Tired of an endless to-do list where nothing ever gets done? Every day you get up with the best of intentions, but yet you wind up in the exact same place at the end of the day…frustrated at what didn’t get done. Feeling guilty, exhausted, and ready to throw in the towel before the day starts every single day. But, what if I told you that it was possible to make a to-do list you could actually accomplish? It’s totally possible, but there’s a secret. The secret is a to-do list that has less, not more on it. In fact, I’ve got the secret to creating an effective to-do list that actually serves rather than strangles you.
Before you keep reading, make sure to grab our to-do list template so you can print it off and create your own right along with these points. Just tell us where to send it!
As a busy, homeschooling, work at home mom, I’ve got a few tips to pass along when it comes to creating an effective to-do list. So, let’s get started with that, first.
How to create an effective to-list – with template
Things to keep in mind when making a simple to-do list
Not everything is urgent
Like me, you might find that at first everything you need to do feels urgent, But, that doesn’t mean that everything actually is urgent. In fact, it is rarely the case. Keeping in mind that not everything is urgent is a great place to start. Another helpful tip is to take some time before putting something on your to-do list. Even just waiting 20 minutes will allow you to get some perspective about the urgency of the tasks you’ve got to complete.
Delegate tasks from your to-do list to others
It’s common to feel like you’ve got to do it all. In reality, there are others who can complete some of the tasks that are on your list. My goal is to delegate at least one thing on my initial list to someone else every day. Most days, I can make this happen. I suggest you do the same.
Watch out for procrastination
If something is on your to-do list for more than 3 days, you’re procrastinating. It’s time to figure out why so that you can avoid procrastination and actually get the task done.
You’ll find this worksheet HERE helpful for overcoming procrastination.
Keep a master task list to use when you make your daily to-do list
Keep a list of all the tasks you can think of that need to be done now and in the future. This serves as a great first step in creating your to-do list. Then, when it comes to creating your daily to-do list you use your master list first.
Secret to an effective daily to-do list
A shorter to-do list beats a longer to do list every single time.
How to create your own simple daily to-so list
Click on the image below to get our template. Our to-do list below shows you exactly how to create an effective to-do list with only one most important task on it.
