"It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: "What are we busy about?"~Henry David Thoreau
Why are our lives so busy and complex? I’ve sometimes struggled with the idea that there’s always something to do, somewhere to go, or someone who needs me. I can make a to-do list for the day, and it continues to grow as I am feverishly checking tasks off. The list then runs into the next day, creating a continuous cycle of your never-ending to-do list.
For most of us, to-do lists have become necessary–but really, they’re not exactly what makes you more productive or ensures you’re focused on the most important things. What if I told you that your list CAN be knocked out each day? AND you can even have the feeling of nothing left to do but relax? I bet you don’t believe me. I wouldn’t have years ago.
Keep reading; I’ve found a way to simplify my daily list and clarify that I’m focused on what matters most. I can’t wait to share!
KNOW WHAT MATTERS MOST
Check-in with yourself to ensure you’re busy doing the right things. Sometimes we work on what we’ve been told or believe we should be doing. Often we busy ourselves by doing what others want from us. Occasionally, that’s ok, and it’s a fulfilling part of life. Still, if your go-to is to say yes to every request or expectation of others, in time, it can forge underlying resentment. (side note–feeling some resentment from time to time?
Pro Tip: Don’t ignore it or allow it to grow. It’s a little nudge in your spirit to check your boundaries. I could say so much about that, but that’s a conversation for another day. If you want to dig in a little more, check out this post on How To Replace Your Should Mindset With Truth.
If you don’t know how to answer–that you are doing the right things right now. Consider creating a routine every few months to assess what matters most in your current season. We will always have something that we want to focus on. OR that we can be focused on. AND we will always have things that distract us. However, the feeling of– knowing what you want to regroup and refocus around— is so empowering. (Here’s the What Matters Most assessment I use if you’d like to check it out.)
LEARN HOW TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR DAILY EXPECTATIONS OF YOURSELF
The goal is to find yourself with more time on your hands at the end of the day. Not scrambling to get an unrealistic amount of things done that may or may not matter down the road.
There’s way less time in a day than we usually perceive when we are writing to-do lists. I have narrowed down two main categories to help remind us.
1. What Matters Most Today?
What’s one ‘bigger’ thing that I can do today to move in the direction of accomplishing the bigger goal that I am currently working on? This may sound so hard to do! I get it. However, sometimes things may take a little longer than we realize. Knowing we’ve allotted time to make it happen is a reward in itself. We can add another task later if we find we’ve knocked it out early. How much more rewarding is that than to feel overwhelmed because we’re not planning well and have so many more items to tick off?
(Want a great book to read on this subject? Check out The One Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan. This book discusses the value of simplifying one’s workload by focusing on the one most important task in any given project. It was a game changer for me. It was pivotal in my decision to move from three spaces of big ‘to-do’s in the original Plan To GRO journal/planner’s to one space in the Today’s Plan pages. (check out the Plan To GRO journal here)
2. Desired Outcomes.
This list is for the ‘little’ things that can quickly fill up our time or urgent items that will inevitably come up. We have to do the little things. AND we have to leave white space for the urgent things. Often these items are not substantial needle movers, but they can create issues unattended. The big things (aka ‘what matters most’) above are IMPORTANT! However, little things count too and can snowball if left neglected. Of course, urgent things are the items we easily avoid planning for. They are sure to come in and throw everything off the rails.
Don’t forget to plan space for these two essential things.
CREATE HABITS AND ROUTINES (NOT TO-DO LISTS) AROUND YOUR INITIAL LIFE PRIORITIES
Most often, when looking at our standard ‘to-do’ lists or daily activities, they are filled with everyday items. Brushing your teeth nightly while getting ready for bed is routine. Waking up and exercising every morning is a routine. Purchasing Starbucks while driving to work every morning is a routine.
If you’ve followed personal development gurus, you’ll hear all about routines, especially morning routines. I’ve taken routines seriously. I’ve taken my brain health seriously. I’m not interested in filling my mind daily with these types of items. I don’t want to repeatedly write them down on a list when they become “urgent” because I’ve overlooked them. Instead of placing ‘pay the credit card bill’ on the urgent list when it comes up, it has become a part of my routine habits.
When you build routines into most of your day, week, month, and year, they get their own little blocks of time throughout your planning. If I have an item that does not have a routine around it but I know its a responsibility or a desire I want to make happen, like paying bills, I find a routine to place ‘paying bills’ into. Never put those on your daily ‘to-do’ list. Do you have a ‘financial routine’? Paying that ‘urgent bill’ will be a thing of the past if you set up this routine. It’s scheduled out automatically because your routines are well–routine.
I could write a book on all the routines I have created. It’s so fun to find a place to put things that need to be done, and I want to make happen commonly. This has changed everything about my ability to manage my life well and live congruent with my desired lifestyle.
KEEP TRYING - AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU
You CAN knock this list out in a day AND have space left to enjoy life and all the reasons you work so hard.
I hope you found this helpful. As we’ve explored, assessing what matters most regularly will set a foundation for the best to-do list. We often make lists based on obligations and don’t prioritize understanding what matters.
Also, there’s only so much time in one day–we love ourselves and our families best when we recognize this and plan accordingly. Creating routines around your initial life priorities can change your understanding of how much time you have to do anything else. 😬
One last thought – you don’t have to get it right the first time. Sometimes we have to try things for a bit to get them to work out. I doubt your list will be void of items that should be somewhere else on your first try. Keep trying, and figure out what’s right for you.
Now it’s your turn! Go plan your day!
