Tips for Mastering your Todo List

Hey Friends

Face it, half of planning is making lists. On any given day you may have anywhere from 3 – 20 things that need to get done. That can be overwhelming so let’s talk about strategies to get the things done. This is a bit of a simpler post, but it has a lot of good resources and I hope the tips give you a new perspective. 

 

It’s okay if you aren’t a productivity machine

First thing I will always preach, believe, and tell people: It’s okay if you don’t feel like doing anything.

 

Let me repeat, if today was shit, you got up and went to work and that is all you can manage, by all means, LET YOURSELF HAVE IT. 

 

I worry about so many friends and I know I do this too – I’ve gotten better about it too. If today you are not feeling well enough – physically, mentally, just prepared – it’s OK to not do the things. Call your boss, take a day – come in late, leave early, get an extension. Work with what you can so you can do the things that have to be done (eat, get up, feed the pets, etc) and tomorrow shower. I’m sorry if you don’t have any more time off or a boss, partner or teacher who understands this. It happens and sometimes we have to do things half-assed (or just pretend) to get through the day. It happens and a good boss can usually recognize if you take a walk or longer break down – you’ll come back better and more productive. Sadly we don’t always have good bosses. That is why I stress doing the *must* vs the little stuff. Have you heard of the spoon analogy? I won’t explain the whole thing here but take a read. It’s REALLY good at explaining why it’s hard for one person to do the things vs another.

 

If you are repeating a daily task – consider a weekly task system

The second thing I see a lot – and am guilty of – are you repeating your todo list task day-to-day? Meaning are you just rewriting the same todo list every day this week? If you didn’t do a task do you just write it for tomorrow? This is such a waste of energy – even though it feels productive. I’ve done this, especially on those lower days as I mentioned above. Sometimes I’ll rewrite it and add to it, leave a few things off – reword something. That is okay, but if you find yourself repeating something often – you might try a weekly todo list instead. A master list for the week is really handy for a quick overview. You can list BIGGER todos – such as instead of:

• Gather bills
• Check time and notes
• Create an invoice for :X Y Z
• Write TY note
• Attached docs

 

You switch it up to a simple:

• Prep Paypal invoices

This is only helpful if you *know* the process you want to accomplish, if this is a first-time task or you are still perfecting the process, I think writing it all out so you don’t forget anything is helpful. For example, I don’t put “write” on my todo task anymore – I put a brief description of what I need to write out / finish. It changes, so I want to be specific. I hope to write every day – and I am getting better at it! But that is just too broad. 

 

If you are writing it down a lot, consider converting it to digital / a sticker instead

Another tip in this section, if you find a routine for something – a process for example – instead of writing it EVERYDAY consider turning it into a sticker or creating a sheet on an insert as a reminder. For morning routine if you write out your routine and what you want to do each day, it can get a bit time-consuming – BUT once you feel good about the process you can just write “Morning Routine” and click it off. If you find you are writing it down all the time, consider automating it with a digital reminder on the Google Calendar or a sticker. Save time, click off the things, win the day. 

 

Can’t get it all done today? Maybe you are making your list too long

You also might be trying to do too much. I often find myself in this camp. I make a giant todo list for the day, get half done, and feel bad about the rest. This is another great reason for a weekly list – I feel great ticking those items off as I go. If you can’t fit your todo list on a page, you might be trying too hard. If you are not sure if this is you, try time tracking. You can track your time through the day, see how much was spent working vs admin vs human things (eating, bathroom, chilling! is important too). This can really open your mind to how much can and actually can get done in a day. Consider scheduling out the less important tasks to another day.

 

Break down a larger task into smaller task as needed

From big tasks to small tasks, if you find you are having trouble getting started try taking a moment to break the task down into smaller tasks. I use a lot of big tasks in this little post but some people work better on breaking down every step and crossing it off. I am personally not that person once I get a process going that works, but if I am doing something new or something I don’t want to do – I write down every detail to make sure my brain doesn’t skip a step.

The best example for me, Blog admin stuff. In an effort to be better at this, and it’s paying off T_T So thankful, I set aside time periodically to check stuff for numbers, pin things to Pinterest and reread my text. These are things I will probably get down eventually, but for now, my brain cannot manage to think them through each and every day. So instead, on Mondays, it looks like this

 

• Pin the things: This week Books (I pick a topic and try to pin all week)
• Check blog numbers – review (what worked, what didn’t, why is my bounce rate high, etc)
• Reread blog post
• Put blog post in categories (I always forget this)
• Check blog post links, can you add more? (works great for SEO)
• Pin the images (I try to do this at least twice for each blog post, which is why you see the two images sometimes)

 

And I add to it as I learn new things. These are things I am still learning, I really would like to get to 10,000 views and start earning ad money. I am not there. I am working on it. It’s hard and I can’t remember everything, so Mondays I try to do all the admin work associated with making sure things look good. I then add things I might need to follow up with later as needed. 

