List of ways to ruin a list

List of ways to ruin a list The goals you have for your life are only as good as your daily to-do list. You can make all the grand plans you want, but if you dont stay on track each day, you wont reach those goals. To-do lists are for people who believe in their dreams and their ability to reach them. List makers create daily plans for success. In other words, everyone should have a daily to-do list. If you arent careful, however, your list will become more of a procrastination aid than dream machine. Here are seven typical ways you can undermine your list: 1. Ignore it. This is my pet thing to do. If I cant handle my life that day, I dont look at my list. This allows me to think I dont need to do anything. But then the rest of the week is hell because Im compensating for stuff I ruined by ignoring it. It would have been easier to review my list, accomplish the most pressing items, and then go back to bed. 2. List vague tasks. Take, for example, work on presentation. When is this job finished? How many things need working on? Why would you start this chore if you have no plan for completing it? This item is like poison ivy â€" you see it and go another direction. Break down the items on your list into manageable parts. Besides crossing items off the list is fun, and the more to cross off the better.. Ive been known to write buy envelopes as one of the tasks needed to send resumes. Its an easy step in a hard process â€" makes me feel like Im getting something done in my big-picture goal of landing a job. 3. Create a wish list. A wish list is not a to-do list. Its important to have life goals and its nice to be lofty, but no point in putting buy a house on your to-do list. If you really can buy a house, try listing an easier item like, call mortgage broker If you cant get that far, make a list of things youd like to have in 10 years. Include buy a house and post this list on your fridge. Then get back to your to-do list â€" every 10-year plan is the culmination of 3,650 daily to do lists. 4. Switching manically between types of tasks. E-mail, phone, errand, e-mail, phone, errand. This is not a productive day. A good day is e-mail,e-mail, e-mail, phone, phone, phone, errand, errand, errand. So organize your to-do list so that you do all your e-mails in one or two sittings. 5. List items youd like to do but shouldnt. These are fun things like learn 1000 words in Italian or knit an extra-large sweater. Most working professionals do not have time for these in a typical day. Unproductive adults indulge themselves in doing them anyway because it makes them feel productive. I know I do not have time to make cupcakes for my husbands birthday and I should buy him a cake from the local bakery. But I put making cupcakes on my to-do list anyway, and then, when he comes home, Im annoyed because making his cupcakes ruined my workday. 6. Lose sight of the big picture. How many people are unemployed but dont have get a job on their list? If youre among them, good for you â€" because get a job is too vague. But you should include job-search-related tasks, such as Send out six resumes or make two networking calls. So many people omit chores related to their most important goal because they seem obvious. But if you dont put them on the list, they wont happen. 7. Write a novel. A list is not a novel. It is one page.