College and University Blog
Creating an Effective To-Do List
A to-do list is one of the most common time management aids. Also known as a task list, the to-do list is a list of things to be completed. These may be singular chores or steps toward completing a big project. It is an inventory tool that aids memory.
When you complete an item on your list, you generally check it off or cross it off. This can be very gratifying. You are able to see proof of your accomplishment.
There have been technological advances for the traditional to-do list. Software programs, e-mail clients, and most PDAs include task list applications. There are also several web-based task list applications. Many of these are free. Modern task list applications may have built-in task hierarchy. Tasks are composed of subtasks. These subtasks may also contain subtasks. These applications may support multiple filtering and ordering methods and may allow for detailed notations for each task. Task list applications are often classified as personal information manager or project management software.
Task lists are often tiered. The simplest system includes a general to-do list. Recorded on this list are all the tasks the person needs to accomplish. The daily to-do list is created by transferring tasks from the general to-do list each day.
To-do lists are often prioritized. An early advocate of prioritization was Alan Lakein. His method is called the ABC method. This method assigns a value of A, B, or C to each task. A