The Pros and Cons of Running To-Do Lists

2022-05-23T18:35:24+00:00

By Publisher

Do you ever find yourself migrating items on your to-do list from one day or week to the next, but you haven’t actually had the time to do them? That’s really common. One method of avoiding such frequent migrations is to keep running to-do lists. Today, I’ll show you how that might work, and I’ll discuss some of the pros and cons of adopting them.

What are Running To-Do Lists?

A running to-do list is a list full of items, generally without a deadline. Tasks that might be added to the list include minor household repairs, projects you’d like to start, or any other item you will “get to eventually.” The point of having a running to-do list is to have a place for all the things you want to get done, but haven’t had time to complete yet. Since these items don’t have a deadline or specific time frame, they tend to be frequently migrated or forgotten. When deciding whether or not you’ll need one, refer to the pros and cons listed below.

Pros of the Running To-Do List

Removes clutter from daily or weekly to-do lists
Provides a place for miscellaneous tasks
Allows you to prioritize more important tasks
Having a cleaner, more concise daily to-do list allows you to feel more productive
These tasks will not be forgotten
Less waste of time, effort, and ink since constant migration is no longer necessary

Cons of the Running To-Do List

Gives you an excuse to remove tasks from your to-do list that you SHOULD do, but CAN put off
Allows you to avoid these tasks as long as possible
Promotes procrastination and task avoidance
A lengthy running to-do list can be intimidating and cluttered

Lay Down Some Ground Rules for Your Lists

If you decide to implement running to-do lists, always remember to lay down some ground rules first. For example, I do not allow time-limited tasks to be put on my list. If there is a deadline, the task will get migrated and rewritten on my daily to-do list as many times as I need to in order to get it done.When it comes to creating these rules, they are entirely up to you; the goal is to avoid procrastination and task avoidance without crazy clutter and constant migration of unimportant tasks. I hope that gives you a better understanding of running to-do lists, how they work, and how you might implement one in your own journaling routine. But enough from me – let’s hear from you!Culled from Page Flutter