ot entirely sure how you’re ever going to complete everything you’ve committed to paper?

If so, you aren’t alone. On the surface, a to-do list seems like a fairly straightforward means of staying organized and making sure you don’t forget to finish important tasks. For many people, however, they actually cause more stress than they take away.

Clearly, there is a disconnect somewhere, and that raises the question of how you can get a better handle on your to-do lists so they are actually useful tools, rather than a source of frustration and feelings of failure. As we head into the season of New Year’s resolutions and promises to be more productive managers of our time, it’s a good time to think about how to make these changes.

After struggling for years on my own to-do lists that never seemed to actually get done, I decided to do what I always do with my weaknesses: beat them into submission. In my case, that meant spending time looking for what I was doing wrong and then doing the opposite.

And that’s how I learned the following to-do list fails and ultimately how to turn them into strengths.

Before you can improve your to-do lists, it’s useful to understand why they fail. There are several common reasons that your tasks are going undone, and they have nothing to do with forgetting your list on the kitchen counter.

You put too many things on the list. Most people list more things than anyone could reasonably expect to accomplish in a day.

You don’t plan for interruptions. When was the last time your day went exactly as you planned it, without any unexpected interruptions? From a major work crisis to a surprise phone call from a friend, each day holds the possibility of occurrences that will fill your time.

You don’t prioritize. Dato Sri Jessy Lai, the group CEO of Monspace Multinational Corp, says to identify the most important, high-priority tasks that must be completed. “If you don’t put them at the top of the list, you might spend time editing a document when you should be preparing a report for your 3 p.m. meeting,” she said.

You don’t set deadlines. Self-imposed deadlines are highly motivating, according to behavioral economist Dan Ariely. Students who set incremental deadlines for themselves performed better on research papers than those who had more time but no deadlines.

You don’t estimate time. Do you have an accurate perception of how long each task will take? When you underestimate how long things will take, you tend to try to cram more into each day.

You aren’t specific. Writing down generic tasks like “Work on report” or “Go to the bank” can leave you feeling stymied. Specific tasks, like “Outline report sections” or “Deposit checks,” provide direction and purpose and increase the likelihood you’ll accomplish these tasks.

In short, if you are just making endless lists of tasks without any structure or order to them, you are setting yourself up for failure.

“My best to-do list hack is to make multiple to-do lists,” said Daniel Tilipman, president of National Debt Relief. “One for long-term tasks (like clean out the basement or earn a certification), one for the next seven days and one for each individual day, which only includes the highest-priority tasks. By moving items from one list to another, you can get them to the ‘done’ list sooner.”

Entrepreneur Jason Sugarman agrees. Serving as a board member for several private and public companies, he admits having multiple to-do lists helps him organize his day-to-day tasks. “Juggling different hats with the multiple companies I work with, it’s almost impossible to keep up with my responsibilities,” he says. Lists keep him on track with deadlines and requirements.

Another strategy for getting ahead is to use something that psychologists call “if/then” planning. This type of planning requires you to be more specific in not only identifying the tasks that need to be done, but when you will do them. Research indicates that taking this approach increases the likelihood of you reaching your goals by up to 300 percent.

Essentially, “if/then” planning requires you to decide not only what you need to do, but when and where you will do it. For example, if you have a major report to work on, you might say, “If it’s 3 p.m. on Monday, I will stop everything else and work on the report.” By planning this way, you train your brain to take action when you have the opportunity to and eliminate the distractions that keep you from taking action on your to-do list.

One of the most effective ways to tackle your things to do is to cross items off the list when you are done with them.

Few things in life are more satisfying than completing an onerous chore — or even just crossing off a tiny one — so don’t forget to take those little moments and pat yourself on the back for getting stuff done.

Melissa Thompson is the founder

of health and lifestyle publication

HarcourtHealth.