Editing Time management (section)

==Implementation of goals==
{{Redirect|To do|the auxiliary use of the verb "to do" in the English language|Do-support}}
{{See also|shopping list}}
A task list (also called a to-do list or "things-to-do") is a list of [[Task (project management)|tasks]] to be completed such as chores or steps toward completing a project. It is an [[inventory]] tool which serves as an alternative or supplement to [[memory]].

Task lists are used in self-management,<!--needs disambiguation before creating a link to this term, as the current article for self-management is out of context for this article--> [[management|business management]], [[project management]] and [[software development]]. It may involve more than one list.

When one of the items on a task list is accomplished, the task is [[checkmark|checked]] or [[cross]]ed off. The traditional method is to write these on a piece of paper with a [[pen]] or [[pencil]], usually on a note pad or clip-board. Task lists can also have the form of paper or software [[checklist]]s.

Writer [[Julie Morgenstern]] suggests "do's and don'ts" of time management that include:
* Map out everything that is important, by making a task list.
* Create "an oasis of time" for one to manage.
* Say "No".
* Set priorities.
* Do not drop everything.
* Do not think a critical task will get done in one's [[spare time]].<ref name="Morgenstern">{{Cite book
| edition = 2nd
| publisher = Henry Holt/Owl Books
| isbn = 0-8050-7590-9
| pages = 285
| last = Morgenstern
| first = Julie
| title = Time Management from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule—and Your Life
| location = New York
| year = 2004
}}</ref>

Numerous digital equivalents are now available, including [[personal information management]] (PIM) applications, smartphone apps, and web-based task list applications, many of which are free.

=== Task list organization ===

Task lists are often diarized (notes written in a diary) and tiered (having rows of organized notes). The simplest tiered system includes a general to-do list (or task-holding file) to record all the tasks the person needs to accomplish and a daily to-do list which is created each day by transferring tasks from the general to-do list. An alternative is to create a "not-to-do list", to avoid unnecessary tasks.<ref name="Morgenstern" />

Task lists are often prioritized in the following ways.
* A daily list of things to do, numbered in the order of their importance and done in that order one at a time as daily time allows, is attributed to consultant [[Ivy Lee]] (1877–1934) as the most profitable advice received by [[Charles M. Schwab]] (1862–1939), president of the [[Bethlehem Steel]] Corporation.<ref>{{cite book
|title=The Time Trap
|first=Alec
|last=Mackenzie
|edition=3rd
|year=1972
|pages=41–42
|publisher=AMACOM - A Division of American Management Association
|isbn=081447926X
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tkTOSmAtuKMC}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
|title=Working Smart
|first=Michael
|last=LeBoeuf
|year=1979
|pages=[https://archive.org/details/workingsmart00mich/page/52 52]–54
|publisher=Warner Books
|isbn=0446952737
|url=https://archive.org/details/workingsmart00mich|url-access=registration
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book
 |last        = Nightingale
 |first       = Earl
 |author-link = Earl Nightingale
 |chapter-url         = http://www.success.com/articles/647-earl-nightingale-s-greatest-discovery
 |date        = 1960
 |title       = Lead the Field
 |chapter     = Session 11. Today's Greatest Adventure
 |type        = unabridged audio program
 |publisher   = Nightingale-Conant
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20130108090914/http://www.success.com/articles/647-earl-nightingale-s-greatest-discovery
 |archive-date = 2013-01-08
}}</ref>
* An early advocate of "ABC" prioritization was [[Alan Lakein]], in 1973. In his system "A" items were the most important ("A-1" the most important within that group), "B" next most important, "C" least important.<ref name="Lakein">{{Cite book
| publisher = P.H. Wyden
| isbn = 0-451-13430-3
| last = Lakein
| first = Alan
| title = How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life
| location = New York
| year = 1973
}}</ref>
* A particular method of applying the ''ABC method''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dyslexia-college.com/schedule.html|title=Time Scheduling and Time Management for dyslexic students|work=Dyslexia at College|access-date=October 31, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051026082426/http://www.dyslexia-college.com/schedule.html|archive-date=2005-10-26|url-status=live}} — ABC lists and tips for [[dyslexic]] students on how to manage to-do lists</ref> assigns "A" to tasks to be done within a [[day]], "B" a [[week]], and "C" a [[month]].
* To prioritize a daily task list, one either records the tasks in the order of highest [[:wikt:priority|priority]], or assigns them a [[number]] after they are listed ("1" for highest priority, "2" for second highest priority, etc.) which indicates in which order to execute the tasks. The latter method is generally faster, allowing the tasks to be recorded more quickly.<ref name="Morgenstern" />
* Another way of prioritizing compulsory tasks (group A) is to put the most unpleasant one first. When it is done, the rest of the list feels easier. Groups B and C can benefit from the same idea, but instead of doing the first task (which is the most unpleasant) right away, it gives motivation to do other tasks from the list to avoid the first one.

