How often do you feel like you end the day without having accomplished a fraction of what you wanted to?
If you really want to get things done, plan to do less not more.
My Story
When Brian and I were first married, I would wake up each morning and make an extensive to-do list.
He repeatedly tried to get me to see that my expectations were ridiculous.
I was convinced that if I were simply more organized, more…something, I would be able to check everything off that list.
I was wrong, and he was mostly right.
While the extensive list wasn’t ridiculous, expecting to get it done all in one day was.
These days, crossing things off my to-do list looks a whole lot different.
Instead of planning on completing an extensive list, I wake up with a plan in place to do one, or possibly two things on my list.
Instead of ending each day feeling like I simply can’t get it together, now I end the day satisfied to have finished my task.
If you’re stressed by your ever-growing, never-ending to-do list, I challenge you to intentionally do less instead of more.
First, there is nothing wrong with having a long to do list.
This is the piece about which Brian was wrong.
Life is full of things we need to get done, and keeping a to-do list is the best way to keep track of them.
In my opinion, an old-fashioned, tangible, written list is the best way to go.
Lists or reminders on a phone are pretty much out of sight, out of mind.
The problem is thinking you can do it all in a day.
This is the part where Brian was right.
Normal daily activities already take up pretty much every hour of the day.
Expecting to fit in multiple, out of the ordinary tasks on a daily basis is a recipe for failure.
There simply isn’t time.
A better way is to plan on doing less and not more.
It may not make sense, but I can honestly say, it works.
Stick with one or two priority items daily.
That may seem ridiculous when you have twenty-seven things that really need your attention.
However, homing in on one or two priority tasks allows you to be laser focused.
Choose the most important things first.
Start with the most pressing or time sensitive tasks.
Less important things can be put on the back burner.
This is why I still haven’t painted my back door a year after purchasing the paint.
Decide the night before.
Before going to bed, decide what one or two items you intend to focus on the next day and write them down.
A brightly colored sticky note works wonders for getting your attention.
Waking up with a plan in place is a great way to ensure it actually gets done.
You automatically know what you want to get done, no indecision. The only thing left to decide is when and how you will make that happen.
Done. Check. Move On.
Get it done and cross it off the list.
It is such a satisfying feeling to actually physically cross something off your to-do list.
Repeat Daily.
Each and every day, repeat the process.
Prepare to be amazed at how much you actually get done.
At times there will be multiple important things requiring your attention.
Take a breath.
No matter how important something is, you can still only do the next thing.
These are the seasons of life where all normal routines go out the window.
This is the reason that Christmas tends to be so stressful. There’s more to do than time to do it.
Take heart, the season will eventually pass, and life will return to an even keel.
How often do you feel like you end the day without having accomplished a fraction of what you wanted to?
Plan to do less instead of more and you may just find that you did more after all.
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