The Most Important Steps to Making an Effective To-do List

The key to a productive day is, for many, a solid to-do list, which is why there are so many elements that go into making one. To be clear, even jotting down all the things you need to get done haphazardly is still better than not doing it, but if you really want to excel, why not put in a little extra time and make one that will help you get everything done for real?

Before making your list, prioritize your tasks

The first step to making a great to-do list is figuring out what actually needs to be on it. You have a few options when you do this, but the first thing you need to do is brain-dump every single thing you want or need to do.

Now, you can use one of three methods to sort and prioritize those tasks. The first is pretty easy: Grade each one using the ABCDE method. Assign each task a grade from A, the most important things that will have consequences if they don’t get done; B, the tasks that won’t have major ramifications right away if undone, but do need to get handled; C, tasks with no real consequences for not being done, but it would be good to get taken care of; D, tasks you can delegate to someone else with confidence they’ll get them done; and E, tasks you can just toss out altogether because they have no purpose or no consequences associated with them.

That’s a pretty subjective approach that asks you to figure out those grades on your own and go with them, so if you need something a little more concrete, consider using the Eisenhower matrix or this handy mathematical approach. If you opt for Eisenhower, you’ll create a graph where the X axis represents urgency and the Y represents importance, so you’ll end up with a top-left quadrant full of tasks that are urgent and important, while the top right will show you tasks that are not urgent and not important, and so on. When doing this, it’s helpful to jot down some context, like deadlines and potential consequences, next to each task, so you can more easily identify if they’re timely (or “urgent”) and consequential (or “important”). If you choose the mathematical route for maximum objectivity, look back at that list of tasks and assign each one two numbers between 1 and 10: The first is how much effort the task will take and the second is how much impact it will ultimately have. Then, divide each tasks “results” number by its “effort” number for a final score, which will also be between 1 and 10, then rank all the tasks from lowest to highest number so you prioritize those that are important but require the least effort, meaning you’ll be able to get more done without expending all your energy and resources. 

Making the to-do list itself

Once you’ve weeded out the important and urgent tasks, you need to make the to-do list itself. Don’t be afraid to embrace multiple types of to-do lists, like long-term ones and daily ones. The important but not urgent tasks, for instance, could be better off getting placed on a list of weekly goals than day-of ones, so you can save the bulk of your time for what is most immediately pressing. 

The gold standard of to-do lists is the 1-3-5 list, so consider sticking to this formula when making your list, whether it’s for the day, the week, the month, or the whole year. With this kind of list, you’ll choose one big task, three medium-sized ones, and five small ones to knock out in the timeframe—and only do those. Your time and resources are finite, so this prevents you from getting overwhelmed or wasting your time on unworthy tasks. A big task should be one that is going to take time and effort, plus have consequences for not getting done. In your personal life, that could be filing your taxes or attending a parent-teacher conference. At work, it could be analyzing data you have to present at a big meeting. Medium tasks are those that require some time and have some consequences, but don’t demand a big chunk of your time or resources. Small tasks are those that are nice to get done but won’t devastate you if they don’t get handled, like sorting through your emails or organizing your notes. Getting these done is going to motivate you and give you a feeling of accomplishment just as much as it’s going to contribute anything concrete to your work. 

Choose your to-do list method

Finally, you have to make a real list, but there are different ways to do that. Don’t try to keep it all in the old noggin; it’s easy to forget things or get off-task. Instead, you can use an app designed for to-do lists, like these, or even hand-write your to-dos. Writing by hand helps you connect to and retain whatever you’re jotting down, so it can be a great way to kick off the day and get your pressing tasks lodged in your brain. If you’re going to be on the move a lot, try writing in a smart notebook, like the Rocketbook Core, so you can scan the pages and have them available on your phone or other devices right away. Otherwise, an old-school planner works really well here. (Here’s a list of great planners for a variety of needs.)

The goal is to get the list down somewhere accessible, but also to spend some time actually creating it, so you connect with the importance of the tasks at hand and commit to them. It takes a little extra time every morning, but can really pay off.