There’s a war going in the time management field over the best tools for organizing freelancer schedules. One camp favors the daily task checklist, or to-do list. And the other advocates for the time blocking calendar, or as I sometimes refer to it, extreme scheduling.
I would staunchly identify with the time blocking calendar as you would learn from my online courses. However, I have many friends and colleagues who are determined to hold onto their daily task checklist as if any other system were morally impossible.
Some of them even swear by piles and piles of Post-it notes, and I shudder at the thought. If they are getting things done with this system, though, more power to them!
But in the next breath, some may complain that they never can get to that one project on their list. Its presence instills guilt and remorse each time they see it or think about it.
Is my bias too obvious here?
So, to be completely fair and forthright, I’m going to examine that bias by taking a deeper look at each system. For this first post, I’ll discuss the pros and cons of the daily task checklist.
PRO
Daily Task Checklist
It’s a quick way to jot down tasks and projects.
Back when I used a daily task checklist, I had a big legal pad next to my keyboard. Each time a new task came in via email, phone, or conversation at the entry of my cubicle—this was before I was a freelancer—I would diligently write that down even before I finished reading or talking.
It was out of my head, so I knew it would eventually get done. No need to fret because it was right there on the piece of paper as an hourly physical reminder.
CON
Daily Task Checklist
It can be unorganized and ever growing.
The physical legal pad can quickly become unorganized as more tasks come in. Which one needs to be done first and how much time do I need to complete each one?
And as the list keeps growing, the self-assurance I once felt about getting it out of my head is quickly replaced with the overwhelm I was trying to avoid by using a daily task checklist to begin with. I start to run out of paper and need to either flip to the other side or start a new page.
Solution?
Back in the day, I had a simple way to overcome the overwhelm of an ever-growing and unorganized to-do list. I labeled some tasks by order of priority. In other words, I just numbered them.
Over time, though, some tasks seemed to be at the same level of priority. So then I started to label them with letters. All tasks considered #1, for example, got a letter to drill down their priority even more. I ended up with tasks labeled #1a, #1b, and so on.
This daily task checklist seemed to work for me back then. But now, as a freelancer, I juggle multiple personal and business priorities. And they all depend on several factors: deadlines, level of effort, client expectations, ideal time of day, and ETA of the actual work in my inbox. It would be impossible for me to implement all of these using just a primitive handwritten paper list.
These days, though, we have an app for that!
Instead of a legal pad, you can use online checklists to move things around just with your mouse or finger. You can even go a step further and add a date that triggers a reminder on the assigned day. It’s still on a list, though you can also put a time if you like.
For simple checklists, I would suggest looking into Google Keep, which is also a notetaking app. For tasks, I would suggest Google Tasks, which also syncs with Google Calendar.
PRO
Daily Task Checklist
You can use any medium for the daily task checklist.
No matter where you are, especially in this plugged-in world we’re living in, you can jot down a task or idea to refer to later. Yes, you can write it down on the list next to you at your desk, but you can also leave a note for yourself on your phone via email or a notetaking app.
Or just carry a small notepad around with you. Or even leave yourself a voicemail. Or write it down on a Post-it note. The possibilities are endless!
CON
Daily Task Checklist
You can end up with several different lists in different places.
The possibilities are endless! Did I say that already? If you do end up writing things down in a multitude of places—I mean you should be recording tasks whenever they come up just to get them out of your head and avoid stress and overwhelm—you could end up with so many lists that you can’t possibly know which needs to be done first, when, and for how long.
At some point, you’re going to need to consolidate all those lists, and that can be time consuming and overwhelming. Just the thought of having to do that can be overwhelming and make the most laid-back person want to lie down on the floor and sob. Or throw things. Or hide under the table.
Solution?
My best advice here would be to limit the media you use to record tasks as much as possible. If you tend to write things down when using a daily task checklist, keep one notepad at your desk. Alternatively, designate a notepad for each type of task, such as professional versus personal.
When you’re away from your desk, consider using an app on your phone for any tasks you think of on the road or in the next room. Then, designate a time each day to transfer the notes from your phone to your lists at your desk. I would recommend doing it when you first start working for the day.
PRO
Daily Task Checklist
Checking off an item is deeply satisfying.
When I use the daily task checklist now—I use Google Tasks for small things—I find it difficult to find a greater feeling than that which comes with checking off a task.
It’s done! It’s not only out of my head, but also gone forever and complete. What more can you ask from life?
CON
Daily Task Checklist
You keep adding more items, sometimes five more for every one!
But, alas, checking off one task just means you need to move onto the next one. And while you were checking it off, you probably thought of a few more. The list starts to feel never-ending.
Well, it feels never-ending because, well, it is never-ending! Your to-do list will still be there the day you take your last breath, and that’s a sobering thought, isn’t it?
Solution?
Then again, and I’m going to get a little philosophical here, understanding the perspective that a to-do list is forever and it’s the same for everyone around the world may be a reassuring feeling, if you are inclined to feel that way.
But, if that doesn’t work for you, stay tuned for my next post about the pros and cons of the time blocking calendar. Might this option be a good one for you to explore? Maybe just give it a try for a week or two? Even just for a day?
Thanks for getting to the end of part 1 of my two-part series examining the pros and cons of the daily task checklist and time blocking calendar. Stay tuned for part 2 coming soon!
If you want to learn more about managing your time and priorities effectively, check out my self-paced online course “Complete Time Management for Freelancers: Strategies for the Virtual Workplace,” which is available on Udemy and LearnDesk.
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