What is the Importance of Having a Task List for Work?

Work Task List April 26, 2022

Dakota Sheetz

Writer

Introduction to Work Task Lists

Any business owner or manager can find themselves overwhelmed from time to time. It can even feel like you don't have enough hours in a day to achieve all those pressing tasks. But there is a way you can turn that feeling of overwhelm into one of control. Believe it or not, it can start and end with a work task list.

Having a to-do list can be a simple yet effective way to organize all those rushing thoughts in your head. Once they're on paper, you can then be in a better position to focus on them one by one. Not yet convinced? Read on to find out more.

The Psychology Behind A To Do' List

Experts have long spoken about the benefits of keeping diaries and journals. You might have stopped scribbling down notes in adulthood, but maybe you shouldn't have. Once those sometimes-confusing feelings are on paper, you feel better for it.

This can translate into the business world, as well. While you're no longer writing about your teenage angst, you can often make more sense of your workload when it's laid out in front of you.

And you'll thank yourself for it later. A Florida State University study found that a plan of attack could ease the anxiety associated with a task. You may have concerns about jobs that lie ahead, but concrete plans for achieving them can be freeing.

Juggling Tasks
We've all felt the anticipation and excitement of watching a person juggle. They start with two, which is manageable, but then more and more balls are thrown into the air. The more balls that you add, the harder it gets to catch them all.

Now, imagine those balls are jobs you have to do in a day. They are all in your mind, but they all can't fit into the forefront of it at once. Before you know it, you've dropped one, then two, then three. All of a sudden, you've dropped them all.

When your brain is struggling with your mental list, spilling it out onto paper is freeing it up to be more efficient. You then only have to have one task on your mind, because the rest are safely stored in a physical space.

The Benefits of a Work Task List

A work task list takes no time at all to prepare, but it can offer some astounding benefits in the business world.

Organize Your Information
When you are in a position of leadership, you're tasked with juggling many balls. Let's take the hospitality industry, for example. You might have to remember to complete a staff roster, order napkins, and finalize the menu for a function.

Throughout the day, you add more tasks to your mental list. Then, the order of importance becomes skewed. By writing a to-do list, you can organize all that critical information.

They Are Quick and Easy
A to-do list is something you can create in 30 minutes or less but can add at least that much time in productivity to your day. Instead of wracking your brain trying to think of what comes next, it's written in front of you.

You Can Prioritize Your Work Load
Everything you achieve in a day will feature on the importance' scale. Do you need to order napkins first, or finalize that menu? When you spend time writing a list, you can order the items on it in terms of importance.

They Can Be Shared
Communication is critical in any workplace. When everyone around you knows what's going on, you can all function better as a team. The beauty of a list is that it doesn't have to remain with you. Digital lists, for example, can be shared with everyone who needs to know what's on it.

By doing so, you can even avoid double handling. If you're ordering the napkins, your employee knows they don't have to.

They Can Ease Your Mind
You won't find too many business owners who don't carry the stress of their business operations on their shoulders. A OnePoll survey found 41 percent of SMEs had stressed owners at the helm. At least 37 percent of those blamed it on getting everything done.

Something as simple as a list can make you feel more in control of everything you need to achieve. That can ultimately lead to stress reduction.

Key Takeaways

Work stresses are a natural part of owning or working in a business. You may not be able to eradicate them, but you can shift them.

Several studies have shown that you can alleviate your anxiety by writing down what you need to achieve.
Freeing your mind of those pressing tasks can make you more efficient.
Task lists are quick and easy but can be of significant benefit to daily business operations.

Whether you incorporate task list software into your place of business or stick with pen and paper, you'll likely see the value in writing a list before the day is out.