Do you ever feel like there’s a million thoughts in your head?
Maybe you feel like you have a never-ending amount of things to do, but when you actually have some time to knock out some of your tasks, you can’t think of what needs to be done.
Or how about this – you’re out of laundry soap, so you make a mental note to get some when you go to the store later. But then you go to the store, get apples, eggs, and batteries… but forget to buy laundry soap.
I’ve definitely experienced things like that. Did you know there’s a scientific reason why?
Your mind isn’t meant to hold onto a lot of “I need to do this” task items. Studies have shown that your memory starts to decline when you try to hold too many ideas in your brain.
But as a busy functioning adult in the 21st century, you almost certainly have many things on your mind. So what can you do about this?
Here’s the easiest solution: WRITE THAT STUFF DOWN.
In this article, you’ll learn why you should make a master task list, how to do it, and how to go through it and organize it using the TASK system. I learned this system from Carson Tate’s book Work Simply.
This is a strategy that will help you rebuild your list of alllll the stuff you have to do (AKA your Master To-Do List) using 4 steps – Think, Actions, Sort, and Keep (TASK).
How can I create a Master Task List?
Think
First, you need to think of all the stuff you need to do. You know what that means – it’s brain dump time!
Get out a notebook, clear off space on a big ol’ whiteboard, or open up a Google Doc. It doesn’t matter what medium you use; just make sure you have plenty of space to write.
Write down all the things that you need to do in the next month or so. Include personal, social, and professional obligations.
Here are a few things to consider:
- Personal goals
- Commitments to others – friends, partner, children, etc.
- Errands to run
- Research to do
- Plans to make
- Meetings or social events
- Special occasions coming up
It will probably take a while to write down all the to-dos that are hidden somewhere in the crevices of your brain. I recommend devoting at least 15 minutes to this exercise, but it could take you even longer.
Don’t worry if you start to feel overwhelmed by the number of things included in this brain dump. Just focus on getting these items out of your head and onto physical (or digital) paper.
Actions
Next, go through your brain dump and make sure each item is a clearly defined action. If it isn’t, change it into one.
For example, you probably wrote some things that are better defined as projects than actions, like “Clean bedroom.” In this step, break up those bigger projects into concrete action steps.
Here’s what my “clean bedroom” task might look like if I broke it into specific actions:
- Sort the books on my nightstand and desk and move them to bookshelf
- Hang up clothes lying on the floor
- Get rid of empty lotion bottles
- Line up shoes on my closet floor
- Put miscellaneous clutter into bins
- Dust top of dresser
This will also take some time, and you might feel like you’re making your to-do list longer, but trust me. This is going to make it easier to focus on what you need to do, one step at a time.
Sort
By this time, you probably have an insanely long and daunting list. It’s time to sort each of these items into different groupings.
When it comes to the sorting method you choose, it’s up to you. Think about how you can best group the action items to make them easiest to accomplish.
Here are some of my favorite ways to sort to-do list items:
- -by due date (things I need to do by Saturday, etc.)
- -things I can do in 15 minutes or less
- -things I can do when I have low energy
- -things to do when I have high energy
- -things I can do anywhere (on your phone or laptop vs. thing I have to do at home
Two of my favorite lists are “Things I can do in 15 minutes” and “Things to do when I have low energy.” Having a list of actionable steps to accomplish when I’m facing either of these constraints (not much time or not much energy) helps me not give up or waste time deciding what to do when I’m in that situation.
Keep it all together
Carson Tate’s last suggestion is to keep one and only one master task list. You can keep it in a physical notebook or whiteboard, computer application, or app.
The idea is that you know where all your to-do tasks are without forgetting that you wrote “call Amy” on a Post-It Note and stuck it to your laptop… then forgot about it.
I don’t follow this step perfectly, because I have both a digital to-do list and a physical notebook where I keep all my lists. This works fine for me because I still know where all my to-do list items are.
Try to at least keep your list in a place where you can easily access it when you might need it. For example, if you have your Master Task List in your planner at work, but you need to access it to see what tasks you need to get done at home… it won’t be the most accessible.
Conclusion
Creating a Master Task List can help alleviate the stress and mental fatigue of trying to hold 1000 to-do list items in our memory (which never works out so well, anyway!).
Once you have a clear picture of everything you need to get done, and you have clear steps on how to accomplish those tasks, plus they’re sorted into groups that will help you be the most efficient, accomplishing your goals and tasks will be a piece of cake!
Best of luck!
Before You Go…
A master task isn’t the only list you should make. Check out this article to learn about other lists that could make your life easier.
Feeling overwhelmed by what you need to get done today? Here are some unique ways to plan your day in a (gently) productive way.
