I’ll be honest, there are periods in my life when I don’t have it all together. You can stop laughing now. Yes, I’ll admit proudly that I’m not “perfect” mom or wife…or human being for that matter. Want to know my secret to faking it? I keep lists. Between running the household, staying on top of the million things I have to do each day, and keeping up with my kids my daily list and COFFEE keep me sane!
Something as simple as writing a daily to-do list truly has the power to help you crush your daily life. Once you start making a daily list and seeing the results, it will become a strong habit and part of your daily routine. I honestly can’t live without mine.
Making a daily list does not have to be overly complicated, either. In fact, when it comes to a daily list, the simpler the better. Here are three easy steps to begin taking right now to get more done every day and remove a great deal of stress from your life:
Start writing a list today
Why wait for tomorrow for what you can accomplish today? The first step to making this a productive part of your daily routine is to simply get started. Each day, before you begin your workday or routine, take five minutes to think about what you need to get done today. It could be things at the office, Christmas shopping, a run to the dry-cleaners or anything else. Whatever it is that you need to get done today, write it down.
Prioritize tasks
The next step in making daily lists a big part of your routine is to prioritize tasks.This isn’t my strongest area. By listing your tasks from the hardest to the easiest, you will see something quite phenomenal. By completing your most difficult task first, you will be filled with a sense of accomplishment that will make you even more productive the rest of the day. Knocking out this biggest task will provide a sense of relief and will motivate you to get even more done. Sometimes I even write my list according to proximity to each other…you know going to the grocery store and hitting the dry cleaner first so my ice cream doesn’t melt.
Stay disciplined
If you have a daily list of seven action items, look to complete those items in order. It can be very tempting to jump around the list as we naturally want to avoid difficult or challenging things. Do not fall into this trap. Once you have ordered your to-do items, attack the list in that order. Do not quit or move on to the next task until the previous task has been completed. This will help ensure that you get everything done each and every day. As a mom of a certain age, this part is hard because I often walk into or out of a room and forgot what I needed to get done. Another plus for the list writing…memory enhancer!
After making my list and setting priority, I’m off and running. That’s why Dixie® To Go is The Official Cup For Crushing It. With no washing or cleanup involved, it’s one less thing I have to worry about, which can help me “crush” my daily list. By putting little to no effort in making my morning coffee, not to mention the fact that with Dixie® To Go here is no clean up, then I am worry free and have more time to focus on things that matter…like crossing things off my to do list.
You only get so much time each and every day to accomplish what you need to accomplish and to move forward towards your goals and objectives. By taking a quick time-out every morning to organize your day, you will be astonished at how much more effective your time will be. Lists are an extremely powerful weapon in your quest to get more done in less time, start using them today to take your productivity to the next level.
I was selected for this paid opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
The post Write a List Everyday and Accomplish More appeared first on The Exhausted Mom.