5 Reasons Why You Need a TODO List

If you’re old enough or have gone the traditional route of remembering tasks to complete, hand written grocery lists were one of the original TODO lists that existed.

Who cares about a TODO list you ask? It’s just good for grocery shopping or wannabe executives who can’t afford secretaries. Well, turns out that isn’t completely true. TODO lists have been a game changer for a lot of people, including the work I do as a producer. But this is not just for work, it’s everything I do. Here’s why:

1. It keeps you responsible: Let’s face it, we all have a lot of items on our plate we need to complete. There is no way you can keep track of so many TODO items without some kind of tracking solution. Enter TODO lists. The very act or writing down a task that needs your attention to complete is a reflection of responsibility in two ways. 1) It shows that you care about yourself and you are responsible because you have intended to complete said task. 2) It shows you respect the end recipient, whosoever the task is meant for, and want to honour any contracts or obligations you have with them.
2. We all tend to forget. We’re human, we forget. What makes it worse is in today’s day of Information and fact-paced lives, there is too much information being thrown at us. How many times have we forgotten to respond to an email? It’s a fast paced world. Therefore, it’s a complete game-changer to write down tasks that matter to you. I’ve even looked at tasks I’ve documented and been like, “Oh yeah! I totally forgot about that. Thank God I wrote that down!”
3. You can prioritize tasks. Type in “TODO list” in the search box for new apps in Google Playstore or the app store related of your phone’s OS. You will find tons of TODO apps. Most of these apps are modern enough to prioritize tasks. As well, most apps allow you to even mark a task to be completed by date. In this way, you know where you are going. You know what needs to get done, and by when.
4. It’s accurate. It’s impossible to remember precise details of potentially unlimited tasks. With a TODO list, you can enter precise details for each task. I’ve found this to be incredibly useful when I have appointments, especially when I need information at my fingertips.
5. Even if you don’t get it done, you still know what you need to get done. Sometimes things don’t go as planned. But guess what? You’ve written down your tasks. You know what piece of work you still need to get done, even though you haven’t gotten around to completing it. That’s huge because you’re still aware of it vs. letting it slip away and not completing something that could be very important.

All-in-all, get into the habit of having a TODO list. It’s gratifying knowing you are crossing those tasks off one-by-one. You will feel productive and can track your life. You get what you need to get done, without missing important pieces of work to complete. It will make you feel much more holistic.

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