart. So not having a plan to actually accomplish a task is setting us up for more failure in the future! It’s so interesting to me!!

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Amy Rohr yes neurons that fire together wire together! That’s how a neural net is created, if you are in the habit of making a to do list an never touching it you have established the problem set by my first example that you are essentially using a to do list as a drug to ease your stress but it’s not positively impacting your productivity!

[@amyrohr9679]

Alexis aka MissTrenchcoat love it!

[@AWanderingEye]

I am a SAHM and have a "done" list I update as the day progresses. I did a brain dump 3 years ago and put each item on a 3 hole piece of notebook paper . I did the Urgent/Important priority for each page and categorized them by major area (finances, food, living room, bed room, bathroom, job, each member of household, health appts, etc.). I didn't get many done until I went back and added my interest level in accomplishing the task. That, and as new information comes in (I hope to change residence by next August) my priority will change and my enthusiasm adjusts. I like the idea of adding "amount of time needed" as someone suggested. I also will start reviewing my list on a weekly basis to increase chances of completing my tasks/projects. Thanks for making these videos, your presentation style is very engaging.

[@CreatingCo]

Omg as soon as you said "we put projects on the to do list instead of tasks" I was over here like "yes! Yes!" I can't tell you how many times I've said "I need to get xyz done this week" and then I'm like "well let's write down the steps." and I end up writing down like 29349230 steps or things to do. 🤣

[@ConsciousMomprener]

Thanks for sharing this. I experienced similar thing. Why do we always want to to something else before finishing task/project we are at? This “innocent” habit actually kept us from achieving all our dreams. This realization was so significant to me that I decided to share my experience and system for battling it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIbXe4uteb-oqLc

[@tapchik7822]

I noticed that to-do lists do not work for me. The more I think about it, the more I understand why. It’s so sad, that one thing I thought is the most productive thing to do actually killed productivity DEAD.

[@flyaway2ak]

Love the the brain dump and quadrant pages. That will probably help me.

[@MissTrenchcoat]

flyaway2ak Let me tell you, since I started using them they have been a game changer for me!

[@TheGoldProject]

I live by a daily to do list, but you definitely have to make them work for you. I just finished a blog post over this same topic. Great video, Alexis. Let's all get the new year started off right and make daily to do lists work for us. Big hugs from Arkansas.

[@MissTrenchcoat]

The Gold Project Thank you so much!!

[@alaskancat]

I had no idea you had these bundles in the shop! I'm definitely going to check these out!!! I suck at execution...so many reasons, so little desire to type them all out. What has been working for me is keeping a 5-7 page master list of all the things that need to be done during the month. I keep it right in the middle of my monthly spread so there is no avoiding it. ;) Thanks for another great vid! I love listening to you, there is always some new tip or trick I hadn't thought of that I can implement. :)

[@paulahunte1903]

It would be helpful if you could demonstrate using the project form for everyday reoccurring items. for example bill payment, medical appointments, chores etc

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Paula Hunte there is an example that cold be helpful in the video in the description box, the #1 planning mistake video!

[@terrybyrd3738]

Good advice - bouncing your dump list against a priority matrix.

[@devilbaby94jm4]

I usually group my to do list by similar items. What I have to do at my computer, my cleaning tasks, my work task. That way I don't need to scan the entire list to find the next thing (and I add a code for important and urgent on my monthly task list)

[@SherbetSelket]

Thank you, Alexis!!! This has been a HUGE help!!! I'm DEFINITELY guilty of just making brain-dump to-do lists! Now that I'm aware of this, I can implement your strategy! THANK YOU!!!!

[@elwynmckenzie6027]

I try to put most of my 'to dos' into my daily agenda particularly the repetitive ones. For 'odd' to dos I have and dedicated a time to do one. 10am and have that satisfying feeling of crossing it out.

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Denise Elwyn 'Elly' McKenzie That’s wonderful thank you for sharing those tips!

[@fitforfreelance]

I agree so much with this. We need to break projects down into small tasks- helps with motivation and sense of accomplishment, stops procrastination, and gets you making progress towards what you want. Health habits are like that too =)

[@laurafoster327yt]

I'm a bit confused on how something can be urgent and not important. Do you have an example of what type of things you would list in that box?

