I think the reason for maintaining a To-Do list for me is just to see with my eyes the list I have set in place for me. It's like a starting point for me because I have a bunch of distractions lined up to take me off course at any given moment.
The art of time management is to be fully invested on the important tasks and prioritize them in order of time sensitivity. I prefer to get things out of the way first that can be done quickly that are important and stand out.
