How to Prioritize Your To-Do List

This is post number three of To-Do Lists week! Check out earlier posts from this week on creating your to-do list and breaking down larger goals into tasks.

My to-do list sometimes seems endless. I put every little thing that comes to mind that I think I might want to do on the list. Maybe I need to schedule an appointment, but I remember that on a Sunday when they are closed. I set myself a reminder to call them the next day. If your mind runs like mine, you can get a lot of things onto your list in a day. With all of these small to-do’s ending up on the list, you need to organize your list to keep from total list system failure and causing yourself undue stress.

Evaluate what you need to do (or think you need to do) in comparison to your goals.

If you could only get one thing done from the list today which task would it be? Put that task at the top of your priority list. With the remaining items, follow the same process: if I could only do one of these, which would I do? Going through this process for the whole list organizes all of your items by priority. Now all you have to do is work down that list. Be mindful of items that have very specific due dates. Some of the items on my list (no matter how much I value them) have to take a sideline to the tasks with due dates that have to be completed sooner. These priority items need to be higher up on the list in order for me to get to them in time. Check out Friday's post for more ideas about how to never miss a due date.

Try to take your to-do list and prioritize the items, and don't forget to read tomorrow's post on re-prioritizing your to-do list when life surprises you!