How to conquer your to-do list in record time: 4 tips from an archivist

1. Start with the big picture

Review everything you need to complete and create a list. Include short project descriptions such as main deliverables and due dates.

The archives created a spreadsheet of collections to identify the work that needed to be done. It had the title, size, current level of descriptive detail, topic and format type to get the project started. 

“We started with goals of what we wanted to know about our collections so that we weren’t gathering extra information," explained Velte. “That way we could meet our deadlines and know what we were aiming toward.”

2. Identify priorities and time to complete them

Review your list and move the tasks with the nearest deadline to the top. It may also be helpful to understand what is required to complete the task and how long it will take. Is it a reading assignment you can knock out in an afternoon or something that requires multiple hours to complete like a research paper? Build that into a schedule.

For the archives project, Velte and her team prioritized gathering information that would help them identify collections with no descriptive work, collections that needed rehousing due to preservation concerns and collections that filled in a gap in the collecting area. That way they were gathering the most relevant data to help them prioritize.

“The archives could have gone into heavy detail but focused on only the information that was needed to process them,” said Velte. “We asked ourselves, ‘What is the minimal amount of information this collection needs while still making it useful?’ We simplified the process with the understanding that we can return to collections later. We also identified collections that were already done so we knew they wouldn’t need improvements any time soon.”

3. Develop your strategy and consider going back and doing more work later 

You are stuck under a pile of papers. Did your previous strategy contribute to this? How can you change your approach to make your mountain of work more efficient? Maybe it means doing a little bit now and coming back to it later with more improvements. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

“Can you meet your goals without going overboard? This is a skill many of us don’t learn until after school,” said Velte. “Sometimes just getting something done is better than waiting on a perfect product. In our case in the archives, getting something online for people to search is better than nothing. We can always return to it in the future to make improvements.” 

4. For group projects, create a clear communication strategy for accomplishing the work

Getting everyone on the same page about project outcomes can improve your efficiency and quality of work. Consider coming up with a communication strategy together to create a shared understanding of what needs to be done, who is responsible and when it should be completed. This could include check-in points where everyone meets to report on progress.

The archives developed their collections spreadsheet together including instructions for each field so that everyone who had a stake in the project understood their role. This also allowed anyone working on a project to go back and refresh.

“At our team meetings, we would check-in on project progress and discuss if we needed to make any adjustments to deadlines and assignments,” explained Velte. “This kept us all on track to complete the project within our stated timeframe.”