To Do or Not to Do … That is the Question!

By Clayton Shold

Do you think Jullius Caesar worried Marcus Brutus kept a task list…? Perhaps he should have!

So how do you manage your task list? What…you don’t have one? Better start one today!  One of the biggest challenges we have in our fast paced world is we are bombarded with information. So much so, it makes it increasingly difficult to remember everything we need to. How much could a missed commitment to a valued client cost you?

A task list will make you much more productive! Guaranteed.

To do lists, or task lists are for your not only business tasks but personal tasks as well. It doesn’t matter what system you use, be it paper or one of many excellent software programs on the market today, as long as you use it. I find Microsoft Outlook works well for me; I print a hard copy of my day’s appointments and tasks. With this list at my ready reference, I can add and update my list with ease. It only takes me a few minutes at the end of the day to update my electronic version.

Task list, work like this. If your brain knows that you are recording tasks that need to be done, subconsciously it relaxes. It doesn’t attempt to keep looping the task around which adds to your stress as you tend to react is some way each time you “remember”.

Task lists make you productive in another way as well. Pick your favourite colour – go out and buy that colour highlighter. When you complete a task, stroke it out with the highlighter. Your brain will begin to associate the colour with success. Within 30 days, you will look forward to completing the tasks and the colour reward you see. You’ll become more organized and look forward to adding more tasks to your list with the extra time you have freed up. As productivity increases so will your personal success – guaranteed!

As I said to Brutus the other day, et tu Brutus? He replied, “You bet, I wouldn’t be caught dead without my task list!”

Clayton Shold has 25 years of sales and marketing experience in Canada and the United States. He is as comfortable discussing strategy around the boardroom table, as he is “on-the-ground” coaching sales reps. His mission is to help organizations and sales professionals make more money. He is a member of the Salesopedia community, "The World of Sales from A to Z". Learn more at www.salesopedia.com.