My to-do list looks very similar from day-to-day which is sort of funny. I write down the same tasks over and over in a lined journal. These tasks are the most important to me. People are more likely to achieve their goals if they write them down where they are visible and can review them often. “The Secret” is a spiritual documentary that talks about how the laws of attraction can help you achieve your goals by displaying them on a vision board. There’s also a book called “Write it Down, Make it Happen” that talks about turning your dreams into reality. These are just a few of the well-known examples of how putting pen to paper can have a huge impact on your everyday life.
When you write something down, you hold yourself accountable. Lists help you sort through the daily “noise” and create structured order in your life. To-do lists are beneficial to many people including:
*Students
*Professionals
*Anyone seeking improving organization
*People tracking goals closely
*Entrepreneurs
*Parents
How to create a to-do list for the day:
*Brain dump ideas – all tasks
*Prioritize the tasks – importance, time sensitive
*Estimate time needed
*Acknowledge resources
*Review and adjust
*Allow for breaks and unplanned events
*Celebrate progress – helps momentum
My eBook, “Holistic Habits for balanced living” discusses how to be intentional about your priorities, which will lead to more positivity and productivity in your life. Following a to-do list will keep you from procrastinating and putting off tasks. Crossing off all your responsibilities for the day is very rewarding and you tend to feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Your list should be filled with tasks that bring you value. The intent is to be organized so you don’t waste time on meaningless activities. I use to-do lists for work and personal use. The example below is what my list looks like most days outside of work, sleep, driving the kids around, and house chores. I realized there’s even more time I could be utilizing because this doesn’t take up as many hours as you would think!
Lift weights
Walk
Prayer book
Guitar
Write
Read
Stretch
Gratitude journal
Meditate
Bake
Call or text dad
The power of list-making is under-rated and relying on taking a “mental note” doesn’t pan out. Lists are great time management tools and I find them to be most beneficial for personal development, since work and house chores are non-negotiable tasks. As you write your list for the day, an item may jog your memory and act as a reminder for other items to be added. I find that the list mentioned above keeps me on track and away from the habits I don’t want to waste time on such as:
watching tv
being sedentary
mindless scrolling on the phone
saying “yes” to events that don’t bring value
drinking alcohol
worrying about things out of your control
The NIH (National Institute of Health) states that it takes 10 weeks to create habit formation based on daily repetition, but it really depends on the person and the effort put forth. When you have a plan, you’ll have more time to spend on beneficial interests such as exercise, hobbies, and healthy relationships. These are much more appealing than downtime with useless tasks that bring no value.
Start with the most difficult and most important tasks. For me, strength training will always be number one because my health comes first. Be realistic with your list and find a format that works for you. If handwritten doesn’t work then check out the various digital formats including, Todoist, TickTick, Microsoft To Do, Apple Reminders, Things, Google Tasks, and Any.do. Some of these are offered at no charge. As I mentioned earlier, I have a lined journal that works for me. Amazon has every type of planner imaginable if you need something more specific.
I have worked at my company for 10+ years, so I only use to-do lists occasionally. I’ve had the same reporting structure and deadlines since I started. Currently, my focus has been on improving myself, which has been both fun and gratifying at the same time. List-making in general increases productivity, clarity, and time management skills and are the key to efficiency. They are useful tools that can promote disciplined follow through. Most importantly, stress is relieved by not having the burden of remembering everything. Get organized and write it down!
