Sometimes your grocery list or your guest list might be long, but keep your to-do list needs to be short!

There’s nothing more daunting than looking at a long list of things that need to get done. The shorter your list, the more likely you are to actually accomplish things and be able to cross them off!! No one likes to see a list of 10 or more things and maybe 2 get crossed off for the day, then you carry that list over to the next day. It feels like you never accomplish anything useful.

I actually keep two to-do lists:

  1. My first list is an on-going list of things that I want to remember to do. All throughout the day, I come up with many ideas of things I want to do or need to do or should do. I just write them down, so the ideas won’t get lost. Writing them down to be done later helps me to stay focused on the current task.
  2. My second list is my daily task list. I keep this one REALLY short. Depending on how long each item will take, I usually write down about 3 major tasks that I will get done that day and a few minor ones that only take a minutes to complete. Keeping this list small ensures that I will remain focused. I won’t be overwhelmed by the huge list of things to get done. I just plug through the items one at a time and cross them off when they are complete. If I have errands I want to run that day, I also include those on my list. It gives me a sense of great accomplishment to see that I have crossed everything off. Each day I start with a fresh sheet of paper.

Every night before I quit work for the day, I write down what I want to accomplish the next day. I do this at night because then in the morning when I am fresh, I can just look at my list and start working immediately. Other people prefer to make their list first thing in the morning. Experiment and do what works for you.

When I am making my daily task list, I look at my first list to see what is written there that should get done soon. I also cross items off this list that I have completed or are no longer relevant.

My short list is what I refer to when I am moving from one task to the next throughout the day. When my list is complete, I give myself the choice of adding another task to work on, or taking a long break to spend more time with my family. (Being the workaholic that I am, I usually choose to add another task. :)