The To Do List that Never Ends

We all have one. We all lay awake some nights and think about it. It’s written on the bathroom mirror in the morning… the to-do list. No matter how much we get done, it seems to constantly be growing like a multi-headed snake. When you get one thing done, three more things appear. Yikes. I can recall only a few days of my entire adult life where I really didn't have much to do. Sometimes when I get into that funk and feel like I’m just chasing my to-do list, it’s a huge reminder to pause and re-prioritize.

I’m an old fashioned pen and paper person. I carry a journal with me to write my to-do list, along with my reading list, some journal entries, and other miscellany. I usually make a to-do list every few days. If I get to a point where I’ve written the same thing over and over again, it’s time to either change how it’s written, re-think that item, or scrap it all together. For example, I’ve written “change insurance” for a few weeks now. That vague entry felt daunting and time consuming, so I skipped over it week after week. Then I realized I needed to break it down so “change insurance” became “get quote from car insurance broker”. Boom, checked it off that day. If something has been on your to-do list for a bit, take a moment to analyze if it’s worth time or worth just letting go. If it’s still something you need to accomplish, is there an actionable plan you can make or a way to break it down further?

At the end of the day, your to-do list might not be done, but that doesn’t mean you haven’t accomplished anything. For a recovering perfectionist like me, it’s important to keep in mind; that just because I only checked one thing off my list, doesn’t mean I failed. Although, when that happens, I write things that I’ve already done or know I’ll do. Like, “Eat lunch”, consider it done! “Get gas”, totally crushing it! “Go to Target”, I’m a productivity train that cannot be stopped! It’s kind of like cheating my brain, but it makes me feel better on days when I didn’t get as much done as I hoped.

For moments when I have limited time, say one hour to power through and knock a few things out, I'll start with the thing I want to do the least. By getting the unpleasant, boring, or tedious thing done, it takes the weight off of the other things. Rather than trudging towards the thing you don't want to do, it's almost like you're cutting the rocks off your shoes and lightly running towards the finish line. And if that's not enough, I set rewards for myself. Like 10 minutes to zone out on Pinterest, time with Cameron, or a cup of coffee. I've heard it said that you shouldn't reward yourself with food because "you're not a dog" but please, I work faster when I know there's a cookie waiting for me when I'm done.

Do you have any to-do list crushing tips? Do you have to trick your brain? Please tell me I’m not alone in this.