I actually feel a sense of relief when I make a list, getting me closer to the ultimate joy of crossing something off this list.  My list is a brain-dump of the clutter in my head. Where my many things “to-do” have been released out into the world, documented, so they will not be lost in the cyber-space of my brain, where tasks (often important tasks, sometimes mundane or even silly tasks) have been known to flutter in and out.  As if they were a butterfly going in one ear, teasing my memory, and then out the other ear to fly away without a care in the world that the absence of that flittering thought will fester away at me.  What was that? What was I going to do?Disturbing my focus, gnawing away at my concentration on anything else.  Argh! 

Hence, I love lists.  It’s all about the list.  I love to write down all those thoughts so I can be reminded of them later.  Once written down, or typed into my phone, I can visually see them and now more easily organize them, shuffle them around, prioritize them.  Let’s discuss the important elements to an efficient list.

• Prioritization
• Crossing off the tasks
• Make it Approachable
• Stay on Task
• Multiple Lists

PRIORITIZATION

Prioritize every task on your list. It is helpful to then number them, date them, color code them, re-write them in order a particular order, or just star the ones that are the most important to tackle first.  Prioritizing makes me feel productive, even before I have tackled any of the tasks on my list.  What needs to be done first, and for what reason?

Sometimes prioritizing is about deadlines, someone or something requires a task to be done by a certain time or date.  Sometimes prioritizing is about what is fastest or easiest to get done… just to get it off your to-do list.  Because what is the best part about organizing, planning, and creating a to-do list? CROSSING OFF A TASK ON YOUR TO-DO LIST, of course!

But sometimes, prioritizing needs to include how you will feel once certain tasks are completed.  Will it feel good to just get that one thing done that has been bothering you off your list?  I know for myself there are sometimes tasks that will make me feel more productive than others to get done, so I will choose to get those finished first so that if time runs out in my day, or some unforeseen arises requiring my time and attention and pulling me away from my to-do list (which is an every-day, sometimes all day occurrence in the parenting world) , I will feel better at the end of the day.  That “one thing” I wanted to get done today actually got done!

Crossing Off a Task on your List = THE REWARD

Whenever possible, physically and visually cross off the tasks on your list.

Do you check-mark the item completed on your list? Do you scribble over the tasks on your list once they are completed? Making an opaque block never to be seen again because it is DONE?  Or do you put a single line through, so there is proof of what was underneath, legible proof of that task you accomplished?  I tend to be a single line gal.  I think it helps me feel productive to see what I have gotten done. 

Or do you erase the task off the list?  Perhaps you erase because you have limited space.  Perhaps you need room to add another task in its place.  Unless you are working on a whiteboard, or chalkboard where you want to keep things neat, or have limited space, DON’T ERASE!  It will make you feel better to cross it out, or check it off. It will prolong that itsy-bit of elation that you have gotten something done!  That is your reward. It may be a short-lived feeling only lasting a second, or it may be worthy of a celebration or bigger reward.  Either way, crossing it out will give you a happy feeling of accomplishment.

As you list your tasks, break them out step-by-step, maximizing the “cross-out potential”.  You will be rewarded more often as you tackle each element of that bigger task with the ability to cross each element off the list.  You will feel better as you see the progress you are making toward the “cross-out” of that entire task.

Make it an Approachable List

How can you make your list visually appealing so it is more approachable?  A fun pad of paper with an inspiring quote at the top?  Or in a special notebook that is your favorite color?  Some lists are best on a post-it so that they can moved around easily, or so that they are nice and small, perhaps appearing to be more manageable.  Choose what makes you feel good as you look at this list of tasks. Or use colorful pens or pencils to cross off the tasks.

Stay on task

As you tackle your list, try not to get distracted away from the tasks you have planned to do.  If you think of additional things that need to be done, add them to your list!  It will help you prioritize them, if you can see them written down amongst the other tasks.  It may help you re-focus, to write them down and then review if those are necessary to do now, or when they fall appropriately in your prioritization.  I find that this is one of the biggest challenges for me… sticking to the list.  In fact, sometimes when I think of a new task, I often “off-road” and just do it right away to get it done so as NOT TO HAVE TO ADD ANOTHER THING TO MY LIST!  But ultimately, I find that I feel worse by the end of my day because I have not had the reward of crossing something off my original to-do list.  Where is the proof and reward of getting that “off-road” task done?

Multiple Lists

How many lists do you have going?  I have multiple lists at a given time.  And that is ok, since there are different reasons for different lists. 

I suggest making a “Today” list each day and pull off the things I realistically have time to do that day. This helps keep me focused and not reminded of some of the other, perhaps bigger, or lengthier tasks on my “Master” List.

Happy List-making!  Go be productive!