How To Slay Your To-Do List

I’m a list maker. I keep a notebook in my purse, in the kitchen, and in the living room. Does this sound like you? If it does, you know how easy it is to become overwhelmed by your to-do list. Today I’m sharing five simple ways to slay your to-do list and help you feel accomplished.

I will freely admit that I am the queen of list making. In fact, for Christmas one of my best friends got me a notebook that said “LISTAHOLIC” on the cover. It was basically the perfect gift.

It’s great to be organized and task-oriented. It’s not so great when that list becomes overwhelming, causes you stress, and affects your happiness. If you feel defeated at the end of the day if you didn’t finish your list (even if everything else went right!), this post is for you.

I love the satisfaction of crossing things off my to-do list. I’m definitely that person that will write in something after I’ve done it just to cross it off.

Anyone else?

Yes. Don’t lie.

On the weekends, one of my favorite things to do is sit down with a cup of coffee and breakfast and write out what needs to be done that day. After a while, I started to notice that I would feel grumpy if something got in the way of me completing my list. I would feel “unproductive” if I spent an hour watching television with my husband instead of crossing things off that list. Can you relate to this? One of my goals for 2017 was to slow down more and not live my life at such a non-stop pace. I’ve gotten much better at it, and although I still make lists, I’ve found ways to make them healthier and more productive for me. Today I’m sharing those tips!

Write It All Out

Before you even start, establish a time period that this list is for. It could be for the day, the week, or just the weekend. If you need to run to the bank, but you’re making your weekend checklist, don’t write it down. Avoid writing huge goals that can’t be completed, like “redecorate guest room”. That’s a great goal and I’m excited for you, but don’t set yourself up for failure if you know you can’t get it done during the allotted time. That task is for a different list😉

Next, write out everything that needs to get done. Big or small, doesn’t matter. Do a mind dump and get it all out on paper. If it helps, try making categories, like “home”, “work” or “kids”, and fill in under each category. Again, remember to only write small goals. This is your to-do list, not your 5 year plan.

P.S., if you’re on the hunt for felt-tipped pens that don’t bleed through planners or notebooks, I swear by these.

Get Specific

If you’re making a to-do list for a day, separate your tasks into morning and afternoon. If your list is for the week, separate your tasks by day. When you’ve finished your Saturday tasks, you will feel accomplished and you’ll know that your Sunday tasks are meant for another day. This allows you to stop and relax instead of running yourself ragged trying to squeeze everything you can into the day.

Choose Three Things

Yes, I said it. Once you have your list of tasks for the day, look at the list and choose the three most important things on your list. The must do’s. Maybe it’s take the dog to the vet, do one load of laundry, and call a friend to chat.

Sometimes the day gets busy. Show yourself some grace. By checking off these three things on your to do list, you have done the most important things, even if the rest goes undone. In my opinion, this is the most essential step to not letting your to-do list rule your day.

How To Get It Done

We’ve all heard that doing the most dreaded thing on your list first is the way to go- and it’s true! As unpleasant as it might be, getting it crossed off your list will allow you to breathe and enjoy the rest of your day. Alternatively, if left until the end of the day, you have it looming over your head. Not fun.

If you’re trying to maximize your efficiency and cross off as many tasks as possible in a limited time, consider putting away your phone and any other distractions. This will allow you to be productive without losing a few minutes here and there to social media. It really adds up!

Go Easy On Yourself

The most important part of maneuvering through your to do list: go easy on yourself. Ultimately, the world is not going to end if laundry doesn’t get folded. There was one week where we spent Sunday lounging on the couch instead of folding the clothes. Yes, that next week we walked to the laundry hamper to search for a pair of socks or shorts each morning, but the world was not over. I’ve been working on this🙈, but I’m always glad I pick time with my husband over my to-do list. If you find yourself avoiding social situations or fun outings because you “have things to do”, it’s possible you need to step back and evaluate your priorities.

If nothing on your to-do list gets done but you spent the day outside with your husband and kids, consider that a successful day. Time well wasted is not wasted, y’all.

By writing out what you need to do, assigning your tasks to days, picking the three most important things and remembering to go easy on yourself, you can set yourself up to be productive without feeling overwhelmed!

Do you have any tips to help you get your to-do list done! I’d love to hear!

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Thanks for reading,