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The Great To-Do Riddle

By James A Baker
Chairman
Baker Communications
January 2008

Question: When is a to-do not a to-do? Answer: When it is ta –done! Okay, I admit that it is a terrible riddle, but it is an important question. Everyone, including me, teaches that one of the most important things you can do to achieve more efficient use of your time is to start making daily – weekly – monthly to-do lists. A to-do list helps you get a clearer picture of exactly what is on your plate, and helps you set priorities so that you can spend most of your time pursuing the high-value items on your list. However, making a to-do list is not the same as getting those to-dos done. A to-do list can end up being just one more guilt-inducing reminder that you are a failure when it comes to time management, unless you also have a strategy for accomplishing those things you say you want to do. What is the real answer to the great to-do riddle? There are two simple steps to follow to change to-dos into ta-dones.

First of all, rigorously cull your to-do list and get it down to something that will conform to the known parameters of the space-time continuum. We complain constantly about the fact that we have too much to do, and most of the time we are right. Face it: you can’t do everything. Set goals, define high value priorities, learn to say no, or delegate everything except your most important (not necessarily your most urgent) tasks. Once you have narrowed your to-do list down to those most valuable activities, you are halfway done. However, halfway done is still the same as mostly NOT done. There is still one more vitally important step to take.

If you really intend to accomplish the goals and complete the tasks that you have identified as being very important, get out your planner or a calendar and schedule a block of time that you will devote exclusively to working on each one. From a certain point of view, your to-do list is only wishful thinking; it is a statement of what you would like to do. By reserving time in your schedule to devote exclusively to this task, you are now positioned to begin actually DOING it!

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