--- title: Suffering From To-Do List Defeat? Here’s How to Take Back Control description: This time management expert offers surefire tips for getting out from under, boosting productivity, and regaining your sanity. image: https://blog.solomonpage.com/hubfs/Blog-01-Feb-24-2021-09-59-11-09-PM.png --- - [Home](https://solomonpage.com) - Divisions - Functional Divisions - [Accounting & Finance](https://solomonpage.com/accounting-finance/) - [Administrative & Support](https://solomonpage.com/administrative-support/) - [Creative & Marketing](https://solomonpage.com/creative-marketing/) - [Human Resources](https://solomonpage.com/humanresources/) - [Legal Services](https://solomonpage.com/legal-services/) - [Scientific & Engineering](https://solomonpage.com/scientific-engineering/) - [Technology](https://solomonpage.com/technology/) - Industry Divisions - [Clinical Resource Network](https://solomonpage.com/crn/) - [Fashion & Beauty](https://solomonpage.com/fashion-beauty/) - [Financial Services](https://solomonpage.com/financialservices/) - [Healthcare & Life Sciences](https://solomonpage.com/healthcare-lifesciences/) - [Healthcare Staffing](https://solomonpage.com/healthcare-staffing/) - [Hospitality](https://solomonpage.com/hospitality/) - [Media, Education & Publishing](https://solomonpage.com/digitalmedia-publishing/) - [Specialty Financial Services](https://solomonpage.com/specialtyfinance/) - [Locations](https://solomonpage.com/locations/) - [Contact](https://info.solomonpage.com/contact-us?_gl=1*ffwfay*_gcl_au*MTc3NTM1NDM3MC4xNzI4NjczOTcw) - [Blog](https://blog.solomonpage.com) [![SP_Corporate Global_horiz_lockup_positive_DIGITAL_HIGH](https://blog.solomonpage.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SP_Corporate%20Global_horiz_lockup_positive_DIGITAL_HIGH.png?width=294&name=SP_Corporate%20Global_horiz_lockup_positive_DIGITAL_HIGH.png)](https://solomonpage.com) - [WHAT WE DO](https://www.solomonpage.com/service-offerings) - [AREAS OF EXPERTISE](https://www.solomonpage.com/areas-of-expertise) - [ABOUT](https://www.solomonpage.com/about) - [JOB OPPORTUNITIES](https://opportunities.solomonpage.com) ## Blog # Suffering From To-Do List Defeat? Here’s How to Take Back Control February 24, 2021 Filed Under: [productivity at work](https://blog.solomonpage.com/tag/productivity-at-work) ![Computer](https://blog.solomonpage.com/hubfs/Blog-01-Feb-24-2021-09-59-11-09-PM.png) - [mailto:?body=https://blog.solomonpage.com/suffering-from-to-do-list-defeat-heres-how-to-take-back-control](mailto:?body=https://blog.solomonpage.com/suffering-from-to-do-list-defeat-heres-how-to-take-back-control) - - - By [Kelly Nolan](https://www.kellynolan.com) In my attorney days, I had a to-do list for each active case, which I carried with me from meeting to meeting like security blankets. Truth be told, I loved my to-do lists. But with [working](https://blog.solomonpage.com/the-future-of-work-how-to-prepare-for-the-post-pandemic-workplace) 12-plus-hour days and feeling like I never accomplished quite enough in the day, I actually thought I was bad at [time management](https://blog.solomonpage.com/4-ways-to-manage-a-team-across-time-zones). Back then, even on days I rocked it and completed a huge brief, I’d go to cross the brief off one of my many to-do lists, only to see the 48 other things I didn’t get done. My pride in completing my big project deflated, even though there was no way I could have gotten the whole to-do list done in a single day in the first place. That unwarranted feeling of never quite keeping up (much less getting ahead), and therefore never quite being good enough, is what I call To-Do List Defeat. To-do lists make us think we should be able to get it all done now, and when we don’t, we feel bad about ourselves and unmotivated to get up to do it all over again tomorrow. The good news is there’s another approach to managing tasks and time that helps you set realistic expectations and actually meet them—something the never-ending, all-taunting to-do list fails at. This approach helps you [feel accomplished](https://blog.solomonpage.com/how-to-set-goals-for-2021-when-everything-feels-uncertain) about what you got done today instead of feeling bad about what you didn’t, and realistically couldn’t, do. BLOCK YOUR TASKS When you’re looking at your to-do list, every item looks the same. Each takes up a single line, but some tasks take 15 minutes while other projects take 15 hours. When using a to-do list, every time you sit down to figure out what to do next, you have to think through how long each item will take, what you have time and energy for right now, and what you need to prioritize. Instead, to create realistic expectations of what we can and should fit into a single day of work, we need to tie our tasks to the amount of time they’ll take to complete. By blocking time for each task in your calendar, it’s much easier to protect adequate time for each task, prioritize your tasks based on their deadlines and importance, and get an objective sense of how full your workload is. Emotionally, since you’re now realistically planning what you can do, you feel accomplished at the end of the day—a big improvement over that constant To-Do List Defeat. HOW TO AVOID THE COMMON PROBLEM OF UNDERESTIMATING The most common frustration I see when people first start time-blocking is underestimating. When you’re all excited to try out time-blocking, it’s a pretty big bummer when you quickly realize you haven’t blocked enough time to work on something. I get the frustration and have been there too, but this is actually a great sign: It explains how unrealistic your expectations have been and why you’ve felt overwhelmed. Now you know what to work on. Understand that this is likely the first time you’ve tied tasks to time in a concrete way, and understand that you won’t be a pro at it starting off. To help alleviate the frustration as you learn, I have two strategies to help you increase the likelihood you’ll block sufficient time. First, break down your project into bite-size steps and calendar each of those individual steps. It’s common to think at the outset something will take you just 10 hours but quickly realize once you break down all the steps that it’ll take more like 30 hours. Not only will this approach help you more realistically estimate a project’s time commitment, but it also helps you build a game plan of how you’ll accomplish everything over time, which is huge for reducing stress and delivering high-quality work product. The second strategy is when you’re blocking time for a task, overestimate how long you think it will take by two times when you’re starting. It’s better to overestimate and come up with bonus time than to underestimate and get behind. The best part of this practice is that it forces you to be realistic. You may end up with some initial frustration about how much less you can get done in a day than you want to, but it’s the reality you need to face so that you can make the right adjustments. Getting realistic will help you deliver quality work product, be more reliable at work, and actually go to bed feeling proud of what you got done today and calm about what’s on tap tomorrow. The frustration is worth the benefit and is certainly better than the overwhelmed feeling of To-Do List Defeat. SAY GOODBYE TO TO-DO LIST DEFEAT Give time-blocking a whirl. When you time-block everything in your life, you see how it all fits together and how it can all get done over time in a realistic way—even if you take that break tonight. It helps you feel confident about your ability to show up in your roles in the ways that you want, and given how hard you work, you should go to bed feeling proud of how you showed up today and confident you can do it again tomorrow. For the original article, visit: [Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com/90605604/suffering-from-to-do-list-defeat-heres-how-to-take-back-control). ### related Posts [![Listening to music](https://blog.solomonpage.