3 Tips to Make To-Do Lists your Did-It Lists!

If you’re like most people, your To-Do lists can be daunting – and can actually have a negative effect on you.  You might completely ignore the list and binge watch Scandal with a big bowl of buttered parmesan cheese instead.  Or you’ll do anything else first, including cleaning out your closet, unless that was on your To-Do list!

So here are a few tips to help you check off those items on your To-Do lists:

1] Delegate tasks that you don’t want to do, to someone else.  This might entail trading tasks like chores, but it’ll make it easier to do when you have to do it for someone else.

2] Break down long-term projects into smaller tasks.  If you’re spring cleaning your entire house, create individual tasks that you can do in an hour.  Then spread them out over several weeks.

3] Block off time to complete each task.  By using a planner, you can first enter the routine tasks and responsibilities that you need to complete.  Then block off time to complete each of your tasks.

By organizing your evenings and weekends using a planner, you can control what you hope to get done each day.  Some tasks may take 15 minutes while others might take an entire day.  Having a To-Do List with a laundry list of things that will take weeks or months to finish, forces you to simply ignore it.  When you block off time to do each item on your To-Do list, you can decide when you’ll do it and how much work is enough each day.  With this system, you’ll be setting yourself up for success.  And, I always put a bonus at the end of the day – something to look forward to so I stay on track.  For me, it could be that big bowl of hot buttered popcorn or taking the pups to the beach.