tips for volunteer managers Tips for Volunteer Managers: Learn How to Manage Your To-Do List  

If you are a volunteer manager, you likely wear multiple hats on the job, and that can leave you feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. We are here to help with tips for volunteer managers on managing and organizing your to-do list.  

No matter how many fancy to-do list apps and/or project management software platforms you sign up for, if you don’t master the ins and outs of creating a to-do list that you are committed to checking off, you’re only wasting more precious time. 

Read on for 4 ways to make better to-do lists.  

Understand the Art of the To-Do List 

If you spend time making to-do lists every day and you end the day with tasks still on it, you are not alone. In fact, 41% of lists are never completed!  

So, how can you finally overcome your unruly to-do list?  

Familiarize yourself with some of these reasons why you struggle to complete your list.  

1. Volunteer managers wear a lot of hats, so your first step is to make sure you don’t have too many items on your list. Putting everything on your list only sets you up for failure and you’ll lose motivation. You’ll also start to worry about all the stuff you need to get done and your mental health will suffer.

2. Your to-do list isn’t simply a list! Writing down your tasks doesn’t automatically assume you know how to get the work done. Use your list to guide your planning process for the upcoming day, week, month, etc. Don’t just wing it!

3. Don’t use your to-do list to write down big goals that will take time to achieve, such as re-vamping your volunteer onboarding journey. Instead, use your list to break that goal down into small, achievable steps.

4. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that the future is unpredictable. Also, you can’t manage the interruptions that happen during your workday. Don’t take it personally if your to-do list can’t overcome those unexpected changes.  

Master the Psychology of To-do Lists  

We already went over the need to add specific actions to your to-do list versus abstract goals, but how do you grab ahold of opportunities to cross something off your list when they arise?  

For example, how do you find time in your already packed day to return a phone call to a potential volunteer? You likely had the time to return the call, but like most volunteer managers you were pre-occupied with other tasks and by the time you remembered it was too late to call.  

Enter if-then planning! This helps you decide not just what to do, but when and where you will do it.  

Here are some examples of what if-then planning looks like:  

  • At 4 pm each workday, I will stop what I am working on and respond to emails and phone calls.   
  • If it’s the first Monday morning of the month, I will provide executive leadership with a list of volunteer events for the upcoming month. 
     
  •  If it’s Friday afternoon, I will provide a detailed account to my supervisor of what I accomplished over the last week and what my priorities are for the next week.  

This kind of planning will train your brain on how to detect and seize opportunities as they arise. So, grab your to-do list and add a when and where to each task.  

Create a To-Do List that Works for You! 

Everyone has a different process for creating their to-do list.  

Follow these steps below to find out how to create a list that works for you.  

  • Pick a medium. Do you prefer pen and paper? Or do you prefer a digital app to help you manage your time?
  • Make more than one list. This comes in handy when you are working towards bigger goals with lots of moving parts. Create a master list, then break that down in to weekly and daily to-do list’s drilling down into little details of everything that needs doing.
  • Start your list by adding the most important tasks to complete, then do them! Even if you don’t get to anything else that day, crossing off those tasks will feel good!
  • Add some easy tasks to your list. Work with your brain here! By crossing items off such as write a thank you note to 5 volunteers, you are going to feel more productive and motivated to keep the momentum up.
  • Keep track of your time. If you don’t want to try if-then planning, a simpler way you can be intentional about your to-do list is to plan your day around your tasks. For example, between 9 – 10 am, I will respond to emails and phone calls; between 10 am – 12 pm, I will work on my volunteer recruitment campaign emails; and so on. When time is up for that task, move on to the next.  

Most importantly, don’t beat yourself up if everything on your to-do list doesn’t get checked off!  

Create a “Done” List 

Americans are obsessed with busyness, equating it with productivity and accomplishment.  

But, chronic busyness is bad for your brain!  

To help combat this, try writing a done list versus a to-do list. If this sounds intriguing but you are too hesitant to ditch the to-do list, start with an experiment first. At the end of the day compare your to-do list with what you accomplished.  

For most people only 15% of actual tasks completed were on their to-do list. If you find the same to be true of your list, it might be time to trade your to-dos for a done list.  

The practice is simple. Just write down every you do as it is done. Looking at this list will energize you and keep you motivated, while a to-do list might make you feel like you aren’t doing enough. 

Find Inspiration

Want some inspiration on how successful people structure their to-do lists? Check out this Fast Company article and take what you think will work for you. In addition to finding new ways wrangling your to-do list, you can also find ways to work in partnership with volunteers to get more done.