There are many benefits of to do lists, which extend beyond the satisfaction you feel by ticking things off and getting things done.

If to do lists are something you’re thinking of starting but need some more information on how they can benefit you, or if you already use to do lists and would like to see what else they offer, then here are 10 benefits of to do lists that may make you see them in a new light.

THEY PROVIDE STRUCTURE TO YOUR DAY

To do lists provide structure to your day by showing you what you need to get done, and what your priorities are.

They keep you on track by ensuring that the time you have is spent completing what you need to get done, instead of focusing on things and spending time doing things that don’t matter.

THEY ALLOW YOU TO REMEMBER WHAT’S IMPORTANT

We have so many things on our minds each day, that it can be very easy to forget even the most important things.

One of the benefits of to do lists is the ability to have somewhere to write things down so they’re not forgotten.

Once written down, you can then start to plan what you need to do to get them done, ensuring that anything important in your life is acted upon.

Related post:
How to use a master to do list to get things done

THEY MAKE YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE

Another of the benefits of to do lists is their ability to make you more productive, as they allow you spend your time working on things that you need to do, instead of wasting time on things that aren’t important.

Utilising your time in a more productive way also means that you have more of it to spend on the things you enjoy.

Related post:
How to prioritise your to do list and get things done

THEY KEEP YOU FOCUSED

It’s so easy to be distracted during the day and stop working on something that we should be doing, focus on things that aren’t important, or think about the next thing we need to do before finishing what we’re currently working on.

A to do list keeps you focused by outlining what you need to get done, as well as showing you what you have left to do. This means you can stay focused on your tasks until they’re finished.

YOU CAN BREAK LARGER TASKS DOWN

One of the benefits of to do lists is the ability to break larger tasks and goals down into smaller more manageable tasks, so you don’t get overwhelmed by something.

This means that we have a greater chance of accomplishing the bigger things we want to get done in our lives.

YOU ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

Writing down your to dos provides you with some accountability to actually get things done.

When writing things down with the intention of ticking them off, you’re making yourself a promise that you’ll start to get important things done.

YOU CAN FEEL A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

One of the more satisfying benefits of to do lists is the sense of accomplishment you feel when you can finally tick things off your to do list.

On the days where you feel like you haven’t accomplished much, just seeing one tick can make you feel like even though the day was hard, at least you made some progress towards getting things done.

YOU CAN GROUP SIMILAR TASKS TOGETHER

You can group similar tasks together on your to do list, which provides you with an even greater sense of productivity as you can do similar tasks at the same time.

For example, you may need to make a few different appointments, or you may need to do a few errands in the same area, which if all done together allows you to tick multiple things off your to do list, and saves you time by doing things that are the same, or in the same area at the same time.

YOU CAN ALLOCATE THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF TIME TO THINGS

If you don’t get everything done on your to do list for a particular time, there’s no need to be annoyed at yourself. Sometimes things happen in the day that we don’t anticipate and we can’t spend time working on what we thought we could.

Instead, you can easily move things on your to do list to another day where you have the time you need to work on them.

THEY PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT YOU’VE DONE

To do lists are a great record keeping device, they allow you to look back at everything you’ve done in a period of time, as well as providing insight into things that you enjoy, and even things you may not want to do again in the future.

I hope you’ve found some benefits of to do lists that may now inspire you to try them if you haven’t before. Or if you are a user of to do lists, maybe you’ve found some ways you’d like to keep using them that you haven’t tried before.

What are the benefits of to do lists that you like the most?
I’d love to hear them in the comment section below.