to-do lists

Staying on top of life can often times be more than tricky. Assuming I am writing mostly to women here, this includes possibly being a wife, maybe even a mom, a home manager, student…and on and on the titles go. Recently it came to me that I am even relied upon to be the meteorologist of the family as well. Who knew? Often this makes for an overwhelmed to-do list. And more than often it means I am looking for a way to be more efficient in getting my to-do list done. I mean after all, let’s not forget family documenter and curator titles (read: scrapbooker!)

So recently I read an article by Quinn McDonald in Somerset Magazine titled Putting Your To-Do List to Work for You. That caught my attention immediately. In a nut-shell the article went like this:

1. Write down everything you need to get done in a day. Big, little…write it all. (I even include laundry, is that weird?)
2. Create this list at the end of each day. Good prep for the next.
3. Circle three things that HAVE to get done. This idea really struck a cord with me, and since applying it to my daily list of never-ending things to do, it has really helped me stay on task with those things that I just really have to accomplish.
4. Using an index card, write on the front one of the three tasks; then jot down the steps needed to complete each. O.K., I admit, I don’t necessarily utilize the index card approach, but very often I will use this approach, and it really helps. Try it.
5. Next morning, start with those three ‘HAVE to get done’ items. Oh! And this I have started practicing: don’t check emails first. Sure sabotage to getting any work done. It’s true.
6. There are some comments on managing emails, but that’s a whole other post, I think.
7. Challenge yourself to get two of the top three done before lunch, and then finish the last by mid-afternoon.

These are all just little habits to help our day’s line up in order and decency. Because trust me, I would love nothing some days than to simply scrap, or sew, or surf blogs all the live long day. But reality says we do have to maintain our lives, so I am hoping these little tidbits will be of some help to you.

Wishing you a productive day! Off to check my to-do list.