25 November 2007

The Importance of the To-Do List

"A former boss of mine got me started using the To-Do list some time ago and even though I wasn’t too keen on doing it in the beginning I quickly realized its value. Every time we had a departmental meeting we would bring our To-Do list so she knew exactly what was “on our plate”. With the To-Do list we now had a clear and concise way to gauge if we were able to take on new projects and how many we could handle.

It was also helpful to me as an assistant as I could refer to my To-Do list to let my boss know where I was at on a project and how my schedule looked. Many times you can’t remember exactly what you have “on your plate”, but with a To-Do list, you know exactly what you did – what you have to do - and what the status of each item is. Once an item is complete, strike it off the list!

I also found the To-Do list very helpful when arranging seminars or conferences. Since these types of events usually deal with the same things, i.e. booking conference rooms, catering, audiovisual, etc., you can use the same To-Do list as a precedent and update it with the new conference planning items for each event.

What works for me may not work for you, but however you want to do your To-Do list, it is important to have one. Suggested headings could be Priority - Date - Item – Complete, or just put items in a table or list randomly; whatever works best for you and is easiest (so that you will use it). The important thing is to get things “written down”. I don’t know what I would do without my list…and I thank my boss for “making” me do this so long ago…

For more information on the To-Do list click here."
Submitted by Lynn Crosbie, Administrative Assistant

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