Motivation and emotion/Book/2021/To-do lists

To-to lists:
Are to-do lists a good idea? What are their pros and cons? How can they be used effectively?

Multimedia presentation (3 min)

Overview

To-do lists are external artifacts that augment human cognition so that they serve as memory enhancers by reminding people of what daily or long-term tasks need to be completed.  Studies have shown that to-do lists are the most popular personal information management tools (Gil, Y., Ratnaker, V. 2008). They are ubiquitous, whether in a handheld organiser, desktops, or traditional lists on paper and sticky notes. They are an effective tool that helps drive motivation. motivation is defined as excitement and activation towards certain activities or behaviours (Ryan & Deci, 2000). It promotes an individual to achieve personal goals and tasks. Creating a list of importance and value and defining why it needs to be done makes sense of motivation to complete it.

The purpose of this chapter is to present a synthesis of how effective to-do lists are. It will focus on the list of pros and cons, and how-to-do lists encourage motivation.  This chapter combines different types of to-do lists and literature research to identify the effects of motivation and success on an individual. To expand our understanding of to-do lists, a list of motivational theories, including self-determination theory, defines both internal and extrinsic motivation. Guidance is provided on writing an effective to-do list and what to consider to avoid when creating the list to have the best possible outcome.

What are to-do lists?

To-do lists are used as a way for people to manage tasks with a systematic approach. They are an effective management tool that motivates individuals to complete set tasks. It helps break down each task and allows an individual not to feel overwhelmed. It creates a sense of self-accountability and feelings of accomplishment as each task gets ticked off the list. They are ultimately a straightforward and applicable method for people to perform set tasks quickly and effectively. Studies have shown that to-do lists are the most popular personal information for management tools (Gil, Y., & Ratnaker, V. 2008).

How can motivation help create a to-do list?

Motivation is facilitated by energy, direction, and persistence (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Moreover, motivation contributes towards understanding why people behave the way they do (Ryan & Deci, 2000). It is through motivation that the needs of different tasks can be handled and tackled purposely. Essentially, motivation is a dynamic process combining one’s internal motive status of needs, cognitions and emotions and their environmental context to produce energy, direction, and persistence in their behaviour (Reeve, 2018). By grouping similar tasks together helps to remain focus on the type of work individuals are doing at the same time which this helps to avoid the risks of multi-tasking. Making sure that the tasks on the list are meaningful and motivating to ensure to get the work completed on time.

Effective to-do lists techniques

-       Write down the task as soon as it is thought of

-       Assign due dates

-       Revise the to-do list daily

-       Make a limit on how may tasks to complete daily

-       Keep goals and objectives separate

-       Create specific tasks to be completed

-       Categorise more than one list

-       Make the to-do list the night before

-       Choose the right management for the to-do list, either that be an app or on paper

-       Make sure the to-do lists are achievable and realistic

-       Check items off once completed

Set a SMART goal

Breaking down the to-do list to smaller and less complex tasks will boost the ability to concentrate and focus of specific tasks.

The SMART Goals framework is a practical way to use the concepts of difficulty, specificity, and congruency. It is believed that the idea was originally developed by George Doran management by objectives concept in 1981, and it works by separating the concepts of goal setting into five sections so that goals can be shaped with the best chance of success. By keeping in mind these mechanisms, plans can be developed to influence performance, and these goals can be well aligned with the intended outcomes.

The SMART structure is most commonly used in project management, employee performance management, and personal development. It is an effective tool that provides clarity, focus, and motivation individuals need when creating a to-do list. It is a structured framework that can set more specific goals and daily tasks, giving them a better chance of goal success. This structure gives individuals guidance to set self-congruent goals, as goals that individuals set themselves are more likely to be achieved compared to externally set goals. It portrays an outstanding balance between providing guidance for goal setting and allowing individuals to tailor their own goals and tasks.

-       Specific – what exactly needs to be done?

-       Measurable – How will the progress be tracked?

-       Achievable – is it realistic?

-       Relevant – how does it fit with the overall plan or bigger goal?

-       Timely – when does it need to be done by?

