“To Do”, or NOT “To Do”; that is the question

Is It Just ME, or do you, too, have that a “to do” list for when you’re done with your “to do” list?

Not a true procrastinator by nature, I must admit, I may be on “that list”.

I guess its human nature: we plan, we rethink, we analyze, and we forget what it was we were planning.  REPEAT.

Don’t get me wrong; I love lists.  I love making lists and crossing things off them I’ve even made lists of things I’ve already done that day just to cross them off!  Please don’t tell anyone!  There’s a sense of satisfaction, accomplishment, fulfillment, a goal having been met when you can cross something off your list.

Here’s the danger:  writing the list isn’t getting it done.  Writing the list may be step one in actually organizing what it is you need to do – it’s not accomplishing anything – unless, of course, the first thing on your list is “write a list”!

I love the pretty little notepads sets for writing lists (they make wonderful gifts, by the way).  Companies make fortunes selling these stationery items – they even personalize them so you don’t end of mistakenly doing something on someone else’s list!!  WHAT A NOTION.

I write lists for the grocery store but I always forget to write “take the grocery list with you when you go to the grocery store” on that list.  BUT, having written that list, somehow, makes it easier for me to actually remember what it is I need.  It’s the visual, mind-to-hand back to the eye thing that makes that possible.  (Excuse me a moment, I have to add “look up the ‘visual, mind-to-hand back to the eye thing’ to my list to see if there really is such a thing!)

The truth is that writing things down works.

 I sometimes feel lists are kept as a way of releasing the very task we’ve listed. It’s now “documented; it’s “official”.

 If asked, “Did you do _______, yet?” we can respond, “No, but it’s on my list!”   Does that men to imply it’s as good as done?  Don’t fool yourself; it’s not.

Plan your work, and then work your plan, the saying goes…Here’s my 3-Step program for successful list-writing:

1.)  Write the list

  

2.)  Prioritize it.

3.)  Start at the top and work your way down.

Next, you begin to enjoy the pleasure of getting things done, crossing items off your list, and actually feeling as though you have more time – FOR YOU.

SO, IS it just me, or does becoming more efficient and creating time for yourself sound like a plan?

Write a Blog for Wednesday, April 3, 2013