How do you manage your To Do lists?

[Taswama]

Working mum of two DS, both at secondary.

Trying to keep on top of stuff at home and work.

At work I try and write a weekly list, broken down into top 3 (must do this week) , then different projects and general admin stuff.
But new stuff arrives by email and occasionally Teams and either I get distracted and deal with it immediately or I tell myself I'll come back to it later and don't always remember. Sometimes I put flags on. Meetings generate actions too of course, often really vague ones with no proper deadlines.
Some stuff I delegate and then realise weeks later that I don't know if it's been done or not, so I feel I almost need a separate list of things to follow up on.
I should also be doing training and reflection but don't feel I have the time.

At home, I need to remember things like birthdays, medical appointments, parents evenings, school events (booking and paying), ordering new clothing and shoes, paying bills (mostly DDs), reviewing DDs, looking at pension, savings. Emailing Senco about issues (both DS have SN). The longer term stuff tends to get neglected.
I use Remember the Milk for repetitive tasks.

I also run the local branch of my professional body so need to organise meetings and keep on top of the admin there.

Some days I feel really efficient (today), on other days I just feel paralysed with the amount I have to do. I'm pretty strict with not doing work stuff at weekends but can procrastinate terribly during the working day especially if I'm working from home. I'm in a senior enough role that I'm basically left to get on with my job so there's no one to say 'what are your priorities today?' .

Anyway, I hope someone has some advice as to what works for them.

Everything in your online calendar - work, family, bills everything and a set time each day to do the things. If before you check your emails is a good time and you only have 10 mins then commit 10 mins in your diary with the list. Anything new that comes in either deal with it immediately or put it in the diary list for your next 10 min slot.

The GOLDEN RULE is that if you can deal with it immediately then do it and clear it. Don’t put it on a list for the sake of it. I.E. invoice comes through for DD sport and it’s a click through PayPal system, click through and pay it, job done in approx 30secs.

Start by finding the time. Is it most productive over your morning coffee to cross a few easy wins off or are you renewing a passport that might require some more time.

So one central list that I then allocate time to do daily or weekly @StColumbofNavron ?

Yes so if you routinely have 15 mins in the morning - open a calendar invite and just add things to it then do them. Anything not done add to the next session. The biggest problem is finding the 5, 10, 20 mins or whatever that you can spare. Big stuff you might need to set aside weekend time or evening time but still set it aside and keep your list there.

There is something satisfying about using a paper list and I like to highlight when done, but practically speaking this is more efficient, particularly if you want to keep everything in one place.

The alternative is perhaps something like this.

A paper list that you just constantly add to and whenever you get a down few minutes just do something and then cross it off. Less method but also allows you to do what you think you can face at any given moment.

I stand by the if you can do it now do it mantra though.

With work stuff this is a bit more complex, but I use my inbox as to do, if someone asks me for something and I’ve given it I just delete (or file if I need it but mostly delete) because it was their task not mine, but this isn’t practical for every role.

I’d basically have 9-9.15 every day for my list for example and as stuff happens just add it. So if I know I have that invoice to pay but I don’t get paid until Friday, I would add it in the body of the diary entry for Friday.

So try and get as much non work stuff out of the way in a concentrated time each day? That does make sense rather than doing bits and bobs.

Lots of my work doesn't come via email and lots of emails are just general information or chat, so email as to do doesn't really work.
I maybe need to flag emails that need action more consistently and plan time to go through those.
I feel I need a better system but information is coming from so many different sources (my brain, colleagues, boss, emails, conversations etc) its hard to work out how to keep it organised.