It is Day 6 of the 10 Day Organizing Challenge! Every day for 10 days we are tackling a different space for 10 minutes of focused organizing! Today we are tackling your to-do list!
You may be asking, “What do you even mean, organize your to-do list?” Oh, we are so excited to show you because once your to-do list is organized, your productivity will surprise you!
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Why do you even need a to-do list?
You might be tempted to skip organizing your to-do list or work on something else left over from the week, which is fine of course because this is your challenge. But I do want to encourage you to take a closer look at to-do lists and why they are such a big part in keeping your home clutter-free.
As we’ve been going through our 10-minute organizing challenges, the to-do list has been an integral part in keeping us working through the clutter. As you have probably discovered, a lot of things that are cluttering up your home are unfinished tasks or projects.
Is your to-do list is a visual pile?
Many people don’t realize but they try to build their to-do list with visual reminders.
Have you ever heard yourself saying, “I’m going to put this here so I remember to do it,” or “I’m going to put this store return here on my bedroom floor so I’ll see it and remember to return it.”
The problem is, these visual reminders pile up quickly because you have a lot to do!
Unfortunately visual reminders begin to turn into clutter and start to blend in and become just part of your home landscape. We need a better system!
Think like a CEO
You need to think of yourself as the CEO of your home. You wear many hats and you’re responsible for so many things each day. You need a reliable system to help you stay on top of these roles. It’s up to you to create a system that works for you. I don’t remember when I first heard that phrase, think like a CEO, but it resonated with me because I knew that if there was a problem to solve, I had to solve it.
You have a lot to do, you have a household to run! Time is precious and you don’t have time for failing systems.
A CEO of a business would never try to keep all their tasks or to-do lists in their head, using only items left out to help remind them of what to do. To be successful, they need to create and tweak a system until it works for them and the many responsibilities they navigate each day.
Simplify your To-Do List with Routines
Maybe you have avoided to-do lists in the past because they feel cumbersome. Maybe you are of the mindset, “There’s not enough to be writing out lists all day and then referring back to it when I could just get it done already!”
I completely understand. That’s where routines come in!
Routines pair beautifully with your to-do list and can help conquer the clutter trap of leaving out visual to-do list reminders. We talked a lot about routines in Ep 79 Ready, Set, Routines. Routines help you get daily items done so they don’t need to be listed on your to-do list.
For example, you don’t need to write, “go through the mail” on a to-do list. If going through the mail, prepping lunch, or packing kids backpacks is a daily part of your evening routine, you don’t need to write it on your to-do list for the day because you’ve already built a system to hold these tasks.
Your to-do list is the place for actionable items, things like: mail book to Laura, return shoes to Kohl’s. Routines help your to-do list to not get littered up with the daily mundane things that need to be done.
Make the To-Do List a Trusted System
The to-do list has to be a trusted place that you can refer to. When I say a trusted place it means a place that you’re going to keep coming back to again and again. A random slip of paper might get a to- do out of your head, but once it goes in your pocket and then into the wash, that system has let you down.
I recommend a planner, spiral notebook, or an app to jot down your to-dos. I always look for a planner with vertical columns so I can have a long list to record my to-dos.
Another favorite thing about my planner is that it has a numbered 1, 2, 3 list on the top. You are able to list and focus on the top three things you want to get done for that day. I feel like 3 tasks to do each day, on top of other daily routines and responsibility, are manageable. If I’m working on a large project, I list out a bite-size piece of that project in my top 3 tasks.
A spiral notebook allows you to have all your lists together in one trusted place. If you date your to-do list, you can always go back and refer to past lists as you edit and amend your current to-do list.
Whether its a planner, an app, or a notebook, the key is to have a trusted system or holding place for your to-dos.
Making your To-Do List
Did we convince you yet of the importance of to-do lists in your overall organizing goals?
If you are looking to dive deeper into to-do list, check out the book, Getting Things Done by David Allen.
Let’s Get Started!
So what are we organizing for our 10 minute organizing challenge? Here are possible things you can focus on for these next 10 minutes?
- Delete one or more items from your list– Say goodbye to an item that has been on your list for a while and you can let go of it now.
- Work on one item that you have been dreading for 10 minutes.
- Schedule the next 3 most important things on your calendar.
- Make an item actionable. For example, if you have Learn to play the piano on your to-do list, make it something you’ll actually be able to dive into. Make it actionable by breaking it down into the next action to move you towards your goal. For example, ask 3 friends for their recommendations of a piano teacher or search for a YouTube site for beginning piano instruction.
For even more tips Check out Ep 7 Making a Better To-do List.
Taking Action
Now that your to-do list is in order, it is time to take action so your unfinished projects don’t become clutter.
We did it!
We want to celebrate Day 6 of the challenge with you today, so check in with us! Let us know how it went!
We welcome all updates, before and after pics, or even questions that came up for you as you started the project. Tag us on Instagram @AtoB podcast or Facebook. Or send us an email Hello @ AtoBpodcast.com.
Did you miss a Day?
Also, it is not too late to invite a friend! We made this handy, dandy image to make it easy to share far and wide! We’ll see you tomorrow!
