How to Own your To Do List
“Is being scrupulously healthy productivity machines what we actually want?”
Many of us wear MANY hats - mom, partner, neighbor, friend, employer, employee, entrepreneur, creator, pet owner, athlete, writer, chef, and on and on - Each role we take on inevitably has responsibilities too; and that means a TO-DO LIST.
I have tried putting every task in my agenda in five-minute time blocks and setting alerts to remind me to do them. I have made separate lists (or Notion boards!) for home, work, finances, pets, and personal. And I have spent more time than I like to admit adjusting lists, erasing and rescheduling items in my calendar, and often feeling defeated because my lists are the same in the evening as they were when the day started.
Anyone nodding yet?
In an effort to bring myself back from the brink of a time management disaster, I have discovered a way to live a fully engaged and prosperous life WITHOUT needing to know when everything was going to get done.
Stay with me - everything will still get done…
My system is simple - everything goes on ONE list. Yep. You heard me: One Master List, that I just keep adding tasks to as they days go by - I call it the Never-Ending To Do List.
While it might seem counter-intuitive, blending all the tasks into one master list can actually lead to getting more done. And giving yourself the grace ton ever complete all of your to-do’s on a list can lead to a life full of ease.
How it works:
Focus on the tasks that you need out of your head and in a visible place as a reminder to get them done. Don’t include routine tasks like brushing your teeth or feeding the dog - unless these are things you need reminders to do. Do continue to use your calendar to schedule big things like meetings and appointments.
Choose whatever method works for you - phone app, Notion board, physical notebook. Just be sure that list is readily accessible.
Take this ever-evolving list with you everywhere. Every time you come across a moment where you have “free time,” consult the list and pick one item. This means that instead of mindlessly scrolling Instagram or TikTok, you can cross things off while waiting for a friend at a coffee shop, sitting in a doctor’s office waiting room, or when a client lets you know they’ll be 15 minutes late.
PRO TIP: If you have deadlines you need to meet, take a few minutes before you go to bed or as soon as you wake up to highlight five things that are a priority for you. Using an actual highlighter means those items will catch your attention when you have that extra few minutes to get something done.
ADHD TIP: Contrary to what most productivity advice will tell you, you don’t have to do the hard stuff first. Chase those dopamine hits early on by highlighting the items that you know give you a big hit and ride that dopamine through the harder stuff.
LEARN MORE: The quote at the start of this post is from a great article by Constance Grady, for VOX, called, “Why are we so obsessed with morning routines?” If you want to explore the ways our current routines could be perpetuating capitalism and how productivity could be hurting us, I recommend checking it out here.
