Productivity is easy when we have something to work on. But other times we need other people to help execute the tasks and projects that matter to our core goals.
The Waiting For list is a core component of the GTD methodology that allows us to stay on top of work that other people perform. You might think of it as the To Do list’s lazy, younger sibling.
In today’s post we’ll discuss the Waiting For list, its benefits and how to utilise it.
But before we start, let’s clarify…
What is a Waiting For List?
In the simplest terms, the Waiting For list is a To Do list for delegated tasks. These are items that we’re waiting for others to complete but aren’t actively performing ourselves.
Waiting For items will include all the tasks and projects we’ve delegated to other people. Whether we’re sharing our workload with external freelancers or other team members, Waiting For lists help us keep track of all our delegated tasks.
Depending on how we’ve structured our productivity system, we might choose to create a new list to manage these tasks.
We could even add the delegated items to our regular to-do list as a reminder to follow up regularly. This might be part of our Bullet Journal method, which we’ll discuss more in-depth later in the post.
What Are the Benefits of a Waiting For List?
The clearest benefit of the Waiting For list is having a to-do list for delegated tasks. Grouping delegated tasks together means we can dedicate a chunk of time checking in with our collaborators.
This benefit ties in with the concept of task batching, where we get more done by focusing on performing similar tasks successively.
On the other hand, we might prefer to integrate delegated tasks within our larger to-do list. In this case, it helps to use a clear method of differentiating delegated tasks from other tasks.
Simply knowing which tasks have been delegated to other people helps us streamline our remaining tasks.
How to Use the Waiting For List?
Now that we have an idea of the benefits, how would we actually implement the Waiting For list in our daily lives?
To start with the Waiting For list, we might schedule our Ideal Week so that Mondays are dedicated to meetings and project management. We may also have urgent delegated tasks that we would like to follow up with each morning or during our weekly review.
In the example above, we can start each day by reviewing our highest priority delegated tasks. Then each Monday, we’d review all delegated tasks and projects to make sure our Waiting For list is up to date and running smoothly.
Instead of having a separate to-do list for delegated tasks, you can also add delegated tasks to your active To Do list. That’s where the Bullet Journal method shines.
Delegated Tasks in the Bullet Journal
One of the most powerful tools of the Bullet Journal is the daily log, where we record our most important tasks, events and notes each day. If you’ve read our post on Bullet Journal, you’ll know that tasks are annotated with one of several bullets.
As we discussed, the bullet will clearly show whether the task is complete, incomplete, irrelevant or moved to a later list. Task bullets are also capable of showing whether we’ve delegated an incomplete task. We can annotate this task with a backslash, resembling a half-complete task.
This slash allows us to see at a glance that the task is in progress. We can then quickly skim over these delegated tasks if we’re trying to make progress on other tasks.
Then, once we’ve confirmed the task is complete, we can cross it out, just like we would any other task.
Criticism of the Waiting For List
Despite its effectiveness as a productivity technique, the Waiting For list is not without its criticism.
One of its core criticisms is that the Waiting For list shouldn’t have to be a separate to-do list. Productivity, at its core, is about effectiveness, focusing on the most important tasks.
Moving items from one list to another can feel like paper shuffling if we’re not working towards our core objectives. We need to constantly prioritise our most important tasks.
One remedy for this criticism is to add important delegated items to your active to-do list, such as in the Bullet Journal method.
When possible, we should also try to avoid focusing too much on tasks that don’t align with our core objectives. The GTD methodology also proposes the Six Level Horizons Model as a way to align our daily work with our overarching purpose and career goals.
That way we’re always working towards our most important goals.
We can even use the Bullet Journal to help achieve our goals.
The Waiting For List in a Nutshell
Delegated tasks are a core part of everyday work life. Whether you’re in a set team at work or collaborate regularly with freelancers, the concept of Waiting For lends itself to everyday productivity.
Waiting For list tend to take one of two forms. Either you have the one specific list dedicated to your delegated tasks or you clearly mark delegated tasks in your regular To Do list. Each method has its own benefits, so you can choose for yourself which works best for you.
At the end of the day, productivity is about effectiveness. And we really shouldn’t focus too much on tasks that don’t contribute to our most important objectives. Paper shuffling is the last thing we want to do.
Unlock your task management potential with the Waiting For list and Mind & Practice today.