Making Lists: To Do and Done

I’m a list person. I make a “to do” list almost every day. Well, more like I add to the original list with more things that supposedly need to be done.

The list currently on my desk is equivalent to a novel and if I were to duplicate it in my post, I would exceed the number of words allowed by my esteemed editors. Some lists just seem to go on and on like a bad cold.

I typically write a “master list” on Sunday evening. The concept of planning your work and working your plan drilled into my head by countless gurus of organization and time management. While I’m not the poster child of being organized, I thought I’d share a few tips with you that will have you patting yourself on the back (or rewarding yourself with a little shopping trip)!

First, I compartmentalize my lists. By having separate departments, I can at least filter through the 765 things swirling around in my head and get a handle on what area of my life it affects. My list includes; Comfy Cozy, meetings/appointments, home, school and everything else. Yes, the last one is a little vague, but you need to corral those fringe things somewhere!

Secondly, there are some things that are more important than others and I can usually narrow them down to 5. For me, these things are all Comfy Cozy related, not personal. Putting my business at the top of my priority list isn’t always easy when you work out of your home, so I HAVE to put them in big shiny letters at the top of the page.

Third, when you get halfway through the week and you haven’t crossed many things off your list, it’s time to re-evaluate the list. This is when it becomes clear that I’m spending too much time on the wrong things. It doesn’t mean start over, it means figure out if ANYTHING you have been doing should have been on the list OR you should have spent less time hopping from one Facebook page to another all day.

Finally, it’s okay to have a few things on that list that you KNOW damn well will be done before the ink is dry. It’s okay to have some relatively easy items on your lists – but making coffee and brushing your teeth DON’T COUNT!!

Now that you’ve learned some tips on how to create an effective list of things “to do” it’s time for a list that will have you dancing on the dining room table. I call it the DONE LIST. In the midst of an “I’m never going to get everything on this list finished” pout, the solution to all my stress hit me like a pile of unfinished lists – I needed to write down everything that I had DONE. After seeing how much I had accomplished (real things, not just going to the mailbox or sharpening a pencil) my morale was up, I was ready to tackle some of the BIG 5 on my list and I was feeling pretty damn good about myself.

Are you a list maker? Do they help you get things done or make you feel like you’re in over your head? Leave me a comment below.

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