It is magnificent to get important tasks completed, so spring and take action now! People spend a lot of time managing their to-do lists. Trying to figure out what to put on the list, how to organize items on the list, and what to keep off the list. The thing people do not spend careful thought and attention on is actually completing the things on the list.
That is a shame because completion is the most important thing when dealing with items on a to-do list. Before reading this article, look at your to-do list. Make note of what has been completed. Then as you read this article, think about your list completion rate.
The goal of this article is to talk about completion, getting things finished, done, and crossed off the to-do list. Here we will explore who needs to work on completion, why completion is necessary, and some ideas on how to complete items on the to-do list. This topic is relevant because almost every person who is alive has a to-do list. Look at the following people for example:
- an infant alive only minutes has a to-do list: eat, dirty diaper, cry
- toddlers have to-do lists: eat, play, drive parents crazy
- teenagers have to-do lists: eat, go to school, drive parents crazy, plan for future
- adults have to-do lists: work, take care of home, raise children, pay bills, take care of parents
As this list indicates, almost every person alive has a to-do list. This means everyone needs to be concerned about getting things off the to-do list. There are two popular ways things can be removed from the to-do list:
- complete the items on the list
- cross the items off the list even if they haven’t been done and hope for the best
It is obvious that the first option above is the better and more productive of the two options. Therefore, the mission of a person with a long and ever-growing to-do list should be to get the list completed. While it is relatively easy to escape the completion of the items on the to-do list, it is rather difficult to stop the growth of the to-do list. Completion will bring us satisfaction, accomplishment, and a sense of well-being.
After all, we create our to-do lists because there are things we must accomplish, things we must get done. This is why we feel unsuccessful and like failures when we do not get our to-do lists completed. The inability to get the to-do list completed is such a common problem that there are a myriad of programs for our computers and smartphones to get our to-do lists done. Some of the currently popular methods include:
- do the easiest job first
- do the hardest job first
- first eat the frog
- attack the list by priority and importance
- do the job that generates the most return first
- prioritize tasks according to level of importance
- tackle tasks based upon due date
It does not matter what method you use for completing tasks, the most important part is the act of completion, not the completion method. When it comes to doing things on your to-do list if you do not have a favorite “get it done” method, start with the item at the top of the list and get it done. Once you have done this repeat this process until every item on the list is done. It will be hard and it will be time-consuming.
However, none of that matters. When it comes to dealing with the to-do list, life demands that you show up like a grown-up and get through the list. Grown-ups get done, what needs doing, even when it takes a long time, even when it is hard.
There are 3 lessons I have learned from people who refuse to TAN aka Take Action Now. A smart entrepreneur can learn something new every day if she tries. There are some people who take action now and get things done. Click here to read more.
and
“The Harder They Fall” and 3 Excellent Lessons for Entrepreneurs
Recently, I watched the Netflix movie, “The Harder They Fall” and it had three lessons for entrepreneurs. These lessons are: sometimes things are hard, you cannot sit around waiting for destiny, loyalty doesn’t last forever for everyone. Click here to read more.
Also, check out our Confidence Tip of the Day YouTube channel for hundreds of videos on creating the confidence you need to succeed.
In conclusion, it is a great feeling to cross things off the to-do list and to be able to say you have completed something you set your mind to accomplishing. So, the question for you this magnificent day is what are you going to complete today?
Melinda, I do all my writing via computer or tablet now. But once per month, I have a list of people I write with pen and paper, write a letter to. People never get handwritten letters anymore so it is always a treat for my friends.
loving that pic, makes me want to write with a good old fashioned pen and paper 🙂
I am glad to hear you say that Heather, because I thought it was just my list! It feels good to share that problem with someone else.
I agree Sarah, there is something really good about crossing things off the list. My list is electronic now, but I still like the cross off!
It seems like everything gets off the list, 2 things get added!
“It does not matter what method you use for completing tasks, the most important part is the act of completion, not the completion method. ” SOOOOOO TRUE!!! I love to get things OFF the list!!!