The Psychology of To-do Lists

Here’s why to-do lists work … or don’t work
待辦事項清單的心 理學    -  以下揭露待辦事項清單有 效……或沒效的原因 .

As I write this, a long list of tasks sits on the desk beside me, reminding me what to work on. Many people like me use to-do lists to organize work and manage time. So what makes this method effective?

Psychologists have observed that people usually focus on tasks that aren't finished. This tendency may sound helpful - but it isn't always. In one study, people who didn't finish a warm-up activity struggled with later tasks.

Their minds were still occupied with the warm-up. Planning how to finish the warm-up removed this distraction even if they couldn't complete the task. Similarly, to-do lists let people plan when to complete tasks not yet finished. That frees their minds to concentrate on the task at hand. But writing a to-do list doesn't guarantee success. This technique has several limitations.

Problem: A long list of tasks that need to be done can be overwhelming. When faced with too many choices, people may find it difficult to do anything.

Solution: Prioritize the items on the list and start with the most important tasks.

Problem: Most people have a preference for short, easy tasks. But this can lead to the easy jobs getting checked off while long ones remain.

Solution: Divide long assignments into smaller parts. For example, don't write Plan trip to Japan: write Check plane-ticket prices online. This makes long tasks seem easier. You can also use "fun" tasks as rewards when you finish difficult ones.

Problem: Writing the list itself can be a form of procrastination. It gives you a sense of accomplishment - without doing any real work.

Solution: Don't just list tasks; decide when and where to do them. This will help you follow through. Some experts recommend a method called if/then planning. For example, rather than writing Call Steve, write Monday after lunch, call Steve. Others abandon to-do lists altogether because they prefer scheduling tasks on a calendar.

Remember, to-do lists are tools. They won't solve all your time-management problems. But if used well, they can make you more effective at work and at home.

Grammar Gym:
That frees their minds to concentrate on the task at hand.
'frees' - letting go.
After the war, the prisoners were freed from prison.
'free' - to make something available for another purpose.
*Jan decided to quit her second job; this frees her time to be with her kids more.
*Benjamin needs to free his schedule before he can say yes to any new commitments.


Vocabulary Tips:
psychology -心理学。 'psych'-有‘灵魂，心志’之意。, 'logy' - 有‘学问，理论’之意。
*The detective majored in criminal psychology.
psychological (adj) - 心理的。
*Psychological analysis. 心理的分析。
tendency - usually does, as a habit. 倾向。
*The patient is struggling against suicidal tendencies.
*Tanya has a tendency to avoid conflicts.逃避冲突。
tendency -趋势
*There's a tendency for gold prices to rise when the economy is bad.
concentrate -set mind focus on something.集中，注意，专注。concentrate on 。。。。
*Rita decided to concentrate on her career.
concentration (n) -集中注意力。
*Driving requires constant concentration. 持续的集中注意力。
overwhelming - too much came at once toward you that effect your feeling.使不知所措，令人无法承受。
overwhelm -令人无法承受，或势不可挡， 压倒性的。
*The overwhelming success almost ruined the teenage star.
*The team celebrated their overwhelming victory with their coach.
the task at hand - work on your job at hand. Something you are doing right now.
limitation - something you can not do, unable you or limit you to do something.
preference - 偏好，偏爱。
prefer - 更喜欢，偏好。
*Greg has shown a strong preference for astronomy since he was a boy.
*In order to serve our customers better, it's important to know their preferences.
procrastination -拖延，延迟。
*Any procrastination in decision-making can cause a loss of millions of dollars.
procrastinate (v) -延迟，蓄意拖延，拖延。
*The buyers intentionally procrastinated when making their house payments.
follow through -坚持，进行到底，持续到最后完成任务。
*Chloe is good at planning, but really bad at following through.
follow through on something. -对某项任务持续到底，贯彻始终。
*Richard was assigned to follow through on this project.
abandon -抛弃，中途停止。stop, not finish with, give up, dump.
*David was forced to abandon his studies because of his illness.
*This little baby was abandoned in front of an orphanage.
*The captain decided to abandon ship as it began to sink.

Language Tips:
occupied / preoccupied :
occupied - 在使用中或是被占据，被侵占。
The seat is already occupied.
preoccupied -全神贯注，心思被占据。很入神，心事重重的。
She seemed preoccupied when I was talking to her.
occupied - refer to physical.
preoccupied - refer to mental, (our thought and mind)
Their minds were still occupied with the warm-up......=They were still preoccupied with the warm-up...
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all together - 大家在一起。（非常重要，句子中不可少的，否则意思就不全了）
* The last time we were all together was in 2001.
altogether (adv) - （副词），完全地，简直是。（在一个句子中可有可无，不会影响一个句子的意思。）
*That test was altogether too difficult. 简直是太困难了。
*Others abandon to-do lists altogether because they prefer scheduling tasks on a calendar.