Revealed: The top six things people in Leeds will put off doing in 2018

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According to new research from Virgin Trains, DIY, paying bills and booking travel are tasks that make up mounting to-do lists which are allowed pile up until after June.

In the poll of 1,000 Leeds residents, the research found that 72 per cent still have tasks on their to-do lists from 2017, with the average person in Leeds having started the year with at least three outstanding things on their list.

Nearly 50 per cent of these tasks have sat stagnant for over 180 days, from as far back as June last year.

Of those claiming they have less time than ever before for their to-do lists, almost two-thirds blamed mounting work schedules and changing priorities for putting things off.

When asked, the people of Leeds said super-long to-do lists are leaving them feeling stressed (30 per cent), overwhelmed (18 per cent) and out of control (14 per cent).

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The top six things people in Leeds will put off doing in 2018 include:

DIY

Booking travel and train tickets

Sorting out bills and finances

Cleaning the house

Cleaning out the attic or garage

Booking doctors’ appointments

In contrast to the tasks that will be put off the longest this year, the two tasks that will sit on to-do lists for the least amount of time were shown to be posting on social media and setting up direct debits.

When asked how respondents felt when they were on top of their busy to-do lists, a staggering majority said that it made them feel satisfied (60 percent) and happier (37 percent).

To explore this research further, Virgin Trains has partnered with , who revealed the benefits of tackling your to-do list early.

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Writer and psychologist Corinne Sweet, who has teamed up with Virgin Trains, said: "Tackling your to-do list has been proven to have significant benefits, in fact, by addressing tasks in a timely manner, we give ourselves the opportunity to do the best possible job of the task at hand – whether that is buying the right products required to tackle your DIY project, signing up to the correct service providers or shopping around for the ultimate travel deals in order to bag a bargain.

"This in turn will aid you in completing tasks more efficiently and leave you with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.”

To manage mounting to-do lists and effectively tick-off tasks, Corinne’s top tips are:

- Write your full to do list in priority order and then cross out the bottom half of it. Complete your most pressing tasks before re-visiting the second half of your list.This will reduce the anxiety associated with a long list and create achievable goals

- Tell someone you trust about a few of the tasks you want to achieve. The knowledge that someone else is aware of your to-do list will help motivate you to get stuff done

- Reward yourself for completing tasks to cultivate a positive mind-set towards life admin

Virgin Trains is helping locals reap the financial benefits of getting ahead with their travel plans. From earlier this year, a new low-price fare between Leeds and London, capped at £29 each way when bought up to a week in advance, goes on sale.

Suzanne Donnelly, Commercial Director for Virgin Trains’ east coast services, said: “Our research shows buying travel tickets is one of the tasks people in Leeds leave until the last-minute, but there’s certainly financial rewards to be had by being wise and getting in early. Whether you’re buying two weeks or more before, there are bargains to be had.

To find out more about advance journeys from Leeds with Virgin Trains, visit www.virgintrainseastcoast.com.