How many times have you decided that a list is the answer? How many to-do lists do you have? Does yours get longer every day? Is it filled with things that never get done?
To-do lists can be a great way to help you organise your day, but are they actually tools that help you procrastinate more?
Here are 5 ways to help you make sure your to-do lists help you get things done.
- Have one long to-do list, but then break that down into smaller, daily actionable lists. This way, you can make sure you are getting the important things done and you don’t feel overwhelmed when you look at the list of things you need to do.
- Have an order of importance. Don’t push those big or hard jobs to the bottom of the list every day. Choose one important job and then some less important jobs every day so you know that you’re taking the steps that will move you forward and not ignore them.
- Break down the big jobs. ‘Update website’ is one thing on your to-do list, but it’s a huge thing so what does that task involve. The more you break it down the less daunting it feels.
- Do your most important task first. Don’t put off the big jobs until the end of the day, get them out of the way first. This way you feel like you’ve achieved something and you’ll be more motivated for the rest of the day.
- Set a timer. When a job feels too big or you’re not excited about doing it then putting it off is easy. Why not set a timer and only do that task until the timer goes off. That way, you’re getting some of it done without it stealing your time for the whole day.
To-do lists can be a great way to keep you motivated, but they can also be an excuse for procrastination. If your to-do lists are holding you back then give these 5 things a try and let me know how you get on. If you’re struggling with procrastination why not come and join my workshop. You can find more information here .