Are you afraid to wake up because of the long to-do list that is lying beside you? Are you finding it tough to accomplish your goals because you’re unable to finish things on time? Are you looking for how to make sure that you accomplish what’s in your to-do list? Look no more… here’s the answer.
First and foremost, make sure you actually have a to-do list. Think of what works for you. Some people prefer to make the list on paper while some use apps like Wunderlist etc. If you have to decide which one is more productive, there is no absolute answer. That depends upon the person who is using it.
Find out which method is more productive for you and then start making the list. In order to figure out this thing, try both and see which one makes you feel better and more productive. Viola! You found out what works for you.
Make sure you put everything down in your list. Everything… even those small chores. I know it is too much but my to-do list also has things like bathing, combing my hair etc. Writing things down simplify your life. So, start preparing the list. It would be great if you do this task early in the morning or just before you go to sleep.
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Prioritize
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Once you have written down or typed in everything you need to do in a particular day, prioritize them. Spend some time analyzing each task, effort required for it and its urgency and then number the list.
Prioritization is important because often you would tend to leave the difficult and long things away and would spend your time doing meagre tasks. In order to make sure you don’t miss the important tasks, you need to prioritize and stick to the plan.
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Be specific
Make sure you’ve clearly mentioned what task you need to do. For example, if I write in my to-do list that I need to work on my blog, it won’t be complete information and would most probably lead to me doing nothing but staring at my blog blankly and wasting my time. If I had mentioned what exactly I require to do, my task would have been simplified and I would have completed it very quickly.
So, make sure you break down the tasks into smaller chunks and clearly mention what task needs to be done for what time and at what time.
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Don’t plan to do more than you can
This is something I always do and then end up completing not even 20% of my to-do list and also with lots of frustration. That is because I always plan to do more than I can which is completely wrong. As a sane person, you must plan according to the time you have.
There might be an important family issue that needs to be addressed, there might be a meet-up with friends who are visiting the town after a long time, there might be a household chore that needs your urgent attention… make sure you keep all of this in the picture and plan according to the time you have for a particular set of tasks. 
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Check the items off
Of course, you can go on without checking the items off as you would probably remember what you have finished and what you haven’t. But this needs to be done for psychological reasons. The kind of relief you feel when you see a lot of checks or work done pointers is inspiring, motivating and refreshing.
Make sure you do this thing religiously and then let yourself feel good for what you’ve accomplished.
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Encourage yourself or celebrate
At last, you need to do exactly the same thing I said in the last line. Let yourself feel good for what you’ve done. Even if you managed to complete 50% of the tasks in your to-do list, it is a reason for celebration. Doing this would help you strive for the next level and with regular efforts; you would always end up celebrating the 100% victory.
Also, never let yourself feel low just because you weren’t able to finish everything off your to-do list. You can’t climb Mount Everest in one day. Take small steps and keep climbing.
I hope this write-up would help you with time management and also in increasing your productivity at work. Do you have some special tips for increasing productivity? Do share!
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