This is also a method I would use at work when I needed the day to go faster. It helps to break down exactly what needs to get done, do it, and move on with the day. 

 

Set a timer if you need help getting started

If you are having trouble getting started, try setting a timer as well. The Pomodoro technique is popular because it works. Essentially, you don’t want to do the thing but the thing must get done. Set a timer, you’ll do the thing for 30 minutes, then take a break. The thing gets done, you work, break, work, break, finish. The thing gets done and you bargained with yourself.

 

Keep multiple lists – this week, next, to buy, etc

Another tip that may or may not help you – depending on how you structure your thoughts – keeping separate list. I know I said not to repeat list – this is different. In this case, I mean breaking down task into categories – i.e. work, home, groceries, this week, next week, etc.

For me, I keep a todo list of ideas and things I want to make. I also keep a blog idea list (I think most people do for content). This allows me to just make a note on the daily task list I made “create” instead of a ton of details. I can skip writing down every sticker I want to make (or insert) and their details (doodles usually) and just leave time in my schedule for some creative free time. Sometimes I get really inspired and I’ll just start going through the list, skip the ones that I didn’t feel very good about that day, and make a bunch of random things.

I don’t currently keep a separate home and worklist, but this is another great way to separate tasks.

Do the big (or small!) things first to feel productive

The last thing I see a lot is to do the big things first – I feel the opposite. I like to do smaller things to build momentum for the bigger thing. This is all up to personal preference. For me, I like to start smaller with easy to check off todo’s – I don’t consider cleaning procrastinating either – then coming back to those things that feel like they are impossible or harder is much easier. Sometimes I will even add things I DID already to the list, check em off, and use those brain chemicals to do the big thing. Oftentimes, this has more or less to do with individual discipline anyway. You will know yourself best and should focus on how you like to accomplish things. If you like to gamify your life, there is totally a website for you: https://habitica.com/static/home

 

Pick a method and stick to it

If you like a digital todo list – I LOVE Google KEEP but Evernote, Trello, and Asana are all great too! I miss Wunderlist, they got bought out. Don’t underestimate a good post-it note either if it works for you (Kanban anyone?).

I like handwritten; so I can highlight the completed task. It brings endless joy and dopamine I’m sure. For me, keeping a weekly BIG todo list (chores, big projects, any freelance work and some regular things I need to do) keeps me focused on what I *know* is important by planning ahead. Then I make a todo list at the end of the night before bed on things I want to do – based off the weekly list if I neglect things – and whims. Maybe I saw something cool online and I am going to try it, that can go on the list as a reminder. Maybe a client needs X tomorrow and they just told me, on the list. It just helps me stay on track for the day.

I also write out my morning routine still, I am getting better at it and tweaking it as I go along, but I need those items on there still.

Essentially, you do you when it comes to what works. Try new things and new methods, you may even need to switch it up to keep your brain active, but find a those extra tips that help you get it done. I will say, I 100% believe, the routine will get it done better than motivation and whims – so its good to practice routine when it comes to your task. If you can find a good routine for you, methods, and practice it – you will be able to accomplish more than if you wait for your motivation to kick in!

 

 

 

Those are my top tips on how I like to get things done. The master list for the week is really the big key for me – I really need this or I ABSOLUTELY will start repeating the list just because of my brain functions in repeat. This helps me so much to keep me organized (and easier to keep up with). 

Last one, a reminder:

It’s okay if you aren’t a productivity machine!

You have value outside when you produce in a day! Just a reminder.

 

My tips

1. It’s okay if you aren’t a productivity machine
2. If you are repeating a daily task – consider a weekly task system
3. If you are writing it down a lot, consider converting it to digital / a sticker instead
4. Can’t get it all done today? Maybe you are making your list too long
5. Break down larger task into smaller task as needed
6. Set a timer if you need help getting started
7. Keep multiple lists – this week, next, to buy, etc
8. Do the big (or small!) things first to feel productive
9. Pick a method and stick to it
10. It’s okay if you aren’t a productivity machine!