One Trick That Will Take your To-Do List to the Next Level

By nature, I am a list maker. I love to keep to-do lists, packing lists, grocery lists – you name it. There is something so incredibly satisfying to me about checking things off a list. Like every check is a win for the day (and I DO like to win).

The problem is, there are many days when I don’t get many items checked off my list. Quite the opposite, actually. More items get added to the list. Distractions and hiccups in my plans force me to address issues that weren’t on my list (aka life).

At the end of the day I oftentimes can’t recall what I even did, and THAT makes me feel unaccomplished and overwhelmed.

You know what else? It’s not just me. My husband (Michael), a custom home builder of 15+ years, has the same problem. He is a successful businessman who makes a good living, but he often comes home singing the same song: What happened to the day? What did I even accomplish? Will I ever get all of this done?

WHY is it so hard to knock out a to-do list??

Maybe it’s just us. Maybe you’re reading this thinking, “I have no idea what this woman is rambling about right now. I am super efficient and productive all the time and my to-do list never carries over from day to day.”

Well, bully for you! I think you’re amazing and I want to be just like you. I also want to punch you in the throat a little.

But JUST IN CASE you happen to struggle the way Michael and I do, I want to share my one trick that might just free you from the pressure and overwhelm of a never-ending to-do list.

Breakthrough Moment

One day last week as I finished up my post about our DIY Faux Fireplace project I was so proud of myself for finishing the post on time that I wanted to write it down so I wouldn’t forget to tell Michael. That’s when the thought hit me: what if I start writing down everything I already finished and reviewing that list at the end of the day.

Rather than focusing on everything I didn’t get to, I decided to focus on everything I did accomplish for the day. Let me tell you it was freeing.

I was finally able to celebrate my wins for the day as they happened, and it eliminated those feelings of overwhelm and dissatisfaction at the end of the day.

Did I get my to-do list totally done? No, of course not. That issue hasn’t changed, because the nature of life is that there is always more to do. But being able to see what I had completed gave me perspective on what I can do in a given day, and that perspective is invaluable. It’s invaluable for moms, dads, bloggers, and professionals of all kinds.

Having a realistic perspective has shown me that I will always have a to-do list, but I should also have a done list List of Wins to go with it.

A List of Wins

You know what the best part is about the List of Wins? At the end of the day I get to share my wins with Michael, because they are right there on my list. No more feeling unproductive. No more forgetting about my wins for the day. No more feeling like a slave to my to-do list.

So go ahead and grab a pad of paper and deem it your List of Wins pad, or whatever you want to call it (you are NOT obligated to use “List of Wins”). Jot down each accomplishment throughout the day. Watch that list grow while your to-do list gets shorter and shorter.

You will find that you accomplished more than you thought and you are NOT wasting you day.

I would love to hear about other ways you combat feelings of unproductiveness. Leave a comment or message me!