EPISODE 34 (50) LIST LOVER - you’ll never remember everything; learn to love your to-do list

Andrew explains at the start of this latest Podcast why a list can help you succeed at work. The main reason is that it can help you focus and not carry too much in your head.

If you’re relatively new to the work scene, you may regard your list as a lifesaver. 

If so, says Andrew, resist the temptation to expect it to keep track of absolutely everything you should be doing. That way, your list may die as a valuable tool, carrying too great a burden.

Make your list earn its passage by breaking projects into smaller tasks. Too many of these, though, can cause an unwelcome brain effect. This mental state nags us more about our unfinished tasks than completed ones. 

Incomplete tasks cause stressful, intrusive thoughts, he explains. 

They reduce sleep and deplete mental and emotional resources. It may even cause behavioural problems. 

Unfinished tasks also damage your self-image. Over a prolonged period, they can make you feel like a failure. To counter bad list effects, prune yours to within an inch of its life. 

Review your current list if you have one. Andrew asks: 

Is it overflowing with things to do? Will you be able to complete them all? If you struggle to finish your tasks, revise, and be more realistic.

Your to-do list can be infinite. The trouble is your time is not. Match the tasks against your available time and energy. This is where prioritising is so important. 

 There's a lot to take in from this Podcast. . Consider a second or third hearing at the Podcast site  https://www.50Ways.site.

You'll also learn how to obtain the relevant e-learning mobile unit to consolidate your learning further.

All 50 Ways podcasts end with three actions you can take today to do better.

COMING SOON!

• No Doormat: Why “no” can be as important as saying “yes!”
• Personalise: How to manage criticism and come up smiling
• The Extra Mile: How exceeding expectations works wonders.

Can't wait for Series 2 to run its course? Then buy Andrew's new book, published on Amazon, and there's also an Audio version.

Further reading and videos: Andrew recommends some useful follow-through material which you can find for each episode at

www.myhappinessatwork.com/reading/categories/research-reading

and

www.myhappinessatwork.com/watch.

BOOK:
The 50 Ways to Succeed at Work book is a standalone companion to Andrew Leigh's weekly podcasts.
It's an essential resource for all job starters and those at work for a few years.
Dip in and out and take what seems helpful.

www.myhappinessatwork.com/book