{"id":19423,"date":"2018-10-04T11:39:29","date_gmt":"2018-10-04T11:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marlacummins.com\/stage2026\/?p=13267"},"modified":"2025-06-09T08:28:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T12:28:33","slug":"effective-adhd-task-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marlacummins.com\/stage2026\/effective-adhd-task-list\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 2 – How to Craft an Effective Task List When You Have ADHD"},"content":{"rendered":"

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You want to get stuff done. I know. If you\u2019ve followed the suggestions from the last post, How to Tame Your To-Do List When You Have ADHD<\/a><\/u>, you\u2019ve decided on your active tasks\/projects.\u00a0Now it\u2019s time to craft the tasks so you can use your to-do list effectively. Ready?<\/p>\n

Maybe you are currently alternating between avoidance and overworking. While not the only answer, a master task list can potentially help you accomplish your most important work. But, if it is not well-crafted it can just add to your stress and overwhelm. Maybe you\u2019ve had this experience?<\/p>\n

As I pointed out in my previous post, one of the reasons your current to-do list may be getting in your way is it is too long. Check out that post to learn about the techniques you can use to address the challenge of having too many active tasks.<\/p>\n

In addition, your to-do list may not be working for you because it is too complex<\/strong>, doesn\u2019t have enough information<\/strong> or you lack accountability<\/strong>. Below I\u2019ll explore these challenges of a poorly crafted to-do list. And share with you the workarounds you can use to craft one that really works for you.<\/p>\n

And, as you adopt these strategies, your brain will no longer be cluttered with thoughts of all the tasks you want to or must do. Because you will be getting these thoughts out of your head. Moreover, you\u2019ll be putting them into a container you will be confident is accurate.<\/p>\n

Then, as you climb into bed at the end of a long day, your mind will no longer be churning. Instead, you will be thinking, \u201cAh, still a lot to do, for sure. But I\u2019m clear on what I need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

#1: Precisely Define the Tasks on Your To-Do List<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve followed the suggestions from the last post<\/a>, you\u2019ve decided on your active tasks\/projects. Now it\u2019s time to look at those tasks and make sure they are clearly defined. Because, if your current list<\/strong> is like many I see, it may be just a list of<\/strong> ideas<\/strong>, such as oil change, XYZ report, gift for Ted, team meeting.<\/p>\n

That is, as you look at these tasks, it is not immediately clear what action you need to take. And this confusion may lead you to gloss over the task because you have questions, like:<\/p>\n