I’m Dr. Hassan, a Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own profitable practices so they can achieve financial independence and live without limits.

When building a profitable practice, it’s important to make a to-do list. The humble to-do list is a powerful organization tool. It doesn’t matter whether you create and keep a digital list using an app, such as Todoist, or use a pen and paper. What matters is that you create and use your list every day to help you get and stay organized. The following tips will ensure that your to-do lists are a successful tool in your organizational toolbox:

1. Keep it short. The ideal length of a to-do list is 10 items or less. You’ve probably created lists in the past that seemed endless. Instead of helping you feel organized and successful, you probably ended the day with most of the items still unchecked and feeling like a failure. By keeping your list purposely short, you are more likely to cross off every item and end the day feeling successful.

2. Separate lists from home and work. Don’t add your work tasks to your personal to-do list. Maintain separate lists. It’s not fair to yourself or your family to use your personal time for work tasks. It’s also unprofessional to take care of personal tasks during work hours. Separate the two lists so that your time is delegated effectively.

3. Prioritize. Once you’ve listed everything you need to accomplish, number the items in order of priority. Do the most important items first and you will feel the biggest sense of achievement. If there are any items on your list that aren’t important, then mark them as such. That way, you won’t need to feel guilty if you don’t cross them off.

4. Assign a time limit. Wherever possible, set a time limit for every item on the list. Not just how long it will take but when it needs to be done. That way, you can identify tasks that need to be completed before lunch or before picking up the kids from school. Having a deadline keeps you focused and accountable.

5. Revisit and rework. A to-do list should be a working document. Once written, it should be revisited throughout the day. You can check off those items you’ve completed and re-prioritize or reschedule those that remain. You can also cross off items that are no longer important or are unnecessary. It will also give you the opportunity to add any additional tasks that crop up during the day.

6. Keep it with you. How often have you made a to-do list at the beginning of the day and then totally ignored it? Probably because you left the house without it at the beginning of the day. To make sure your list is where you need it, you can use an app such as Todoist or Jamie’s To-Do. Better still, you could keep your daily to-do list in your daily or weekly spread in your bullet journal. That way, it will be with you wherever you go, and you will get the satisfaction of marking off the items as you complete them. You’ll also have a visual record of your achievements.

Your to do list can be a powerful tool for helping you to live an organize life. Using these tips will help you to ensure your to-do list is used successfully.

I am Dr. Hassan, Board-Certified Physiatrist and Independent Practice Owner. I help physiatrists start and grow their own independent practice so that they can achieve financial independence and live without limits. Please go to businessofrehab.com/guide to pick up the free guide to help you determine the best business entity for your new practice.

__

Do you find yourself overwhelmed with your workload with not enough time to complete it all? Check out our blog post here for tips on prioritizing your work and getting the most out of your time.

__

Attention, Physiatrists! Stop leaving money on the table. Sign up for the free video series: How To Build A Profitable Practice in 90 Days or Less: http://www.sixtytosuccess.com