Build on literature

Struggling to fall asleep because future tasks are incomplete is a significant contributor to the difficulty of getting to sleep. Research is identified on whether the temporal focus of bedtime writing affected sleep onset latency, either that be a to-do list or journaling about completed tasks (Scullin et al, 2017). Participants who wrote a to-do list at bedtime fell asleep faster than those who journaled about completed tasks. The more specifically participants reported their to-do lists, the faster they subsequently fell asleep, whereas the opposite trend was observed when participants wrote about completed activities—considering the evidence that unfinished tasks are a significant source of cognitive activation and worry. There are significant benefits that the to-do lists need to be specific to sleep better. Therefore, to facilitate falling asleep, individuals may derive benefit from writing a very specific to-do list for five minutes at bedtime rather than journaling about completed activities, but also that the temporal focus of what they are writing is important, for example, future tasks rather than completed tasks (Scullin et al, 2017).  In this study, is identified that the participants that journaled about completed tasks and activities, the longer it took for them to fall asleep (Scullin et al, 2017). An explanation for this is that the individuals that are busier throughout their daily lives experience more sleep disturbances, including the difficulty of falling asleep. Furthermore, in today's dynamic society and everyone always "on the go" emphasised on work productivity, many individuals' to-do lists are extensive and incur substantial adverse effects and anxiety. So rather than journaling about the day's completed tasks or about how the day went, it is encouraged that individuals spend five minutes near bedtime thoroughly writing to-do lists.

Setting boundaries is an important part of establishing one's identity and is a crucial aspect of mental health and well-being. The limits people place upon themselves that wish to be respected. It understands how to navigate anxiety and guilt and 'should' and 'have to. It's learning skills when completing the tasks. It's not easy, but it is necessary.

Theoretical frameworks

The approach of different motivational theories is the understanding of internal cognitive processes, which explores people’s behaviours—simply creating a to-do list and organising thoughts by writing them down and prioritising items that need to be completed helps encourage motivational skills by knowing what needs to be completed. When these long-term goals are broken down into smaller tasks of to-do lists, it enables people to stay focused and motivated to achieve what needs to be accomplished (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Self-determination theory

Self-determination theory is an approach to explain motivation or why people do the things they do. It is identified from Edward Deci and Richard Ryan that it is inherent of people’s growth tendencies and innates psychological needs that are the basis for their self-motivation and personality integration and the conditions that foster the positive processes. There are three needs for competence, relatedness, and autonomy that appear to be essential for facilitating optimal functioning of personal growth and integration, as well as for constructive social development and personal wellbeing. Motivational forces can be described for practical purposes as either extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation is often portrayed as separate and distinct. People’s behaviour can be pretty complex; however, it is often drawn from multiple sources of motivation in the pursuit of a goal (Ryan, Kuhl & Deci, 1997). Self-determination theory proposes that people have intrinsic and extrinsic motivations.

Extrinsic motivation vs. Intrinsic motivation

There are benefits to both types of motivation; each has an essential view on behaviours and how people choose to pursue specific goals.

Extrinsic motivation refers to behaviour that is driven by external rewards. Extrinsic motivation is set based on completing a behaviour with the belief of receiving something in return for the act. It arises from environmental incentives and consequences such as food, money, shelter, praise, attention, and certificates. Extrinsic motivation is portrayed within places of work by employees performing tasks at work that they usually dislike keeping getting a regular paycheck, bonuses, competitions and can even be threats of termination of career to motivate employees. To simply put it, extrinsic motivation refers to individuals performing tasks and learning new skills from external rewards or avoiding punishment. In this case, people engage in the behaviour not because they enjoy it or find it appealing but to obtain something of value in return or avoid something unpleasant. Another factor of extrinsic motivation is cooperation. To-do lists don’t always have to be for a single person, and they can be used for a team or with work colleagues. However, if there is no incentive to cooperate with individuals that the individual doesn’t have any interaction with, the quality of this cooperation is likely to be relatively poor  (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Intrinsic motivation behaviours are engaged for their very own sake, by being task enjoyable and not being instrumental toward some other outcome. Unlike extrinsic motivation, which is the inherent need to complete a task with the belief of receiving something in return. Completing challenging functions that help to expand skills and knowledge will give the internal purpose and drive, for example, it would be reading a book because of the enjoyment of reading and have an interest in the story or subject, rather than having to read it to write a report on it to pass a topic. It is believed that it provides the best chance for a long term interest in an activity (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Factors that impact to-do lists