[@MissTrenchcoat]

laurafoster327 these designations can vary for each person but something I would think of as urgent but not important would be if there was a tv show I wanted to watch that was coming on shortly but I had other things to do so that it was not something important. Or if someone comes to you at work and asks you for something they need right now but to be honest, what they need is in no way one of your priorities. Urgent just means it’s due date is impending. But urgency doesn’t relate to your personal priorities or what would be important to you necessarily.

[@flowersafeheart]

Thank you!! Saving this video to my notes! Great points!!

[@robbien.3964]

I’ve been hearing that there is science that shows we shouldn’t be using task lists, but rather scheduling our tasks. I have not been able to find those studies. Can you advise where we may be able to find those studies?

[@nikeishajoseph845]

I like the brain dump, i have tons. Some did it done. I usually go with easy first, the delay doing the hard, more important stuff. Thanks for the tips will try .

[@EdieBrown]

I use a bullet journal, but use my project planning bundle too. Thanks Alexis.

[@davidbgreensmith]

When it comes to prioritising the To Do make sure the important urgent sub list is small. It's easy to over estimate how much you can get done in a day and then find that you've only ticked off one or two items. This can be demotivating as it feels like you haven't made as much progress as you wanted. Be focused on the tasks, but be realistic about your bandwidth.

[@LadyDewinter]

OMG thank you for all this information.

[@heybinu]

Respect!! Excellent content.

[@d0rk]

Sometimes my brain dump session can take hours. Is that normal? Plus, my planning takes up all day. Am I wasting too much time?

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Sweett And Simple yes a braindump can take a while especially the first few times you perform one which is why I think it’s important to (a) do them regularly and (b) get in the habit of writing things down because the more you do that the less you will find you need to write down in the braindump

[@mama.bearadvocate]

Thank you...especially your video on the difference between to do and projects...

[@TailDuck17]

Great video! I love using Stephen covey’s matrix, however, I must disagree that “important and not urgent” tasks should be put off until another time. Maybe for someone like you who doesn’t struggle with procrastination. But, for those of us who do, quadrant 2 are arguably where our dreams go to die. Important things that will move our lives forward are not prioritized, and then we get in an endless loop of doing quadrant 3 things because they make us feel busy, tackling q1 when a big scary deadline is hanging over us, and doing q4 as a way to escape the scariness of q2.

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Kimberly Reynolds the important and not urgent tasks when I say to put off for another time I mean schedule them to do later. As in they are not the first priority as important and urgent are. I’m sorry if that was unclear. I too struggle with procrastination as much as the next person, which is why important and not urgent needs to be handled with care, properly broken out into project plans and then scheduled in to your planner to be worked on intentionally.

[@chaikristinjournals]

Love this! I have actually been using this strategy of brain dumping and prioritizing before making my to-do for a good while now (minus using the steven covey prioritization method) but have not been able to organize what I was doing into words to explain. Thank you for this video, very clear and concise and helpful. I will be using that steveb covey method in the future!

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Chaikristin So glad to help!

[@patsyadams1833]

thank you, I found that extremely helpful. I look forward to your videos they are always excellent.

[@sumanaandvibhi5654]

You’re so right I have been trying to find this type of video thank you

[@UU237]

I am never able to put tasks into these quadrants..also it is many times difficult to achieve & organise personal and professional tasks as they mingle and you feel there is no time in a day

[@Meera_v2009]

I let my day go however it goes but I have a list of what I have to do and I have routines. Todo lists do work but you have to stick to it.

[@leteciatanael8440]

Thank you Alexis

[@VooDooSue]

I make a list after list to keep up with incoming tasks. However, I'm so busy maintaining list after list that I never really consolidate into my overall project or plan. It feels like a hamster wheel: I look busy but go nowhere. I started seeing email as something to be processed following the GTD style of review. This just creates an @action list....a new list. What is funny is I know this but feel like it is a vicious cycle that I don't know how to stop. Edit: I do know how to stop but couldn't find the time from being so "productive." In writing this, I see that I must make the time. ❤

[@Indianculinaryin]

You are the best advisor

[@beeboo93]

off topic, what's on your lips? Love the color!

