Does Your To-Do List Answer These 3 Questions?

To-do lists suck.

They drain your motivation, gobble up your time, and attack your self-image. Last month, I showed you how to cut your list down to size. Leo Babauta takes it a step further and tells you to kill it. And Nir Eyal suggests you throw it away.

If that’s too brutal, then Talane Miedaner (2000, pp. 91-92) recommends taking a few minutes to ask and answer these three questions.

1. What is important about today?

It may be your child’s birthday that you want to leave work early for. Or an afternoon meeting you need to spend 1–2 hours in the morning preparing for.

Answering this question helps you focus on your values without getting distracted by everything else.

2. What must get done today?

These are the tasks you’re committed to completing today.

Michael Linenberger says these tasks are so critical you’d stay at work well past your normal departure time to complete them if they weren’t done.

Usually, this list is short. If it’s not, use the next question more.

3. What is important about the future?

This question helps you to plan for what coming up.

I looked at my calendar and noticed I’m giving a presentation in 8 weeks. That seems like a long time away. But it’ll be here before I know it. So I’ve scheduled small pockets of time to work on it each day once I’ve completed that day’s ‘must complete’ tasks.

Looking ahead like this gives me plenty of time to play in Keynote as I prepare my presentation.