Small Business

How Should You Tackle Your To-Do List?

By Rick Broida

Updated on: November 14, 2007 / 9:17 AM EST / MoneyWatch

I'm a big believer in to-do lists, but sometimes the sucker gets so long I just want to weep. (I mean, uh, smash things! Yeah, that's it, smash things.) Where are the elves who magically finish my work while I'm asleep? Until they arrive, I'm going to try Lifehack.org's 15 tips for making today the day you finish your to-do list. The basic idea? Set aside a day where you do nothing but demolish those tasks. For example:

Clear your schedule. It's amazing how much you can accomplish if you give yourself a large chunk of time. A to-do ending day can't be filled with all the regular errands of your life. The entire day needs to be focused on killing that list, so pick a day where you can have complete control over your time.
Wake up early. Building momentum is critical. Even if waking up at 5 am isn't a usual event for you, it can be helpful here. Which do you think will give you the right start: dragging yourself out of bed at ten o'clock, or forcing yourself to start moving at six?
Collect your to-do list. If you have tasks and projects scattered over different parts of your life, you need to collect them into one list. One list detailing everything you want to have accomplished, on one piece of paper you can hold in front of you.

If you can't afford to block out large chunks of time, consider another method that I've found useful: Write the day's three most important tasks on a sticky note, then vow to get them all crossed off by the end of the day. It's very satisfying, and I almost always find that I can accomplish three tasks.

What's your preferred method of to-do list management? Hit the Comments and let us know. Or send your tips to BizHacks@gmail.com.