To-do lists are for some useless, thinking that it is useless to write down the tasks to be performed during the day, except that the to-do list is actually very useful; It helps reduce feelings of anxiety and is a record of everything that was done during the day.
Research on goal-making psychology revealed that an incomplete goal interferes with other tasks that a person is trying to implement, but developing a plan facilitates the implementation of this goal. By identifying detailed steps in a to-do list, it can help a person put unnecessary tasks aside to focus on other things.
EJ Masicambo, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Wake Forest University in the United States of America, points out that an unaccomplished goal may remain a burden inside the mind, causing anxiety and tension, in addition to that it may dominate the mind completely whether the person is aware of it. or not.
A study conducted by Masicambo in 2011 in cooperation with Roy Baumeister, professor of psychology at the University of "Queensland", that people with short, unfinished goals performed poorly on reading and comprehension tasks that had nothing to do with unfinished goals.
And when the participants in this study were allowed to make specific plans for their goals before moving on to the next task, there were no such negative impacts that the unfinished tasks had.
And Masicambo confirmed that they discovered with this study that people do not need to achieve goals to feel comfortable, so setting a specific plan for how to achieve them can stop these goals from occupying the space they occupy in the mind. It does not help get rid of mental burden.
Being stuck in the middle
People need to set small goals in to-do list, within a short specified time; Because most people stop in the middle of the road, and on this basis psychologists recommend identifying short tasks in the to-do list.
says "Ayelet Fischbach" professor of behavioral science and marketing at the University of "Chicago", and an expert on motivation and decision - making , we celebrate when they accomplish projects big, but we do not celebrate in the middle, at which time we lose the incentives and motivation to accomplish goals, on the other hand must be Task lists are flexible, so if a person is disrupted by an emergency call, or there is any change to his to-do list, he must realize that this is not the end of the world.
also Fischbach explains that the rule of the people themselves to the extent of their commitment to the plan is not good to stimulate, and indicate that there is a thin line between commitment and a list of tasks between the person to be flexible; Because things change on a daily basis.
To-do list is not a wish list
Although to-do lists help relieve anxiety, they can be a source of stress and anxiety at times, because unfinished to-do lists over weeks or months are not good for mental health and motivation.
"Jordan Atkin", assistant professor in the Department of Marketing at Duke University in America, says that task lists are obligations. Once a person writes an activity or goal on the paper, this activity or goal turns into a work that has not been completed yet. The things people add to their lists, the greater the possibility of conflict between goals, which ultimately negatively affects the person.
According to a study conducted by Etkin in 2015 could cause conflicting goals of tension and stress, and the feeling that there is enough hours during the day to achieve the desired goals.
How to create a task list correctly
Itkin advises to clearly define goals, and to distinguish between the tasks that will actually be performed during the day, and the other tasks that will be performed one day. According to Atkin, it is important to arrange tasks according to importance, and task lists can be very useful for, and help to Managing time and directing knowledge resources.
Atkin emphasizes that challenges arise when people treat the to-do list as a wish-list, instead of thinking of it as a list that contains the things that people actually want to do during the day, and explains that creating an effective to-do list should not interfere with taking a break, pointing out that It is important for people to have a time when they are not struggling to achieve any goal.
While to-do lists are great tools, especially at a time when people suffer from boredom and uncertainty due to the emerging corona virus, it is also important that people do not fill their time during this period with tasks, and as Atkin says: “One of the most important tasks that can be added. To our daily list is comfort. "
Source: CNN
