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To do list

Maximizing your Productivity with a Strategic To do List

Do you, like me, create a daily list of your planned achievements? I even list the most basic tasks, just so I can experience the joy of crossing them off. If you’re looking to enhance your list-making process, I’ve gathered some helpful tips to help you prioritize and complete your tasks more efficiently.

Do a Brain Dump

The first thing I do when figuring out what needs to be done is to get everything out of my head and written down. It clears my mind and gives me a visual of all the tasks I need to complete. Even if you know you’re not going to get all of the items you wrote down done today or even this week, write them anyway! No task is too big or too small. Anything currently taking up space in your head needs to be listed. This could be something small like sending a reminder text or a large undertaking such as planning your family vacation.

Prioritize

Certain things on your list will be time sensitive. You can ensure that your list reflects this by grouping items that must be completed today, tomorrow, and so on. Remember that certain tasks can only be completed at specific times, so keep this in mind when prioritizing. After you’ve sorted out the time-sensitive and date-specific items, consider adding a few tasks you’ve been putting off. These are the ones that you’ve been moving from one day’s list to the next. Take a deep breath, buckle down, and tackle them.

Do Something You WANT to do

Inject some excitement into your routine by breaking up mundane tasks with things you enjoy. Whether it’s getting your nails done for an event or shopping for new clothes, sprinkle these enjoyable activities in between the less appealing ones like dentist appointments or laundry. While essential tasks must be completed, remember to treat yourself to some fun along the way.

Think of Others

Prioritize the items on your list that affect other people. This is especially helpful if you are someone who struggles with procrastination. If someone is waiting for your response or requires you to complete a task before they can move forward, address those items as soon as possible. External accountability can motivate you to complete these types of tasks in a timely manner.

Group Like Tasks

If you have a bunch of housework to do, get it all done at the same time. It’s not productive to jump around from cleaning the bathroom to running out to the post office and then back home again to do the dishes. Same goes for errands, if you need to get gas, stop at the pharmacy and buy a birthday present for your nephew, you should plot the most sensible route and go from one to the next. By grouping your tasks together, you can be more efficient and knock them out one by one.

Quick Hits

If you’re looking to get that rush from crossing off a to-do list task, do something that takes under five minutes. Things like confirming an appointment, making the bed, sending an email, etc. are quick and easy ways to make progress on your list and boost your productivity.

If you’d like to take this to the next level, here’s an interesting concept I picked up from Gretchen Rubin – introduce a ‘Power Hour’. Set aside an hour to tackle all those small tasks that are quick but keep slipping your mind. Whether it’s tidying your desk, unloading the dishwasher, booking a haircut, or organizing your clothes, this dedicated hour is perfect for wrapping up those minor chores. While each task may seem insignificant individually, completing them all at once during this focused hour can leave you with a sense of greater achievement.

Pinpoint Your Most Productive Time

Identify your most productive hours during the day. Focus on completing tasks that demand energy and concentration during that time. Personally, I find mid-morning ideal for tackling important tasks. Being alone at home, having coffee, and finishing household chores beforehand sets the perfect stage for focusing on work, managing bills, scheduling, research, and other computer-based activities without interruptions.

Delegate and Let Go

If your brain dump results in a daunting task list that seems impossible to tackle solo, it’s time to seek assistance. Delegate tasks strategically – does your husband pass by the dry cleaners on his way home? Assign him the dry-cleaning pick-up duty! Your errands are taking you through dinner time, but the kids are STARVING?? Leave them money for a pizza and carry on. If volunteering at the kids’ school book fair pushes you over the edge, opt out this time. Your dream of having an alphabetized book collection can wait as it’s a ‘nice to have’ and not a ‘must do.’ Streamline your list by assigning tasks to others or deciding to let go of some altogether.

Make it Fun

A full day of slogging through your to-do list is no fun unless you MAKE it fun.

  • Listen to your favorite podcast while doing housework
  • Call a friend to catch up while you make dinner
  • Queue up a new audiobook during your commute to work
  • Pick up your favorite coffee on your way out to run errands

Consider anything that’s going to make doing what you have to do, better. You may even start to look forward to doing your chores if you combine them with something fun.

I hope you found some value in the tips above. As always, you need to find the piece of advice that speaks to you and your personal style. If you enjoyed this post, I’d love to hear it either in the comments below, email or social media. If you’d like to read more, I have so many blog posts about finding your organizing and cleaning style. If you want to stay on this wavelength, you can check out my blog on Decluttering with Purposeful Planning. You can get some goal inspiration by reading Crush your Goals. Or you can learn about different organizational styles with Decluttering Methods to Use for your Entire Home.


3 responses to “Maximizing your Productivity with a Strategic To do List”

  1. Erin Creek Avatar
    Erin Creek

    I can’t function without my to do lists!! I’m really trying to accomplish at least one task a day that has been on my list for awhile so I can start to “catch up”

    1. Nicole Avatar
      Nicole

      Yes, your lists contained in your multiple notebooks! Seriously though, I don’t know how people get through the day without a list.

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Hi! I’m Nicole

I am a reformed Type-A personality who absolutely loves cleaning and organizing. I’m a mom, a business owner and an all-around fun-loving person that enjoys coming up with smart and easy ways to keep house without sacrificing time that could be better spent with the important people in your life.

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