I needed to change how I managed my time.

Every morning at work I would look at my to-do list, and at the end of every day I would rewrite it for tomorrow with the additions tacked on and the completions removed. Was I adding the most value possible to the firm? Was I accomplishing the highest priority tasks? Was I getting things done both effectively and efficiently?

I had no idea. But it sure felt good to cross items off my list.

My to-do list was a mishmash of tasks. There were things important to me (do travel expenses) and things important to the company (get a presentation into Print Design). There were tasks where completion was easy to identify (finish editing a white paper) and those that were more ethereal (start prepping for a workshop). There was very little prioritization, no recognition of strategic vs administrative, and no accounting for meetings or client calls or other planned or unplanned events.

Some people can use a to-do list effectively, but for some reason I just couldn’t, and as I talk with people, I find that many of them need a little more structure, even if they create it themselves rather than having it imposed upon them. That’s why I switched away from a to-do list to a calendar system, and it’s made a world of difference.

Rather than simply having a list of tasks in front of me, I mark off time on my calendar to deal with specific tasks at specific times. The process of doing that forces me to think about the priority and the amount of time I should expect to spend on it. It makes me accountable (to myself, anyway, and I am my harshest critic) for getting things done by a certain time. It ensures that the people who make appointments for me and set my calendar don’t schedule me for something when I’m crashing on a deadline (or at least, they talk to me first before making a commitment for me).

Should I be able to do a lot of this without relying on my computer? Yes. Can I? No. So I needed to find a better way.

Take a look at how you organize yourself and ask yourself if it’s really effective. If so, rock on. If not, then fix it. Look for alternatives, other ways of planning your day and getting critical (and less-than-critical) work done. More importantly, check in with your employees (you know, the ones directly providing the real value in your company) and help them evaluate their own time management and let them see what other options are available if what they’re doing isn’t so great.

Hours in a day are finite. Work doesn’t always seem to be. Find the best way for you that helps resolve that existential conflict.