Let’s SLAY that to-do list

New Year, busier schedule. Am I right? As much as we’re all focusing on self-care and our goals right now, the reality is we have some things to be catching up on.

And listen, if anyone knows how to procrastinate, it’s me. Yes, I can be very busy and make certain things a priority while letting other things slip to the side because I “don’t have enough time” but, with even more on my schedule lately (I’m DYING to tell you guys about my new project… it’s launching VERY soon so stay tuned) it’s CRUCIAL that I’m keeping on top of my shit.

I recently wrote a post about how to stay on track when you work from home. Working from home is something newer to me and it took a bit to find a way to really keep myself focused. Now, with even more on my plate, I’ve had to amp it up a bit. And I have basically become one with my to-do list. You guys, I think I’ve actually really got this down! I’ve seen productivity like never before and it’s been sooo easy! Honestly. Just keep reading…

Make that To-Do list your bitch

Make this part of your morning routine
I’ve started to make my to-do list part of my morning routine. Every morning, before I start my workday, I sit down with my cup of coffee and write out my to-do list. I start with a blurb about how my morning went and my goals for the day and set an intention. I even write what podcast I listened to while getting ready and what I got from it. Then I continue on…

Write it down
Maybe I’m old school but I love a to-do list on paper. I need something I can scratch off. That is key. Seriously, how satisfying is it to scratch something off a list? Actually, to be really specific, I bullet point everything with little boxes that I can check. I then number them in order of importance, Ivy Lee Method style.
But do what works for you. Maybe you have an app you prefer, or even just notes in your phone. But make sure it’s not just a mental list that can be easy to forget or harder to prioritize

Include the details
My goal is always to drink 3L of water a day (ugh I’m the worst for this sometimes). There’s a check box for 1L, 2L, and 3L. I even include things like taking my vitamins. I’m basically babying myself, but I apparently need the constant reminders. I also keep a separate list for those little things I may have to get done today but know I’ll forget.. like, painting nails before date night, dropping something off at the post office, getting a stain out of Lily’s shirt before it goes in the laundry..

Organize
I need to keep my list organized. I have 4 categories: Work, Detox on the Rocks, Personal, and **N* ***O* (That’s as close as I’m getting to spilling the new project! Ah! It’s killing me) I love love love these little notepads from Indigo. They come with 3 small note pads and 1 larger one. So perfect if you have multiple things to organize and plus I like the bigger one for weekly goals.

Tackle the biggest tasks first
You know, that most daunting thing. You’re not going to be as productive with the little stuff if there’s this big time-consuming task just waiting for you.

Time Batch
Find what works best for you, but there are definitely things you can keep to one day. If you’re a blogger, maybe it’s your photos. Can you plan your photo session for one day and bang out your posts for the month? Maybe you can arrange to have all your personal appointments on one day. This helps to keep your other days from getting all jumbled up and jumping from one thing to the next.

Use this list to kill time
Okay, so here is where having all those “little things” on the list has really helped me. There are so many times during the day where I’m maybe waiting on a call back or an email to come through that I know won’t take more than 15 minutes. But I don’t exactly want to fall off track or get distracted. Maybe you’re waiting for a ride to show up, or someone is on their way over. Look to your list. Is there something on there that won’t take more than 10-15 minutes? Do this! It will ensure you do those little things that matter to you without taking time away from your “more important” priorities.

Set a timer
This always helps to keep me focused on the one thing I set out to do. After I put Lily to bed, I used to give myself an hour – hour and a half, to clean the kitchen, fold laundry, vacuum, etc. This kept me from getting distracted while cleaning to ensure I was on my couch, red wine in hand, watching housewives by 9:30. You’d be surprised how much you can get done with even a 15 minute timer set!

Kay, babe. You’ve got this. And you’re going to be amazed at the time you’ll find to not only get things done, but the spare time you’ll have once you realize how much you’ve accomplished in the day. I find it helps me to really rest easy being able to SEE what I’ve checked off during the day.

It’s so easy to get caught up, with all these thoughts jumping around your head of little things to do. It’s time consuming in itself, and energy stealing! You’re going to enjoy your downtime SO. MUCH. MORE. Trust me!

ANY TIPS OF YOUR OWN!? Share with everyone in the comments!!