Jen's To-Do List Life Hacks
I believe that people are the happiest version of themselves when they are organized. I want everyone to experience that feeling of bliss that comes when you’ve made room for what matters most in your life. This feeling often comes when you’ve managed your time and tasks methodically. As I stated in my book, “when we structure our routines…we’re able to make choices with our time that better support our values and goals.” As someone with three businesses, the best way I have found for productivity and time management is through the process of writing consistent and thorough lists. In this blog post, I am going to break down my top tips for curating lists that will support you in becoming your most efficient and productive self.
Let’s start with WHY lists are so beneficial. It’s human nature to struggle with getting things done, but how much of this can be resolved if we know and prioritize exactly what needs to be done. It’s a simple, but an EFFECTIVE system. I believe Psychologist and Author, Dr. David Cohen, says it best, by putting a love of to-do lists down to three reasons: they dampen anxiety about the chaos of life; they give us a structure, a plan that we can stick to; and they are proof of what we have achieved that day, week or month. If you often find yourself scribbling notes on your hands, or completing a lot of tasks throughout the day, but somehow didn’t do the most important items, these steps are for you.
Step 1: Pick your medium. If you always have your phone on you, the notes app is amazing! I also think making a list on google drive is amazing. If you love the feeling of crossing off completed tasks, pen and paper is always a great option!
Step 2: Look at your upcoming month and brain dump every task you can think that needs to be done. This includes appointments, work projects, home work lists, etc. Remember, there is no judgment, so write down EVERYTHING!
Step 3: Separate your list into the Must To-Do’s and Nice To- Do’s. The Must To-Do’s would be anything you absolutely need to get done before the month is finished. The Nice To-Do’s are the items on your list that would be “nice” to be accomplished if you find the extra time. I love this method because there is nothing more intimidating than a mile long To-Do list. If anything, the longer the to-do list, the lower the motivation. By categorizing your list, approaching the tasks becomes much more approachable.
Step 4: OUTSOURCE! Who can you enlist for help? Don’t be afraid to ask your support system for help. If it doesn’t need to be on your radar, get it off the list.
Step 5: Keep it simple! When creating your daily to-do list, be honest with what you can accomplish in 24 hours. Have 3-5 (at max) Must To-Do’s and then a few Nice To-Do’s.
Step 6: Estimate your time for each task. Don’t set yourself up for stress by crunching your time, but keep yourself efficient with a REALISTIC time frame. Make sure to keep in mind the time it takes to go from task to task! I like to allow for 10-15 minutes of transition time.
Step 7: Keep yourself accountable with due dates on your master list. This will help SO much when making your daily to-do lists. Before I make my daily to-do lists, I like to look over my master lists’ due dates to make sure I don’t let anything slip through the cracks.
Step 8: Make it aesthetically pleasing. This sounds simple and unnecessary, but it can completely shift your mindset when approaching your to-do list. If you are going the pen to paper route, write it on a piece of stationary you love, or even in your favorite color. It’s a small step that makes a big difference.
Step 9: Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Your to-do lists should be a form of self-discipline, but they should also support your happiness. If you don’t finish your daily to-do lists, wake up and try it again tomorrow. You’ve got this!