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Music-01-1.png?width=861&upsize=true&name=Music-01-1.png)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/heres-how-to-tell-within-5-seconds-if-listening-to-music-will-make-you-more-effective-at-work) ### [Here's How to Tell Within 5 Seconds if Listening to Music Will Make You More Effective at Work](https://blog.solomonpage.com/heres-how-to-tell-within-5-seconds-if-listening-to-music-will-make-you-more-effective-at-work) November 11 , 2020 [![Arrow pointing South](https://blog.solomonpage.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog-01-Nov-09-2020-08-16-41-13-PM.png?width=861&upsize=true&name=Blog-01-Nov-09-2020-08-16-41-13-PM.png)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/how-to-focus-on-your-work-when-theres-so-much-going-on) ### [How to Focus on Your Work When There’s So Much Going On](https://blog.solomonpage.com/how-to-focus-on-your-work-when-theres-so-much-going-on) November 09 , 2020 ### Subscribe Here! ### ARCHIVES - [November 2020 (18)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2020/11) - [December 2020 (18)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2020/12) - [February 2021 (16)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2021/02) - [March 2021 (16)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2021/03) - [October 2020 (15)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2020/10) - [January 2021 (12)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2021/01) - [April 2021 (12)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2021/04) - [July 2013 (10)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2013/07) - [August 2013 (10)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2013/08) - [December 2013 (10)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2013/12) - [November 2014 (10)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2014/11) - [September 2013 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2013/09) - [October 2013 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2013/10) - [January 2014 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2014/01) - [March 2014 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2014/03) - [June 2014 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2014/06) - [July 2014 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2014/07) - [December 2014 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2014/12) - [July 2015 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2015/07) - [October 2015 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2015/10) - [March 2020 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2020/03) - [August 2020 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2020/08) - [July 2021 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2021/07) - [April 2022 (9)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2022/04) - [May 2013 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2013/05) - [November 2013 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2013/11) - [February 2014 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2014/02) - [April 2014 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2014/04) - [May 2014 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2014/05) - [August 2014 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2014/08) - [September 2014 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2014/09) - [October 2014 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2014/10) - [January 2015 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2015/01) - [February 2015 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2015/02) - [March 2015 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2015/03) - [May 2015 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2015/05) - [June 2015 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2015/06) - [August 2015 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2015/08) - [September 2015 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2015/09) - [August 2016 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2016/08) - [April 2020 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2020/04) - [June 2021 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2021/06) - [October 2021 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2021/10) - [March 2022 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2022/03) - [May 2023 (8)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2023/05) - [June 2013 (7)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2013/06) - [April 2015 (7)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2015/04) - [November 2015 (7)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2015/11) - [February 2016 (7)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2016/02) - [July 2016 (7)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2016/07) - [September 2016 (7)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2016/09) - [July 2020 (7)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2020/07) - [May 2021 (7)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2021/05) - [August 2021 (7)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2021/08) - [April 2013 (6)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2013/04) - [December 2015 (6)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2015/12) - [January 2016 (6)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2016/01) - [May 2020 (6)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2020/05) - [September 2020 (6)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2020/09) - [March 2023 (6)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2023/03) - [January 2025 (6)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2025/01) - [June 2016 (5)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2016/06) - [May 2017 (5)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2017/05) - [July 2018 (5)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2018/07) - [August 2018 (5)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2018/08) - [February 2024 (5)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2024/02) - [March 2024 (5)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2024/03) - [November 2024 (5)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2024/11) - [March 2025 (5)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2025/03) - [May 2025 (5)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2025/05) - [June 2025 (5)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2025/06) - [April 2026 (5)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2026/04) - [March 