To-do lists can be a great way to stay motivated and organised. However, people suffer with common problems that effect the approach of a successful to-do list. They can be too frustrating and an overwhelming daily challenge for people to achieve. Writing too many to-dos is the biggest limitation of creating this task. When people have one big to-do item but the amount of time it takes and the longer the list of tasks and goals, the less powerful a tool the to-do list becomes. It causes a persistent feeling of worry, while distracting from tackling those tasks that are easily achievable. It can result in anxiety from having too many conflicting goals causing a decrease in productivity, physical and mental health. Another potential stressor is knowing that one has incomplete tasks, that is, items left on the to-do list. In the cognitive science literature, incomplete tasks are known to remain at a high level of cognitive activation, spurring automatic thoughts about the incomplete tasks (Scullin et al, 2017). The tasks can feel way out of reach to achieve for that time frame, and as a result, becomes out of control. Ultimately, by ignoring the complex tasks can be a set up for a feeling of failure and disappointment. The effect of having a list of uncompleted tasks can be draining and increase levels of anxiety, guilt and even burn out. Simply, making sure the to-do list is achievable in the time frame and it can be accomplished and construct a workable timetable for the day, provides boosts of motivation and insight (Scullin et al, 2017)

How effective are to-do lists?

Reduce task anxiety

Simply when writing something down, the brain can stop holding onto all those task ideas, which can reduce task anxiety and any feeling of being overwhelmed.

It is researched that intuit writing could decrease a state of worrying and increase rumination, and many studies now portray that writing benefits mental health, classroom success, end even physiological markers of antonym, muscular, and immune function (Scullin et al, 2017). The tendency to obsess over unfinished tasks is called the Zeigarnik effect, after a psychologist, Bluma Zeigarnik, portrayed an example that waiters only remembered orders before they were served, as soon as the meals were delivered, the constant thought and memory of getting the meals out to them has vanished.

Focus

To-do lists are entirely helpful as memory enhancers as they require repeatedly constructing, consult, and interpreting. Having a list to stay on track of the day will help with organisational skills and remain focused. Any meaningful task or routine takes a large part of one’s focus. For example, the low concentration at work or school makes the individual more likely to be less productive, and the time that is valued is gone, also with momentum and peak of creativity.

Conclusion

To-do lists are an effective tool to manage motivation and creativity. It helps break down set tasks and allows an individual not to feel overwhelmed or frustrated. To-do lists give a sensation of ticking jobs off the list and feeling accomplished with oneself. They can be portrayed as simple but also can be too overwhelming for people if they aren't done correctly. Creating a reasonable and achievable will help with overall daily success.

See also

• Goal setting techniques (Book chapter, 2018)
• Multi-tasking and productivity (Book chapter, 2019)
• Passion and motivation (Book chapter, 2018)

References

Cerasoli, C. P., Nicklin, J. M., & Ford, M. T. (2014). Intrinsic motivation and extrinsic incentives jointly predict performance: A 40-year meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 980–1008. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035661

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Self-determination theory: A macrotheory of human motivation, development, and health. Canadian Psychology Psychologie Canadienne, 49(3), 182–185. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012801

Gil, Y., & Ratnakar, V. (2008). Towards intelligent assistance for to-do lists Proceedings of the 13th international conference on Intelligent user interfaces, Gran Canaria, Spain. https://doi.org/10.1145/1378773.1378822

Pullein, C. (2020). Why do to-do lists destroy productivity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD-Z4x1aXKQ

Ray, R. (2021). Setting boundaries. Macmillan, P. (p. 3, 5, 10)

Reeves, J. (2015). Understanding motivation and emotion. 7th Edition.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. The American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68

Scullin, M., Krueger, M., Ballard, H., Pruett, N., & Bilwise, D. (2017). The effect of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep: A polysomnographic study comparing to-do lists and completed activity lists.

Selva, J. (2021). How to set healthy boundaries. https://positivepsychology.com/great-self-care-setting-healthy-boundaries

External links

• How to set healthy boundaries https://positivepsychology.com/great-self-care-setting-healthy-boundaries/
• Towards intelligent assistance for to-do lists ://dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10.1145/1378773.1378822
• Why to-do lists destroy productivity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD-Z4x1aXKQ