With the holiday season right around the corner, many are already feeling that worry about getting things done. But what happens when you feel like your to-do list needs to be on the to-do list? Follow along for these tips on to-do list management.
Dear Ron:
Rolling into Thanksgiving always starts my worry and anxieties about getting things done. I do my lists of things to do and I’ve done it by longhand and through phone apps. But I always feel like all I’m doing is taking time to manage the lists, check the lists and edit the lists. It becomes another thing to do. How can I manage my time without my time trying to manage me? — List Manager
Dear List Manager:
I advocate for list making when there are quite a number of tasks to manage. Some of the tasks will have multiple steps and others are just single action items. But the making of the list should be more about getting the task out of your head and anchored on the list so you no longer spend time thinking about doing the task. Your lists should include the major action steps to take so you can get the satisfaction of crossing out the task when accomplished. Now here’s the real part: the list should not be the substitute for continued overthinking. Overthinking is one of the common causes of anxiety and worry. Your response when grabbing your list should trend toward accomplishment. That means grab your list and choose “a task to do right now” rather than “let me check and double check the list to make sure that I’ve got it all down in case I forgot something.” A holiday to-do list should jump start action which will then lead to decreased worries during the busy holiday season.
Additional tips for great to-do list management:
1. Keep your list entries short and right to the point using more of a bullet point approach
2. Have your list available through out your day. There are great apps on your phone if you are someone always on the move.
3. See you list as a way to bust through feeling stuck in neutral. Find the smallest item and accomplish that one first and let the accomplishment drive you forward to the next.
