Big Difference Between Anticipation and Follow Up

These is simple yet powerful technique to communicate to myself major things to do – call it “to do list”.
What this list should contain? Tasks or final results?
I prefer list of results, here is why.
Imagine, I need to get some document done. It may involve many tasks in order to make it done – but I have one focused important thing – document done. Since, it is pretty small deliverable so I always can imagine at any given moment what should be done to complete it – send two emails, make a conf call, etc. But I am working on one single thing/deliverable/end result – create document. I anticipate it to be done. I know toward what goal I work.

I could have break it into smaller tasks, say – send email to Bob, send email to Alice, make conf call, send fax, etc. I can see how my Outlook gets filled with flags, reminders, notes – all distracting and getting in the way to my main goal – create document. Now I am scanning all these reminders and notes to make it happen – instead of one anticipated thing I have tones of distracting follow-up’s. At some moment I can even forget why I am resending some email…

So here is the bottom line – with anticipated end results I have finite clear goals list vs. endless follow up’s spread all over .

That way it is much easier for me to communicate to myself what to do and why.