Back to Time Management Index Time Management

7 Items NOT to Add to

Your To Do List

by Maria Gracia Updated November 17, 2023 Join our newsletter to be notified when new content is added to our website. One of the best time management tools is the To Do list. A To Do list written every day will remind you of the things you have to do and keep you on task. However, below are 7 items that should NEVER be a part of your to-do list. 1. A long list of tasks. A To Do list should not be 10 pages long and should not include any tasks you don’t plan to do today. 2. Things that someone else can do. Don’t put something on your list that can be delegated. Keep your list to the jobs YOU need to complete, and delegate the jobs others can do. For instance, at work, if someone is more skilled at a task, then let them do it. At home, assign family members to age- appropriate household chores. Meanwhile, use YOUR time to do the jobs only YOU can accomplish. 3. Things that don’t have to get done.  To Do lists should contain important items that affect you and your family, like: deadlines at work, paying the bills, going grocery shopping, etc. In other words, spend your time on tasks of consequence; not on things that don’t have a big impact. 4. Anything that’s not preceded by a verb. Items listed on a To Do list should signify action. Always preceded everything with a verb...call (Mike), make (a side dish), buy (toilet paper), type (a letter to Jane), etc. 5. Projects. Projects are too large to put on To Do lists, since projects are made up of many tasks. Your To Do list should contain one part of a project that you can complete. Tomorrow, if today’s part was completed, include the next part. This will help ensure you get each part done, one at a time. 6. Things that are beyond your control. You can’t spend tons of time fixing past mistakes and missed opportunities. For instance, if a presentation at work didn’t go well, don’t dwell over it. Make notes about changes you would have made and move on to more important things. 7. Private tasks. Never include things that you don’t want someone else to see. For instance, if you’re interviewing for a job with a different company, don’t write interview on your To Do list if it’s where someone else may see it. Back to Time Management Index