Why do a Task List?

Commonly referred to as a ‘task list, to do list or action plan’ – this practice requires a person to make a list of all their pending, outstanding, urgent or important tasks that need to be completed.

Most people already practice this habit. If you use a piece of paper, jotter or exam pad to scribble down reminders – then you are already doing this.

We use a task list because not everything can be entered into our calendar as fixed appointments. ‘Things to do’ should be recorded or noted. These entrees lay the basis for you to prioritise each task over each other. Each entry is prioritised as A (must be done); B (should be done) and C (could be done)

Consider a simple 3 column table as follows:

This helps you prioritise your tasks – to get the “musts, shoulds and coulds” complete in a better, more organised manner than mere memory or scribbled on bits of paper. This is obviously not a prescriptive approach in practice; but one that should work for you.

With technology, we can synchronise our smartphones with our laptops or have an all-in-one device. With cloud storage, key information can be stored and brought forward.

If there is any stand out reason why doing a task list is important, it would be this: Nothing helps you to build trust and confidence in yourself than keeping your commitments. It helps you grow your self- image and level of confidence as a good manager.