We all need to get things done in our daily lives, but often times there are so many things to do that we begin to lose track or we get so much on our to do list that we get overwhelmed.

How many times have you been doing something and realized you needed to get ten more things done.  Often times when I think about one thing, it leads me to think about a number of additional things I need to handle.  We tend to create massive to do lists that then become overwhelming. Things start to get lost on the list and we are right back to where we started, forgetting important things that need to get done and skipping over others.
<h1>Use An AIR Log To Get Things Done</h1>
I recommend you use a master list to keep track of your things you need to do, which I call an AIR Log.  An AIR log is a master list of action items, issue items and risks that help you keep track of everything that needs to be done on a project.  I then use a subset of this list "Daily Priority List" to segment out top priority items for the day or the week.

This allows you to get things out of your head and down on a master list, which in turn frees up your mental space to focus on the tasks that need to be done this week.
<h1>Setup Your AIR Log to Get Things Done</h1>
Now the first thing you need is your spreadsheet app of choice (i.e., excel).  You can always use paper or other tools, but I find having an electronic grid format works best. I'll explain further why below.  <strong>[click here to get your copy of our GTD template]</strong>
<h2>Setup Your Main Columns</h2>
You can add the columns that make sense for your environment, but these are the ones I typically use and ultimately recommend:
<ul>
 	<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Name of the task</span> - you want to give the task a high-level summary.  Something you can glance over and know what it is.</li>
 	<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Description of the task</span> - to provide as much detail as needed to complete the task at hand.</li>
 	<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Priority of the task</span> - helps you segment the list based on high, average or low priority (or whatever priority you choose to set)</li>
 	<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Category of the task</span> - allows you to segment based on the type of task it is.  You identify the type of projects you have going on (i.e., house, personal, website, social media, course, etc.)</li>
 	<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Person Assigned</span> - this is an optional field, but if this is for a team or a group of people it is always great to know who is handling the task.  it should be the point person responsible for the overall status, not necessarily who is going to be doing the physical work.  If you are the only person using this list then you could eliminate this column, unless you are coordinating with vendors or external resources.</li>
 	<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Due date</span> - This is task specific and helps you prioritize your work.  It is recommended that you set this for your subset list, but on your AIR log you may not have a due date.</li>
 	<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Status</span> - This tells you whether or not your task is done or not.  There are different statuses that can be used, but the most common are not started, in progress, on hold and completed.  If it is a business type of task list you may add an enhancement request, issue status or training status as well.</li>
 	<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Notes/comments</span> - Used to capture any additional information that is needed.  If you have supplemental information, a link or direction on where to find something that needs to be used to complete the task then enter that information here.</li>
</ul>
[get your copy of the template here]
<h1>How to Pick Your Subset List</h1>
Now that you have your master list built, you can create your own system for picking which tasks will get done.  You can sort or filter by category, due date and/or priority to see what pops up to the top of your list.  This is one of the main reasons I recommend putting the list in an electronic spreadsheet because it provides you the ability to sort or filter your list based on what you are working on.  Maybe today you are focused on your personal development.  If you filter your list by that category you can see what all needs to be done and batch your work.  It makes your overall selection process easier and really focuses your work.
<h1>How to Use Extra and Small Segments of Time</h1>
If you finish tasks on your subset list and have more time to work, you can review your master list and select other things that need to get done.  I also love doing this to help occupy my time when I have small pockets of wait time.

If you plan ahead you can ensure you have everything you need with you to accomplish tasks while waiting at the doctor's office or at your child's baseball practice.  The way I plan for these is to look at my list at the beginning of the week or day.  I pick items from my AIR Log that can be completed in small spurts and make sure I have the necessary items with me during the week or during those periods of time.

I hope this has been helpful and will prove to help you be more successful in your task list completion process.

Make sure to pick up your AIR log template here and I'd love for your to share on our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thehappinessbucket" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook Page</a> how it has helped you in your day to day productivity.