Canadians top list for making lists: study

By Stefanie Kranjec

TORONTO, Jan 25 (Reuters Life!) - Canadians may use to-do lists more than anyone else, but they are among the worst procrastinators when it comes to actually completing the tasks on those lists, a new study shows.

The Microsoft-commissioned Kelton Research survey, which polled thousands of respondents in eight countries, shows 78 percent of Canadians said they rely on to-do lists for daily direction.

On the other hand, Canadians said they leave some items on their lists unchecked for 26 days on average -- tying them with Britons as the worst procrastinators in the bunch.

"It's not surprising. That's what lists do - they breed procrastinators," said Harold Taylor, professional organizer and owner of Harold Taylor Time Consultants in Markham, Ontario.

"I tell people that the problem with lists is that they're intentions, so they are things that you intend to do."

Taylor suggested that scheduling blocks of time in a planner is a good alternative. "We make an appointment in our planner and we tend to be at that meeting and at that appointment. We make those commitments," he said.

The poll showed that Canadians are less likely than Americans to finish the tasks on their lists. While 84 percent of Americans said they complete more than half of the tasks in an average week, only 77 percent of Canadians surveyed could say the same.

Forty percent of Canadians said they feel frustrated trying to find the time to get everything on their lists done. Ninety-six percent said they have neglected an important task because they forgot to put it on their lists