But, if it was an “A” priority this would decrease the chance that it would break down.

For example, maintaining your vehicle is often a “C” priority - until it breaks down. This means we tend to take care of “A” priorities and neglect “C” priorities.

Most to-do-lists contain items of varying priorities. Sheena Iyengar discovered that our brains are only capable of handling seven before before getting overwhelmed. This is due to an increase of opportunity cost. Barry Schwartz has found that when as the amount of choices increase, so do negative emotions. No wonder 41 percent of to-do list items are never completed. This leaves those more challenging tasks undone. When there’s a lengthy list in front of us we tend to cross-off the items that can be done quickly. But - that’s just scratching the surface. And, most of us aren’t exactly sure on how to prioritize the items on the list. What’s more, we’re constantly adding items to our lists, but we aren’t reducing them. That’s because we’re constantly looking at everything that needs to get done. However, most people eventually get overwhelmed and frustrated with their to-do-lists. Calendar to do lists don’t work.Īs noted above, there are some advantages with to-do-lists. Instead, they let their calendar own them. Unfortunately, the most successful and productive individuals don’t rely on to-do-lists. To-do-lists provide clarity on what needs to get done, prioritizes your actions, assists with planning, and can make you feel more organized. And before your day has gotten started you’re already frustrated. Your relaxing and productive morning is over. As your routine winds down you glance at your calendar to do list. You wake-up every morning and launch into your routine, like exercising and reading.

Calendar todo list