Feeling Overwhelmed? How to Make a To-Do List That Gets Done

Making a to-do list is a great way to see at a glance what you need to get accomplished in a day. To Do List

However, some to-to lists help productivity more than others, and a bad to-do list might do more harm than good.

If you can invest a little bit of time planning out your tasks for the day in a clear and achievable list you will be able to accomplish things much more smoothly.

Here are a few ways that you can make the best to-do list possible:

  • Break it down. Adding a huge task such as “clean the house” to your to-do list can overwhelm you.  Divide this task into several small jobs so that you know where to start, such as “wash the dishes”, “sweep the floors”, and “vacuum the carpets.”
  • Group tasks together that are located in close proximity to each other. For example, if you are driving to the shop to pick up bread and milk and you also have a package to mail you can drop it off at the post office on the way there. It is inefficient just to go out and only accomplish one task at a time.
  • Prioritize the things that you need to do by urgency. This will help you know which items are more important and need to be finished first. You can create a system with colors or numbers to organize your tasks.
  • If you have bumped a task from yesterday that you couldn’t get finished, this job should get a higher priority today or you will continue to put it off.
  • Don’t make your to-do list so long that it is impossible to achieve in one day. This can be very demoralizing. Include small and easily checked-off tasks which will give you positive reinforcement and provide momentum.

Above all, don’t forget to include a reward at the end when you finish everything you set out to do. Whether it is going for a walk with the dog, relaxing for a while to watch your favorite show, or going out with friends, if you achieve all of the goals on your list feel free to celebrate your productive day!

What Are You Waiting For? Effective Cures for Procrastination

Is your motto, “why do today what I can put off until tomorrow?”procrastination tips

Procrastination is an easy habit to slip into, as it is incredibly tempting to avoid doing something that is not urgent. When a project is due, the house needs cleaning, or a form needs filling out, we often decide that we will get away with doing it another day.

However, procrastination can really come back to bite us when the deadline looms near and we realize that we have left way too much work for ourselves. Every college student who has gotten in trouble for snoring in class after pulling an all-nighter finishing a term paper will tell you that procrastination seems like a good idea at the time but isn’t a healthy or productive way to manage your life.

So how can we combat our natural tendency to put things off until tomorrow? Here are a few effective ways that you can cure your procrastination and get things done!

  • If you are procrastinating because the task seems huge and overwhelming, break it into small steps and accomplish one step per day. For example, if you are writing an essay you can decide on the topic one day, create an outline the second day, write a first draft the third day, edit your draft the fourth day, etc. When you break the task into small parts, it seems much less scary and you will be more likely to accomplish each small piece in one day.
  • Promise yourself a reward, only after you complete your portion of the task for the day. For example, tell yourself that you will take a walk on the beach after you clean the kitchen. You will be surprised how much quicker you wash those dishes when the sun is shining outside and you are eager to get out and enjoy it.
  • Start in the middle. Sometimes we procrastinate on a large task because we are just not sure how to begin. Don’t worry about the beginning, just start in the middle instead and get the ball rolling. For example, get started tackling a large job like cleaning out the garage by grabbing any random box of junk and figuring out how to deal with it. Doing things out of order is better than never doing them at all.
  • Eliminate your distractions. If you know that television, Facebook, or computer games distract you from getting things done, get rid of them until you are finished your task. Unplug your modem, or ask someone to hide the Xbox until you finish what you need to do.
  • Stop over-complicating the task and waiting for the perfect opportunity to do it. There is no “perfect” time to do anything, so make the most of the time you have right now!

These are just a few ways that you can cure your tendencies for procrastination, and enjoy a more productive life!