Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Getting it All Done . . . Almost

I am a note taking, list making, go-go-go woman.  I feel that there is so much I need to accomplish each day, and in order to get anything at all done, I must capture and prioritize those thoughts.
I have tried making lists on my iPad, which can work for me in a pinch, but I truly like the act of writing things down and marking them as "done" as I finish tasks.
My list is ever growing and never ending.  Each day I add probably two to four new tasks.  It would seem unmanageable if I didn't have a system in place to mark off those tasks.  So here's what I do, since I am such a list maker.

  • I make a list of ALL the things I need (or want) to get done.  Period.
  • From that list, I choose three things I want to do in the evening - after I get home from work but before I go to bed.  That list usually includes two easy, fast, more enjoyable tasks (such as printing the week's grocery coupons from the Internet (yes, I have to even add this to my list!) and wrapping a present for a birthday party) and one task I feel is more daunting (such as hemming a new pair of pants).
  • I mark off each chore as I get it done, and re-write my list the next day.
  • Weekends are catch-up times.  If there are things on the list I haven't accomplished throughout the week, I use the weekend to finish my list.
I feel so good knowing I accomplished some things and shortened my list.  But I'm not overwhelmed by the list of 10 things I want to get done.  Three to-dos are much, much more manageable!

How do you organize your to-do list with a hectic schedule?

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