Like most people, I keep a running to-do list of tasks I need to accomplish. From there, I create a list of my appointments and responsibilities to work on today, but it is my third list that I think brings me the most value. This is where I keep track of all my “pending” items — things that are momentarily out of my hands but are not yet complete.
The pending list is my reminder so that I don’t forget — or more likely, so that I can follow up when someone else needs a bit of prompting. A sample of entries includes information people have promised to send me, meetings that have multiple dates on hold but no confirmation, orders placed but not yet received, things I need to do once someone else sends me something I need to complete my portion, credits that need to be used, or projects on hold awaiting approval.
As someone who loves crossing items off the list, it is tempting to X something out as soon as one portion is done but premature XXX-ing creates a false sense of accomplishment. Even if you completed one part, it’s not finished and without a way to keep it on your radar, it’s likely to be lost. The “pending list” is a way to ensure things receive the follow-up they need to move out of the abyss and get completed.
Maybe it’s because everyone has so many balls in the air, but I find myself spending more and more of my time needing to send reminders or having to track down information that was promised to be sent. If that’s you, too, then a pending list may help you stay on top of all those loose ends that you are responsible for tying.
