Tips on How To Re-do Your To-Do List

Common problem, right?  So much on your “to-do” list, but not enough motivation to get anything done. One look at your “to-do” list sends you looking for something else to do instead. I used to do this constantly. I’d make long “to-do” lists, take one look at them and my mind would start coming up with its own list — the “reasons why not to do my to-do” list. My “to-do” list that I made in hopes of motivating myself suddenly did the opposite! I started thinking thoughts such as “I will not have enough time to get everything done,” As well as,  “I think (insert the first thing on the list) will take too much effort.” Does your mind come up with similar thoughts when faced with your daily “to-do” list?

The solution? Well, you could stop these thoughts from happening (not likely), power through and not let these thoughts affect you or change up your “to-do” list.

For the sake of this post, I’m going to opt to do the third option. Let’s take an average “to-do” list and tweak it a bit as to not get so overwhelmed, discouraged, and unmotivated by the actual list.

To-Do:

• Catch up on bills for 2 hours
• Exercise for 1 hour
• Go to the grocery store
• Clean the house

Wow, just looking at the small list I’ve made gets me a bit overwhelmed! While this list is fairly specific, I find the time limits of one and two hours to be a bit constricting and daunting. Bills for two hours? No, thank you! Cleaning the house? Right away my mind is saying “I really do not feel up to cleaning the whole house.”

The usual acronym when setting goals is SMART or Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. I really like to focus on the first four letters. I feel like people get confused with the time-bound piece and adding a time constraint or a “time due” can be un-motivating.

What is helpful to do with a list like this is to break the goals down into even smaller tasks (specific and attainable) thus being able to get rid of the timeframes. Let’s start breaking some tasks down. “Catch up on bills” can be broken down to “pay the cable, gas, and electric bill” and clean the house could be broken down to “clean the kitchen and living room.” Notice I am not saying you have to pay all of the bills, just three. Nor am I saying you have to clean the whole house, just two rooms, which seems more manageable. Plus, you might even get into a rhythm and keep cleaning, but you cannot find this rhythm if you are unmotivated by reading your “to-do” list. You can also break down the exercise task to a more specific “do favorite workout video.”

Another tip: organize your list in order of importance and urgency. Tasks that are more important and more urgent should be done first (I like to highlight or star these items) and should be at the top of the list. A task of going to the grocery store can seem less daunting if you prepare a list ahead of time (and bring it!).

Lastly, I always like to write a few keywords about why I am doing these tasks in the first place, values, if you will. These words help keep me on task and motivate me. For this list, I’ll use responsible, healthy, and peace. Paying bills makes me feel responsible, when I go grocery shopping I tend to make healthier choices about what I am eating, and having a clean kitchen/living room helps me feel more at peace in my home.

Let’s re-write this to-do list:

• Pay the cable, gas, and electric bill
• Go to the grocery store (bring list!)
• Do favorite workout video
• Clean the kitchen and living room
• Responsible, Healthy, Peace

Doesn’t this list seem more doable? Sure, there are fewer tasks and you might not “clean the whole house” in one day, but this new list seems to be a great deal more motivating. Plus, you will get more satisfaction when you cross more tasks off your list rather than looking at your list and realizing you did not “pay all the bills.” If you stick to broader more complicated tasks, you might not complete them.

“To-do” lists are great, if you know how to word them for success and motivation! Happy list making!