NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Task list

A task list (also to-do list) is a list of tasks to do, such as chores or sections to be done in a project. It is also a time management tool for maintaining an inventory of tasks that are planned to be completed, and may involve more than one list. Task lists are used in self-management , business management, project management, and software development. screenshot of Palm OS 4. ... Palm OS is an operating system made by Palm, Inc. ... In computer science, a list is an abstract concept denoting an ordered collection of fixed-length entities. ... In common language, a task is part of a set of actions which accomplish a job; the sense is that useful work is getting done. Task analysis is the analysis or a breakdown of exactly how a task is accomplished, such as what sub-tasks are required. ... Time Management refers to both the attitudes toward time and the tools or techniques that aim to increase the effectiveness and/or efficiency of personal time use. ... In business management, inventory consists of a list of goods and materials held available in stock. ... In common language, a task is part of a set of actions which accomplish a job; the sense is that useful work is getting done. Task analysis is the analysis or a breakdown of exactly how a task is accomplished, such as what sub-tasks are required. ... Management (from Old French mÃ©nagement the art of conducting, directing, from Latin manu agere to lead by the hand) characterises the process of leading and directing all or part of an organization, often a business, through the deployment and manipulation of resources (human, financial, material, intellectual or intangible). ... Project management is the discipline of defining and achieving targets while optimizing the use of resources (time, money, people, materials, energy, space, etc) over the course of a project (a set of activities of finite duration). ... Software engineering (SE) is the profession concerned with specifying, designing, developing and maintaining software applications by applying technologies and practices from computer science, project management, and other fields. ...

When you accomplish one of the items on a task list, you check it off or cross it off. The traditional method is to write these on a piece of paper with a pen or pencil, usually on a note pad or clip-board. Loose hole-punched paper is often used to allow such lists to be inserted into loose-leaf binders for record-keeping. A ballpoint pen A pen is a writing instrument which applies ink to some surface. ... It has been suggested that pencil lead be merged into this article or section. ...

However, numerous software equivalents are now available, and many popular e-mail clients include task list applications, as do most PDAs.

Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... palmOne Tungsten T5 Personal digital assistants (PDAs or palmtops) are handheld devices that were originally designed as personal organizers, but became much more versatile over the years. ...

1 Task list organization
2 Software applications
3 Caveats
- 3.1 Dwelling on the lists
- 3.2 Rigid adherance
4 See also
5 References
6 Further reading
7 To-do List Managers

Task list organization

Task lists are often tiered. The simplest tiered system includes a general to-do list (or task-holding file) to record all the tasks the person needs to accomplish, and a daily to-do list which is created each day by transferring tasks from the general to-do list.

Task lists are often prioritized:

One method of organizing a general to-do list is the ABC method^[1]. With this approach, the list is divided into three sections, labelled A, B, and C, containg tasks that need to be done within a day, a week, and a month, respectively.

To prioritize a daily task list, one either records the tasks in the order of highest priority, or assigns them a number after they are listed ("1" for highest priority, "2" for second highest priority, etc.) which indicates in which order to execute the tasks. The latter method is generally faster, allowing the tasks to recorded more quickly.

Software applications

Modern task list applications may have built-in task hierarchy (tasks are composed of subtasks which again may contain subtasks), may support multiple methods of filtering and ordering the list of tasks, and may allow to associate arbitrarily long notes for each task. Application software is a subclass of computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer directly to a task that the user wishes to perform. ...

Task list applications may be thought as lightweight personal information manager or project management software. A Personal Information Manager is a software application that keeps track of personal information such as: E-mails Address books Calendars Task lists Task scheduling (invitations etc) Notices There are several software packages that do this. ... Microsoft Project 2000, showing a Gantt chart Project management software is a term covering many types of software, including scheduling, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication and documentation systems, which are used to deal with the complexity of large projects. ...

Task list is also a synonym for process list i.e. the list of program instances (processes) the computer is currently executing. In computing, a process is a running instance of a program, including all variables and other state. ... A drawing of the everyday computer. ...

Caveats

Dwelling on the lists

According to Sandberg^[2], task lists "aren't the key to productivity [that] they're cracked up to be". He reports an estimated "30% of listers spend more time managing their lists than [they do] completing what's on them".

This could be caused by procrastination: by prolonging the planning activity, the individual avoids the tasks he should be doing by creating the illusion that he's still necessarily preparing for them. This is akin to analysis paralysis. As with any activity, there's a point of diminishing returns. For a task system to be efficient and effective, the user must recognize this, conquer his or her procrastination, and focus on completing the tasks.

More coming later - we havent really gotten around to it yet. ... Analysis paralysis is an informal phrase applied to when the opportunity cost of decision analysis exceeds the benefits. ...

Rigid adherance

Hendrickson asserts^[3] that rigid adherence to task lists can create a "tyranny of the to-do list" that forces one to "waste time on unimportant activities".

Again, the point of diminishing returns applies here too, but toward the size of the task. Some level of detail must be taken for granted for a task system to work. Rather than put "clean the kitchen", "clean the bedroom", and "clean the bathroom", it is more efficient to put "housekeeping" and save time spent writing and reduce the system's administrative load (each task entered into the system generates a cost in time and effort to manage it, aside from the execution of the task).

Listing routine tasks wastes time. If you are in the habit of brushing your teeth every day, then there is no reason to put it down on the task list. The same goes for getting out of bed, fixing meals, etc. If you need to track routine tasks, then a standard list or chart may be useful, to avoid the procedure of manually listing these items over and over.

To remain flexible, a task system must allow adaptation, in the form of rescheduling in the face of unexpected problems and opportunities, to save time spent on irrelevant or less than optimal tasks.

To avoid getting stuck in a wasteful pattern, the task system should also include regular (monthly, semi-annual, and annual) planning and system-evaluation sessions, to weed out inefficiencies and ensure the user is headed in the direction he or she truly desires.

If some time is not regularly spent on achieving long-range goals, the individual may get stuck in a perpetual holding pattern on short-term plans, like staying at a particular job much longer than originally planned.

References

^ Sandberg, Jared: “Though Time-Consuming, To-Do Lists Are a Way of Life”, The Wall Street Journal, 2004-09-10. — a report on to-do lists and the people who make them and use them
^ Time Scheduling and Time Management for dyslexic students. Dyslexia at College. URL accessed on October 31, 2005. — ABC lists and tips for dyslexic students on how to manage to-do lists
^ Elisabeth Hendrickson. The Tyranny of the "To Do" List. Sticky Minds. URL accessed on October 31, 2005. — an anecdotal discussion of how to-do lists can be tyrannical

Jared Lawrence Sandberg (born March 2, 1978) is an American baseball player. ... The Wall Street Journal is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with a worldwide average daily circulation of more than 2. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining, as the final day of October. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dyslexia is a neurological disorder with biochemical and genetic markers. ... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining, as the final day of October. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

To-do List Managers

ackerTodo — Multilingual AJAX/PHP/MySQL to-do list manager
Ta-da List — Simple, sharable to-do lists
MyLife Organized — Simple, smart to-do list with roots in GTD movement

Categories: Business | Personal life | Personal information managers

Results from FactBites:

NodeWorks - Encyclopedia: Task list (141 words)
	A task list is a list of tasks to do, such as chores or sections to be done in a project.
	Task lists are also usually associated somehow with a job.
	This is something that generally causes people stress because they don't have enough time to accomplish what is on the task list.

More results at FactBites »

COMMENTARY

Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.

Contents

Task list organization GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");