I Can’t Keep Up!
Do you have a to-do list? I have about a million lists. I love them. I have also begun to embrace the fact that I don’t do apps or complicated platforms. My system hinges on three things: a notebook, a pen, and a pencil. There are no apps or technology needed. Here are some of my lists.
Please be aware, some of the links that follow may be affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Never will I recommend something I don’t use, love or trust. See the full policy here.
Master To-Do List
This is where I keep all the things. If I think of something to do, it goes on my master list. The form of my master list varies by the season. Typically, I simply have a page with two columns of checklist items on it. Other times, along the way I split my to-do list out by client and/or project. This helped due to how I generate tasks and allowed me to feel like I was accomplishing more tasks.
Every single month I participate in a brain dump. These items are added to my monthly or master to-do list. I’ve carefully cultivated a trigger list that has stemmed from Getting Things Done. This allows me to start the month off with everything out of my brain.
When creating my master monthly list, I do not separate work items from home tasks. For this purpose, I want all my information in the same place. Too often I’ve found that if I have a work to-do list and a personal to-do list I am not as efficient. I can’t work on anything at any time.
I try to break all my tasks (with the exception of my Sunday Prep Plan) down so that they are accomplishable in 15-minute increments. I have come to discover that nearly any task can be accomplished in 15-minute chunks. In addition, even if you don’t think that you have time, there’s a pretty good chance you have the ability to make time for 15 minutes in your day.
Weekly To-Do List
This list is compiled on Sunday evening or Monday morning. I look through my weekly plan and reference my master to-do list. Tasks that can be accomplished this week go on my weekly list. Typically the items on this list aren’t necessarily dependent on a day or time. They simply need to be (or can be) accomplished this week.
To build this list I start by referencing my master list. I try to identify what’s got to get done this week. This may include appointments, chores, or prep for special occasions. Do I have any tasks with deliverable progress deadlines?
I will also do my best to evaluate what needs to be scheduled or who needs to be called | text | emailed throughout the week.
Daily To-Do List
This is gold! To cultivate my daily to-do or task list I will pull items from my weekly list or review the tasks I have coming up that week. Often, my daily list is one or two important items and then prep for the rest of the week. If you’re struggling with motivation, put those tasks on a list and get them done! This might be as simple as fill out new student paperwork Monday evening and drop off new student paperwork on Tuesday morning. Who needs an email or phone call from you? These are so great to add to your to-do list because they are super easy to check off!
I’m a huge nerd. When I was in graduate school a peer of mine kept extensive data on calorie counts per day. She had data going back years. I was so impressed! Flash forward 10 years and I have approximately 10 years of task completion data. It’s not necessarily the best organized or well tracked but it’s there. There are weekly counts and daily counts. Different interventions tried over the years and different responsibilities across employers are captured across that data. It’s one of my favorite things about me!