The danger of the “To do” list – .com

“To do” lists are a very typical productivity tool. But we must be careful, because on many occasions they are a double-edged sword.

list tools

In the talk about this topic in more detail. List tools are the order of the day. From the minimalism of , to the , going through the classic or even the , of which I speak in the .

All of them can be a very powerful productivity tool. But just like the same diet is not for everyone, neither are these tools.

The goal of those to-do lists is always the same. That you have an easy and intuitive list of the tasks that you have pending and those that you have already done. And for that they are great, and better than not using any tools and forgetting about them. But sometimes they also lead to procrastination.

Task procrastination

Procrastination is the great enemy of productivity, and one of the most difficult points to overcome for most of us.

Procrastination means neither more nor less than slow things down over and over again, without ever doing them. If you want to know more about it, take a look at the class.

And oddly enough, on many occasions, list tools fuel procrastination. Mind you, I’m not saying it’s always like that. I’m sure many people can work very well. But from experience with my clients, with people I coach, and even with myself, I have found that these task lists become a “mixture” of things that “have to be done” at some indeterminate moment, somewhere indeterminate.

Having a list of things to do on one of those tools that simply grows and collects dust is as ineffective as having it somewhere in your head, on a post-it or on a blackboard in the fridge. We must specify. We are not good with “what”, but we also need the “when”. Without “when”, it procrastinates.

Yes, I know that many of these tools allow you to assign a time and day to each task, and that you even get alarms and alerts when the time comes. But for that there are other more specific tools: Agendas and calendars. Why have a list of dated tasks, when you can have everything on a calendar, much more intuitive?

Tasks without time and date are a bad idea

If we want to do something, we have to set a date. What’s the point of writing it down on a list? that’s like saying “When the stars align and I have free time, and I feel like it, and I don’t have anything else to do… I’ll do what’s on the list”. And let’s be honest. That moment never comes.

The theory of Getting Things Done (GTD) is not new. And she is not infallible either, far from it. But the truth is that she is doing very well. And as we see in , the first thing we must do when a new task arrives is to decide if we are going to do it . And if we decide yes we have to assign a when. Even if it is within a month, or within a year. But let’s set a date. Even more. Let’s put time and let’s block that moment.

Time blocking is one of the best time management techniques. In fact, so far, it’s the best by far, at least for me. Many people ask me how I can do everything I do: The daily podcast, the courses (also daily), the tutorials, the news, the clients, the classes… And on top of that, having two children and waiting for the third. The answer is simple. It’s no secret: Time blocking. In fact, I tell exactly what my day to day is like in the .

So what tool do we use?

One more time: If you’re using list tools, you’re happy with the way you work, and you get all those tasks done, keep it up. And congratulations, because I couldn’t do it the same way.

But if your list (or lists) of tasks only makes it grow, and at the end of the day you have not crossed out a single one of them, I recommend that you eliminate that tool and switch to one of calendars. I personally use , and without it, I would be lost.

I like it not only because it is totally integrated with the rest of the tools in , but also because it has apps for smartphones, tablets, clients for OSX and Windows, and all kinds of third-party applications. For example, I use it with my iPhone, which automatically synchronizes with my Google Calendar, and for me it is much more intuitive and complete than the Google Calendars App itself.

As soon as a task comes to me, if I don’t solve it right away, I give it a moment. I block the time that I consider necessary on the day that I consider most suitable. And when that day comes… I do. It seems silly right? Well believe me… It works.

It’s not the panacea

obviously that No it is a magical solution. I have everything in my calendar: Recurring, important, urgent, personal, professional… I use several calendars, some of them shared with clients, suppliers or even with my wife, I have color codes depending on the type of activity… And Still, there are days when I must drag a task that was assigned, to do it another day. And that’s fine.

It is impossible to always comply with everything that is programmed. There will always be variables that we do not control. One day we will run out of Internet, another day we will have an emergency, a child will catch bronchitis, or the car will leave us stranded. Or we will even fall asleep, or we will get confused. That happens. And it’s normal.

But at least, if we have everything structured, we will be aware of what we have not been able to do, and we can assign it to another day. and that is already much more than having it on a to-do list that we procrastinate indefinitely.

Summary and conclusion

To-do list tools are a great productivity tool for some, and a deadly weapon for others, only causing procrastination. If you find yourself in that second group, stop using them.

An alternative that works much better is to switch to an agenda or calendar application, and apply GTD techniques and time blocks, much more effective to carry out tasks and to be aware of what we are not doing.

I personally recommend Google Calendar, which in addition to being free, is linked to Google Apps, so we will have a direct link with our contacts, emails, files in Drive and more.