In this episode, Niamh revisits a tool from her Better Workday toolkit: the 5-Star To-Do List. She explains how this simple method can help you offload your mental clutter, prioritise your most important tasks, and make meaningful progress, especially when you feel overwhelmed.
Niamh explains that the first step to creating your 5-Star To-Do List is a mental offload. On a blank piece of paper, write down every single task you think you have to do. This includes items from your regular to-do list, calendar, emails, and any mental tasks that haven't been written down yet. This process helps to clear your mind and provides a complete picture of your workload. Niamh notes that a common mistake is to forget to include tasks that are already in progress, which also take up time and mental energy.
The next step is to select a maximum of five items from your master list that you can realistically tackle today or tomorrow. You can put a star next to them. The number five is a manageable amount that allows you to address tasks from different areas while still feeling in control. If you're still struggling with overwhelm, Niamh suggests reducing the time frame to just one afternoon and limiting your starred items to three. The goal is to reduce the "noise" and focus your attention. Once you have your starred list, choose just one item to work on and take a small, immediate action to get started. This helps to move you from procrast-planning—spending all your time organising rather than doing the work—to making real progress.
Write down everything, including things you are already working on, to get a clear picture of your workload.
Select up to five tasks that you can work on over the next one to two days and put a star next to them.
Reduce the number of starred items to three and the time frame to one afternoon if you still feel overwhelmed.
Immediately take a small action on just one of the starred items to get momentum and avoid "procrast-planning".
Welcome to The Better Workday Podcast with your host, Niamh Moynihan. Niamh is the founder of Better Workday. She will challenge you to think differently about how you manage your time, energy, attention and relationships at work to be successful while supporting your well-being.
In each episode Niamh shares new insights and practical ideas to help you create a better workday.
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