Structure your to-do list for maximum rewards and you will get more done – this is a Sandwich To-Do methodology.

(I should note that this is not a system that I use, and not one that I have really ever heard detailed out. I wanted to share this method for people who want a quick and dirty way to get started on productivity.)

Anyone who has ever attended business school can probably tell you that they are taught when giving bad news to sandwich bad news between two positive things. You will probably notice that most managers try to do this and it helps to keep people feeling good about themselves. We can apply the same thinking to task management by substituting good for easy and bad for hard.

The sandwich to-do method then would be as easy as accomplishing one easy to-do followed by a hard to-do and back to an easy one, rinse and repeat.

The purpose of the method then is not about getting more done in less time. Rather it is all about getting the hard things done. It would be easy to run through your list and do all the easy stuff. We only procrastinate on the hard / boring stuff. Not allowing yourself to do the easy tasks until you complete one of the hard ones is a great way to start ticking off the difficult tasks.

Related posts:

• On Hinderances to Productivity.
• Doing Your Best Not to Get Lost
• 6 Steps to Create a Better Task List