Various writers have stressed potential difficulties with to-do lists such as the following.
* Management of the list can take over from implementing it. This could be caused by [[procrastination]] by prolonging the planning activity. This is akin to [[analysis paralysis]]. As with any activity, there's a point of diminishing returns.
* To remain flexible, a task system must allow for disaster. A company must be ready for a disaster. Even if it is a small disaster, if no one made time for this situation, it can [[metastasize]], potentially causing damage to the company.<ref>Horton, Thomas. New York ''The CEO Paradox (1992)''</ref>
* To avoid getting stuck in a wasteful pattern, the task system should also include regular (monthly, semi-annual, and annual) planning and system-evaluation sessions, to weed out inefficiencies and ensure the user is headed in the direction he or she truly desires.<ref>"Tyranny of the Urgent" essay by Charles Hummel 1967</ref>
* If some time is not regularly spent on achieving long-range goals, the individual may get stuck in a perpetual holding pattern on short-term plans, like staying at a particular job much longer than originally planned.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.adaptrm.com/blog/time-management/| title=86 Experts Reveal Their Best Time Management Tips| access-date=March 3, 2017| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303123713/https://www.adaptrm.com/blog/time-management/| archive-date=March 3, 2017}}</ref>

=== Software applications ===

Many companies use [[time tracking software]] to track an employee's working time, billable hours, etc., e.g. [[law practice management software]].

Many software products for time management support multiple users. They allow the person to give tasks to other users and use the software for communication and to prioritize tasks.

Task-list applications may be thought of as lightweight [[personal information manager]] or [[project management software]].

Modern task list [[software application|applications]] may have built-in task hierarchy (tasks are composed of subtasks which again may contain subtasks), may support multiple methods of filtering and ordering the list of tasks, and may allow one to associate arbitrarily long notes for each task.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

===Time management systems===

Time management systems often include a [[time clock]] or web-based application used to track an employee's work hours. Time management systems give employers insights into their workforce, allowing them to see, plan and manage employees' time. Doing so allows employers to manage labor costs and increase productivity. A time management system automates processes, which eliminates paperwork and tedious tasks.

===GTD (Getting Things Done)===
The [[Getting Things Done]] method, created by [[David Allen (author)|David Allen]], is to finish small tasks immediately and for large tasks to be divided into smaller tasks to start completing now.<ref name="Guardian2005">{{Cite news |last=Hammersley |first=Ben |date=September 28, 2005 |title=Meet the man who can bring order to your universe |work=The Guardian |publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2005/sep/29/businesssense.businesssense |access-date=March 5, 2010}}</ref> The thrust of GTD is to encourage the user to get their tasks and ideas out and on paper and organized as quickly as possible so they are easy to see and manage. "The truth is, it takes more energy to keep something inside your head than outside," says Allen.<ref name="Guardian2005" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ferrari |first=Joseph R. |date=August 2015 |title=Getting Things Done On Time |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780195130447.003.0002 |journal=Oxford Clinical Psychology |doi=10.1093/med:psych/9780195130447.003.0002|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Pomodoro===
Francesco Cirillo's "[[Pomodoro Technique]]" was originally conceived in the late 1980s and gradually refined until it was later defined in 1992. The technique is the namesake of a Pomodoro (Italian for tomato) shaped kitchen timer initially used by Cirillo during his time at university. The "Pomodoro" is described as the fundamental metric of time within the technique and is traditionally defined as being 30 minutes long, consisting of 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of break time. Cirillo also recommends a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes after every four Pomodoros. Through experimentation involving various workgroups and mentoring activities, Cirillo determined the "ideal Pomodoro" to be 20–35 minutes long.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cirillo |first=Francesco |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rinKDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA21 |title=The Pomodoro Technique: The Acclaimed Time-Management System That Has Transformed How We Work |date=2018-08-14 |publisher=Crown |isbn=978-1-5247-6071-7 |language=en}}</ref>