Love the To-Do List

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

To live is to have things to do. The only time you will have nothing pending is when you’re dead. It’s easier to appreciate the existence of chores and tasks while keeping this fact in mind. As they are guaranteed, we’re always looking for ways to improve our approach of getting things done. Not surprisingly, there is one tried-and-true way to track and tackle endeavors: the to-do list.

With no direction, it is easy for large chunks of time to slip away. At the beginning of a weekend, it can feel like there’s endless time ahead. Then on the night before returning to work, this can turn into a question of “where did the time go?”. In contrast, a work week is composed of strict, calendar-driven demands. Often perceived as annoying, this structure actually drives focus and leads to forward progress on tasks. Studies show incomplete tasks can distract us, but having a plan can decrease the feeling of overwhelm and increase success. Much can be gained by utilizing the same approach for your weekends and/or free time.

Plan out your days off in the way you would your work week. The joy is you are picking your own schedule. Keep in mind, schedules are a tool to help you accomplish goals, not dictating masters. If you’re a morning person, front-load your day. Do the opposite if you’re a night owl. Be sure to put in time for relaxation, friends, hobbies, etc. A weekend can be exhausting if you come out the other side having done nothing but work.

There are different schools of thought to tackling to-do lists. One approach could be to write everything down, prioritize it in order of importance, then cross out everything but the top three. Another option could be to keep a to-do list and revisit it daily to pick priorities to accomplish. These approaches are valid within a work week but might not translate well into personal planning. Our favored strategy is to create a single to-do list which incorporates everything. Review the list and break it into two categories: things you can do personally and actions which require hiring out. For each of those two lists, further categorize by weather/seasonal conditions. Take the top priorities for the year and build them into your budget.

A simple example is referencing the to-do list you can tackle yourself. A weekend is approaching where the weather doesn’t support outdoor activities. This is a perfect time to tackle the “indoor” categorized work you have prioritized on your list. This translates to “hired out” work as well, categorize as indoor and outdoor (and by season where appropriate). As you create these lists it is critical to remember, Rome was not created in a day. Tackle what you can, when you can, then step back and enjoy the progress.

Action: Create a to-do list for your upcoming weekend and stick to it. 

Bonus: Categorize your to-do list by personal vs. hired out work, then categorized each of those lists by indoor/outdoor/season.

Further Reading:

13 Strategies for Managing Your To-Do List Effectively

Consider It Done! Plan Making Can Eliminate the Cognitive Effects of Unfulfilled Goals