When you don’t know what to do, what do you do?
You surf the Internet.
You watch endless videos on YouTube.
And when you want to look productive, you check email for the 37th time… this hour.
What should you be doing instead?
What Should You Be Doing?
Ever have one of those days when you do everything but what you should be doing?
You are bored. And even though you know you have things to do, instead, you end up passing the time doing anything but what you should be doing.
Stop reading BuzzFeed. (Or your gossip site of choice…)
Get out of your Inbox. (Email is not your job…)
Stop chit-chatting at the watercolor. (Yes, this still happens…)
End the Facebook reading. (Do you really need to know what your neighbor’s new kitchen counter looks like?)
Your work seems to fill the time allotted, because you’re doing everything but your work.
“When you don’t know what to do… you’ll do everything else.”
When you don’t know what to do, you need to look at your todo list.
That’s what it’s for… to remind you of what you need to do. To let you see your priorities. And to keep you on track.
Here are tips to help your todo list keep you on task:
- Keep It Visible – When it comes to your todo list, out of sight is out of mind. Make sure your todo list is always visible. That is why a physical todo list works well for many people. Sometimes the best todo lists are the ones that you can’t turn off.
- Check It Regularly – Stop checking email and start checking your todo list. Look at your todo list every time you get to a stopping point. Evaluate what your next task should be based on your priorities, not what is easiest or most appealing at the moment.
- Write ALL Your Tasks Down – Capture even the smallest of tasks to your list. When you have down time, your list can remind you of the passed over todo you thought of while you were busy earlier.
- Order Your List – Having a list is good, having an ordered list is better. Make sure that you put your list in order of priority. It’s not about getting the most tasks done, but rather getting the most important ones done.
Always Check Your List
When you find yourself in a lull with nothing to do, that’s when you need to look at your list.
Your todo list can be your best friend. It can remind you of what you need to do, tell you what is most important, and even get you back on track.
Look at your list regularly and get your work done.
Question: When you are bored, how does your todo list help you get back on track? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Great tips Craig! I follow David Allen’s Getting Things Done practices by having pre-sorted to-do lists based on the state I’m in (i.e. tools, location, network connections, etc.). My lists are stored in my Next Step notebook in Evernote so I can quickly find the next action I can take to move my projects forward. When I get bored, I open my Evernote app and use it’s beautiful interface to easily find what I can do next.
Ever have one of those days when you do everything but what you should be doing? You are bored. And even though you know you have things to do, instead, you end up passing the time doing anything but what you should be doing.