Picture this. You are lying in bed, desperate for a good night’s rest; but each time you approach the precipice of sleep, yet another intrusive thought jolts you awake: Don’t forget to refill your prescription before Friday. Remember to email Kathy back first thing in the morning; Make sure to call the bank about that $12 maintenance fee. You toss and turn, trying to remember not to forget these to-dos, all the while losing out on the precious sleep needed to execute these tasks with efficiency.
One of the worst things we can do to ourselves is have rogue to-dos that aren’t documented or integrated into our “to-do system.” For a peaceful night’s sleep, it’s essential that we systematically record 100% of our to-dos, in one consolidated place, where we can easily find them when we need to. For most people, the natural inclination is to create a master to-do list. This is, of course, a vast improvement from to-dos scribbled on scattered post-it notes, buried in an email somewhere, or worse yet — just floating around in your head.
But the best practice is to incorporate your to-dos directly into your calendar, scheduled out on the days (and times) you're actually going to do them. Why?
Because it creates an actionable plan.
A to-do, not connected to a when, rarely gets done. And your calendar represents all the time you have to get things done. This includes appointments, meetings, and to-dos. A master to-do list can go on for 3+ pages and become so overwhelming, we avoid looking at it altogether. I’ll never be able to finish everything on this list, we think to ourselves, so why bother trying?
When you transfer from a master to-do list into your calendar, you have to ask yourself — What is most important? How long is it going to take? When am I actually going to do it? You’re proactively planning to tackle the project, rather than allowing it to linger on a list. You’re creating a “do date” (as opposed to a due date) for yourself. Your calendar becomes a sort of silent assistant, providing a sense of motivation and accountability to get things done.
Because it prevents things from falling through the cracks.
Your calendar is something you look at every day. So when you put a to-do in your calendar, it will never get lost. You might see it a few days ahead and say “oh gosh, I can’t do that thing on that day, something came up.” It’s exactly as you might see a doctor’s appointment you scheduled six months ago and say, “gee, that day doesn’t work for me anymore.” But the “event” on your calendar will prompt you to reschedule. In this way, it can be helpful to think of your to-dos like appointments. Even if you can’t get something done on the day it was planned, you will be prompted to reschedule rather than forgetting about it altogether.
Because it allows you to chart a flexible course.
Life happens. Opportunities arise. Interruptions come. Our best laid plans get derailed. And sometimes, things simply take longer than expected. Having your to-dos scheduled into your calendar allows you to continually readjust as things come up. If you don’t get something finished, you can look ahead in your schedule and see when you can make it up. You can see the to-dos you have planned for the day(s) ahead and consider whether those are still the highest and best use of your time, or if something else has come up that preempts them. In other words, calendaring your to-dos helps ensure that what you do on any given day is connected to your near- and long-term goals.
Ultimately, calendaring your to-dos takes the pressure off. You’ll no longer lose sleep at night, trying to remember what you need to do in the days and weeks ahead. Instead, everything is documented and organized. Your reminders are in place. Your plan is realistic, yet flexible. Your time is properly allocated to the most important tasks — including meetings, appointments, and to-dos. Rather than staring down the barrel of a 3+ page to-do list, you have only to do what is feasible on a day-to-day basis. And, when more things feel do-able, more things get done.