To-do lists are so yesterday … !

Is your to-do list mocking you? Does it just sit there, all fat and sassy, piling up tasks every day with no relief in sight?

Guess what? Your to-do list is not the best way to get things done! 

Adding things to a never ending list just starts to feel bad, like bailing water out of a sinking ship … only it’s not a ship, it’s your life …

And you still have to decide what projects and goals you want to accomplish, right?

Prioritizing tasks is critical to successfully completing projects and achieving your goals. 

Without a clear understanding of what needs to be done first and how—it’s normal to become overwhelmed, stressed, and not at all productive.

So what can you do to get everything out of your head and start to prioritize?

These three tips will get you started!

#1: WHY THIS PROJECT & WHY NOW? 

Before you even start, make sure you know WHY you want to take on a particular project and what you hope to accomplish. 

Knowing your reasons for starting any project will help you stay motivated when it gets hard—and help you avoid one of the 8 Deadly Time Thieves™ … Overcommitting. 

It’s easy to volunteer out of enthusiasm or guilt but you will definitely find more time for your tasks when you don’t give too much of it away.

So before you add any new to your schedule, make sure it’s aligned with your values and existing goals. If it doesn’t, you don’t need to do it.

It might still need to get done … just not by you and not by you right now.

#2: SORT YOUR TASKS INTO TIME BUCKETS

You need to structure—and even simplify—your to-do list so you don’t have a million things screaming for your attention at once. 

Grouping Like with Like will let you isolate tasks that can either be done together or in sequence. And it lets you more easily decide if something needs to be done now, soon or even,  never!

Just ask these questions to help you evaluate each task:

Does this have to be done today?

Does this have to be done by me?

Is this a step in a larger project or a one-off?

Is there something more important to do first?

Does this get me closer to my goal? How?

Based on your answers, you can move each task up or down the list—and then schedule an appointment on your calendar to work on it.

# 3: “SOMEDAY” IS NOT A DAY!  

This brings us to the final step — finding the time to complete these tasks. Remember, someday is not a day on anyone’s calendar, so set an actual appointment for yourself! 

Schedule 3-5 daily activities that support your projects (and make sure you keep the appointments… just like you would an appointment with anyone else.)

Resist the urge to blow off things important to you by prioritizing someone else’s goals over your own.

If you use these steps, you’ll be off to a great start. You’ll avoid getting “stuck” in task overload and see real progress on getting things done.

Here’s to more love and less overwhelm! 

Andrew

It is almost time for our next De-Stress Your Mess Challenge! Let’s work together to declutter your hotspots and get organized… register today and join us on March 20, 2023!