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Erika Lui this one: rstyle.me/~cz-aHsY7

[@d0rk]

Love! Thank you for the wonderful reasoning!!!!

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Sweett And Simple Glad the video resonates!

[@customMadebyACLD]

That's awesome advice. I love the tip you gave of breaking things down in 4 different quadrants. That'll definitely make you more effective. When I have emails do send I do them while waiting in the waiting room at the doctors office. That's a great way to be more productive. 😊

[@Karen.c.h]

gotta admit I get satisfaction marking off to do list lines... I can see where your method could be much more productive though. Thanks for sharing.

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Karen .c.h you can still get the satisfaction of the checking off, the point of the video is just not to sit and make a to do list and then immediately work off of it before using some strategies to organize your tasks more efficiently!

[@Karen.c.h]

Alexis aka MissTrenchcoat right! Just bought your printables!

[@AnaTelma]

What if I can’t categorize the items by urgency and importance? To me, everything ends up being urgent and important 😫

[@MissTrenchcoat]

Ana Telma Fotografia Ana I can totally understand this scenario, and you bring up a great point, I think there are situations where you can be so behind on your work that you end up with what I call fire drills, tasks that are both urgent and important, that also overwhelm your to do list. I should probably make an entire video on this topic but to keep it brief for this reply, take some time to clear your mind and then number the tasks in order of priority and then get to tackling the list that way. In this situation you may just need to put in the effort and do the work or reach out for support/push back on deadlines. But moving forward organizing your tasks this way will make you more and more organized, preventing this situation from happening too often in the future! Play the long game with this and you will feel relief soon!

[@AnaTelma]

Thank you so much! Sounds like a good plan! :)

[@davidbgreensmith]

There is an old psychological trick to help with indecision. If you're faced with two options and you can't decide, you flip a coin an choose according to the outcome. It is amazing how the choice made by the coin helps you to make the decision. If you don't like what the coin tells you, then your decision is to go for the opposite of what it tells you. If it confirms what you wanted then great. If you are still unsure, go with what the coin said. The key is execution. At least you'll get something done rather than be mired in indecision. Find a nice coin and keep it in your planner (or get a coin toss app for your phone). If you find yourself with a huge to do list that you can't prioritise, close your eyes and drop a pen on the list to choose, or pick one at random. Again, it's execution that gets things done. If the workload you're facing means that you can't clear your backlog it's time to be realistic about what you can achieve. Remember the SMART model for goals - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound.

[@AnaTelma]

David Greensmith wow! That’s really great! Thank you!

[@lolafebruary1887]

I've had the book you're referencing for the longest of time and I haven't touched it. You just made me realize that I need it more than I thought I do😅🙈

[@lolafebruary1887]

Thanxx for this video Alexis

[@dhanrajbharadwaj3891]

😊 think ji bhut tagra sumgha rhi he jio ji mhut jada niman se samhhailu ha , Thanks for this scientific data

[@chenilleoneil1289]

Good points. I’ve been wondering lately about the impact of ‘to do’ lists on mental health and weather or not I should have one. I’ve never had one before and never wanted one. Also, I don’t mean to be forward, but the first thing I noticed when the video started playing is that you are really beautiful and those glasses are just perfect for you!

[@Evidael]

To do lists overwhelm me so I never get around to doing what I have to do

[@azizcurrim6248]

Awesome

[@quartytypo]

My do not do this list is much longer than my to do list

[@MissVasques]

The start of the vid made think of when I heard ppl watching other ppl work-out on tv makes your body feel like you have too. Which has some eerie truth to it, when I binged Biggest looser I felt afterwards like I’d been healthy tooxP

[@dmitriyoktyabrskiy9073]

Cool

[@allthegoodstuff3394]

Do away with to do lists... At least for me

[@allthegoodstuff3394]

That's me

[@savannahbanks]

False advertising! Not true that you don’t value to do lists!🤣🤪