How to make to-do-lists and manage tasks.

Do you feel overwhelmed by the numerous tasks you must complete daily? Are you constantly missing key deadlines? Are you producing poor-quality work? All these are symptoms of not keeping a well-thought-out to-do list. Marking off completed tasks on your to-do list gives a feeling of accomplishment, but it is no easy feat. As a PhD student, priority must be assigned to tasks to ensure effective completion of your to-do list. How do you prioritize when everything on your list is critical? Let us examine how to create and complete to-do lists.

If every task on your to-do list looks equally important, the strategy for ranking the level of importance among the tasks is lacking. A sound strategy will dictate which task is more important. To make your list more productive, consider implementing the following strategies.

• Create a Schedule that sets aside time each day to complete each task. You can create 2-hour blocks of time to do deep work. During your first block, complete the most important tasks of the day. In block 2, you can continue with key work or switch to secondary tasks. In block 3, you may do lighter tasks or choose to do creative work.

• Use the 1-3-5 Rule. Each day, complete 1 big task. These are tasks that require the most focus and time. Choose to complete a draft for a research paper during this time. Also, aim to complete 3 medium tasks. These can be important, less intensive tasks like editing your blog, responding to your advisor’s email, or previewing notes for a presentation. Lastly, aim to complete 5 small tasks, which are quick wins or minor tasks. Your 5 small tasks might include logging your Phd progress in your journal, reading one article for your literature review, organizing your study space, downloading three articles for your secondary data collection, and sending a meeting reminder to your study group.

• Assign weighting to tasks. The traffic light method is one proven strategy that I use. I label urgent and important tasks in red. These are high-priority tasks that need immediate attention. Tasks like meeting with my mentor or a due date for a project are given red-light status. Tasks that are important but not urgent are labeled in yellow. These are medium-priority tasks that should be done soon but aren’t critical today. Examples include reading for research or planning academic goals for the coming week. Optional or low-priority tasks are labeled in green. These are tasks that are nice to do, longer-term goals, or small errands. Examples of these tasks are organizing class notes from the weekend, updating my calendar, or browsing an interesting journal article.

• Choose the right medium. Deciding where to keep your to-do lists is critical. Some people may write on paper, others use a simple Google sheet, or a mobile App. I use the note feature on my phone. I always have my phone, so I can check my list multiple times throughout the day. Using a digital medium has its benefits, and I highly recommend it. Digital media have built-in reminders, digital media lists are easily edited, and you are less likely to lose your digital to-do list. Once you get all your tasks listed, you can begin assigning a strategy for completion.

• Create a task completion list. In addition to a to-do list for tasks, I create a task completion list at the end of each day. That way, I can track the tasks that I have completed and reschedule those tasks that I did not complete. Additionally, a task completion list motivates me for tomorrow’s tasks. Get comfortable with not completing all your tasks daily, after all, the Phd student is not perfect, and we sometimes get distracted. However, if you get distracted, try to fall back into your routine as soon as possible.

A structured and strategized to-do list is simple, but many Phd students aren’t using to-do lists effectively. The strategies outlined will ensure you always work on your most important task first. Your most important task should always contribute to achieving your long-term goals. Feel free to customize and combine the strategies and comment on which works best to help you manage your tasks and to-do lists most effectively.

Monique Oates is pursuing Doctoral Studies at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, USA. She is a native of Jamaica and holds a Master’s degree from University College Birmingham. Monique completed her Bachelor’s degree at the University of the West Indies and obtained teacher training certification from the College of Agriculture, Science & Education. Monique is the mother of two teenage children who have embarked on the PhD journey alongside her.