Putting together a to-do list can help you accomplish your goals, but a poorly organized list can actually impede your success.

“For many of us, our to-do list has become more of a guilt list: an inventory of everything we want to do, plan to do, really should do, but never get to,” Peter Bregman, CEO of management consulting firm Bregman Partners, Inc., recently wrote at Harvard Business Review. “It’s more like an I’m-never-going-to-get-to-it list.”

Consider these seven tips to develop a to-do list that works for you.

1) Understand what a to-do list is. “The primary idea of a to-do is that it’s a task that can and should be done — a point that might seem obvious until you start uncovering how many of the items on your to-do list may not belong there (or, conversely, how many uncaptured items do),” Merlin Mann, founder of 43folders, says. Tasks on a to-to list should be achievable in one sitting, contribute toward a determined goal and be something for which you are the most appropriate person. If it’s on your list, it’s a commitment.

2) Distinguish tasks from projects. Understanding the distinction between a task and its parent project may be the most important step you can take toward improving the feasibility and quality of the work on your list. Be specific in whittling the task down to one activity that you can accomplish completely at a sitting. For instance, rather than write “Finish meeting presentation,” zero in on each task involved in finishing that presentation and list it separately.

3) Add context to tasks. “Rather than just enumerating all your outstanding tasks, add some analysis that will help you identify how you can best do what needs to be done,” American Express OPEN Forum advises. “How long do you estimate each task will take? Can you be interrupted? Simple, personalized categories will help you to keep on top of things.” The more task-related information you take into account, the better off you’ll be when it’s time to tackle that task.

4) Avoid an impossible timetable. According to Mann, you should be able to accomplish a to-do in one sitting, although sittings will vary in length. Mind Tools says, “Ideally, tasks or action steps should take no longer than 1-2 hours to complete.” Set a deadline for each task, but schedule things comfortably. Allow time for unexpected delays or mishaps.

5) Understand what a to-do list is not. “Make a habit of pruning your list of completed, dead and obviated tasks,” Mann emphasizes. “And remember: your to-do list is not the place to park your ambitions or test the limits of your grasp. Constantly break tasks down and down to the most atomic work possible, and be ruthless about moving (or deleting) stuff that belongs someplace else.”

6) Determine the best medium for you. Some people prefer to keep things simple and write a to-do list on paper, while others take advantage of one of the many software tools available to keep a digital list. Figure out which method works best for you. At a basic level, you can use Microsoft Word or Excel to manage your to-do lists. Some versions of Microsoft Outlook, and other e-mail services, like Gmail, feature a task list. Other popular online task-management tools include Remember the Milk, Ta-Da List, Todoist and Toodledo.

7) Create a separate list for projects. In addition to your to-do list, keep an ongoing list of projects — rather than tasks — you want to accomplish. Consider it a list of long-term goals, where those parent projects referred to in Tip No. 2 should reside. “[L]ook at it monthly or so, periodically delete the ones that are no longer relevant, and then put the list away for another month,” Bregman advises in a separate HBR article.

If you take steps toward investing even a little more time organizing your to-do list, you should be able to accomplish your tasks more efficiently.

Resources

A Better Way to Manage Your To-Do List
by Peter Bregman
Harvard Business Review, Feb. 24, 2011

Building a Smarter To-Do List, Part I
by Merlin Mann
43 Folders, Sept. 12. 2005

Building a Smarter To-Do List, Part II
by Merlin Mann
43 Folders, Sept. 13, 2005

Time Management 101
American Express OPEN Forum, Feb. 23, 2009

To Do Lists: The Key to Efficiency
MindTools.com

What To Do With Your To-Do List
by Peter Bregman
Harvard Business Review, March 2, 2011