Think about one of those days when you wish you had a reset button, so you could start over with a different approach, and moreover a different strategy.

Let's look at the positive: you had a strategy, it just didn't work out as expected. 

You planned your day the night before, and you proactively were on top of your tasks. However, things started to go off the tracks when you kept adding tasks to your list, until your task list had become too long. And you should also notice that some of those tasks weren't even doable within one day, they needed a different strategy.

Something that contributed even more to your insuccess and to worsen your hectic and stressful day was not understanding how long a particular task would have taken and at what point of the day it was best to execute the task. If you had worked out this in your strategy, it would have been easier to know the right timing for executing the task.

Finally, your plan didn't involve any flexibility. You didn't add a buffer between tasks and take in count that some tasks can turn out to be tougher and more time-consuming than what they seemed.

Those are only a few of the possible reasons for adjusting your plans and creating better to-do lists. Keep reading and find out all the tips for creating the best to-do lists.

The time that it takes to plan the day ahead shouldn't be limited, and you should avoid rushing it because you are too tired. So, before you are too tired, use the last bit of energy and focus as much as you can on planning with the best strategy.

You should be able to take advantage of all that you did during the day, successful and unsuccessful, in order to truly understand the tasks you are going to do and what it takes to accomplish them. It is necessary that you have a clear idea of what are going to be the heavier tasks, because you will need to be able to prioritise them.

Planning your bigger tasks is not only about deciding which is the best time to do them, but also about working out how to break them down into smaller ones. The risk is that you are not going to get them done within the end of the day and that will make you beat yourself up and ruin the motivation flow you had going so well.

The more attention you use in planning the next day's task list, the more likely the list is going to be realistic and less stressful for you. And you will have literally saved the day.

Main Ingredients for a Great To-Do List

• Balance

A list is balanced when it contains both important and less important tasks. Although we prefer to focus on goal-related tasks, we shouldn't forget about the latter, trying to work out a schedule that fits all the priorities at the right moment.

• Flexibility

Flexibility goes along very well with proactivity. Plan for problems and obstacles, before they occur. But also be ready to put your task on hold, or move it to the next day. Have a plan B ready, or be ready to figure out the alternative action you can take in these scenarios.

• Transition Time

Once you understand how transition times affect your schedule, you will make sure to add buffer time between tasks. That way your list will be more flexible and realistic.

• Shield of Protection

When you have built a full list for the day, then close it and draw a line under the last task on the list. That way you are not going to be able to add any new tasks to your list during the day, and you will be sure that the number of tasks is actually decreasing as the day goes on.

• Beginning with the toughest tasks

When planning your day, make sure that the important tasks are at the beginning of your list. This ensures that you dedicate them your freshest self, while you keep a time buffer in case it gets prolonged.

• Timing the Recurring Tasks

It would be a good idea to have a list of your recurring tasks and keep track of the time that it takes to accomplish them. You can also find out what's the best time of the day to do them, and act accordingly. The more you do this, the stronger your schedule will be, and the less stressed or anxious you will be.

• Batching Similar Tasks

Once you have built your to-do list and prioritised your tasks, take a look at it and find what are similar tasks that you can batch-process. It's a time saving technique that also helps you to become more proactive.

• Adding details to your plan

The game of breaking down the big tasks into smaller ones doesn't end with naming all the things that you will have to do for completing the task. If you have time, you should add as many details as you can in order to be better prepared for the realisation and to make your plan bomb-proof.

• Taking advantage of technology

Nowadays it doesn't matter what is your job or how peculiar your role is, you will always find the right app for you. It takes some deep research online and some asking around to other professionals, but you will eventually be able to find the proper software that provides the tools you need and save your time as well.

• Preventing distractions

The best way to prevent distractions, such as checking the social networks on your smartphone or checking the emails, is to "entrap" them in your schedule. 

Decide in advance how much time you are going to spend on distractions and allocate a slot of time on your schedule for them. You will obviously save time, be more productive, but also you will feel better because you will feel free from those useless addictions.

• Learning from your mistakes

Consider your failures as feedback and as an important part of a successful life. Take your time to analyse them and to find the valuable lessons in each of them.

• The Bottom Line

Productivity in human beings, unlike machines, is to work smarter, not harder. And to build momentum in order to start and finish all the tasks that we set in our life. There is no right or wrong way to try these methods, and not all of them work for everybody. Try each of them, and develop a technique that suits you, in the pursuit of a successful life.