2016 (4)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2016/03) - [April 2017 (4)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2017/04) - [October 2018 (4)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2018/10) - [January 2019 (4)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2019/01) - [March 2019 (4)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2019/03) - [June 2022 (4)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2022/06) - [May 2024 (4)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2024/05) - [October 2016 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2016/10) - [May 2018 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2018/05) - [June 2018 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2018/06) - [September 2018 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2018/09) - [December 2018 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2018/12) - [November 2019 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2019/11) - [January 2020 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2020/01) - [September 2021 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2021/09) - [February 2022 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2022/02) - [July 2022 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2022/07) - [June 2023 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2023/06) - [August 2023 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2023/08) - [October 2023 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2023/10) - [December 2023 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2023/12) - [October 2024 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2024/10) - [December 2024 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2024/12) - [February 2025 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2025/02) - [July 2025 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2025/07) - [August 2025 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2025/08) - [May 2026 (3)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2026/05) - [July 2017 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2017/07) - [August 2017 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2017/08) - [October 2017 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2017/10) - [November 2017 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2017/11) - [April 2018 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2018/04) - [November 2018 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2018/11) - [December 2019 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2019/12) - [February 2020 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2020/02) - [June 2020 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2020/06) - [November 2021 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2021/11) - [May 2022 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2022/05) - [August 2022 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2022/08) - [November 2022 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2022/11) - [December 2022 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2022/12) - [April 2023 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2023/04) - [November 2023 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2023/11) - [January 2024 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2024/01) - [July 2024 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2024/07) - [September 2025 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2025/09) - [October 2025 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2025/10) - [March 2026 (2)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2026/03) - [February 2017 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2017/02) - [March 2017 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2017/03) - [December 2017 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2017/12) - [February 2018 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2018/02) - [February 2019 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2019/02) - [May 2019 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2019/05) - [June 2019 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2019/06) - [July 2019 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2019/07) - [August 2019 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2019/08) - [October 2019 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2019/10) - [December 2021 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2021/12) - [October 2022 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2022/10) - [January 2023 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2023/01) - [April 2024 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2024/04) - [June 2024 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2024/06) - [August 2024 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2024/08) - [April 2025 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2025/04) - [December 2025 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2025/12) - [January 2026 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2026/01) - [June 2026 (1)](https://blog.solomonpage.com/archive/2026/06) See all SEARCH ### Most Popular Posts - Solomon Page - [Home](https://solomonpage.com/) - [Service Offerings](https://solomonpage.com/service-offerings/) - [Areas of Expertise](https://solomonpage.com/areas-of-expertise/) - [About](https://solomonpage.com/about/) - [Opportunities](http://opportunities.solomonpage.com/) - Our Divisions - [Accounting & Finance](https://solomonpage.com/accounting-finance) - [Administrative & Support](https://solomonpage.com/administrative-support) - [Clinical Resource Network](https://solomonpage.com/crn) - [Creative & Marketing](https://solomonpage.com/creative-marketing) - [Fashion & Beauty](https://solomonpage.com/fashion-beauty) - [Financial Services](https://solomonpage.com/financialservices) - [Healthcare](https://solomonpage.com/healthcare-lifesciences) - [Hospitality](https://solomonpage.com/hospitality) - [Human Resources](https://solomonpage.com/humanresources) - [Legal Services](https://solomonpage.com/legal-services) - [Media, Education & Publishing](https://solomonpage.com/digitalmedia-publishing) - [Scientific & Engineering](https://solomonpage.com/scientific-engineering) - [Specialty Financial Services](https://solomonpage.com/specialtyfinance) - [Technology](https://solomonpage.com/technology) - Employment Tools - [Search Jobs](http://opportunities.solomonpage.com/) - [Submit a Resume](https://opportunities.solomonpage.com) - [Submit a Staffing Request](https://solomonpage.com/contact) [![Solomon](https://blog.solomonpage.com/hubfs/SP_Corporate%20Global_horiz_lockup_positive_DIGITAL_HIGH.png)](https://solomonpage.com) ##### Solomon Page 260 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10016 Phone: (212) 403-6100 Fax: (212) 764-6003 Follow us [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/solomon-page-group) [Google](https://plus.google.com/+solomonpagegroup/about) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/SolomonPageGroup) [Twitter](https://twitter.com/solomonpage) Copyright ©2019 Solomon Page. All Rights Reserved.   [Disclosure](https://solomonpage.com/disclosure/)