I am brand new to the world of publishing. I had To Do’s list after To Do’s list jotted down on post-its, papers and envelopes everywhere. It got to the point where I was literally waking up in the middle of the night trying to figure out if I had already jotted down what had just popped into my head. Then I decided to consolidate all my To Do lists into one Master To Do’s List in my planner.
Working through Overwhelm
Not everyone is a list person, but I certainly am. That Master To Do’s List went through several transformations. I rewrote it in colored pens; a different color for each category. That worked for a while. But it created it’s own set of problems. When I was working on one product and promoting it, I’d have to look at that huge Master To Do’s list to find all the items related to the product category I was working on.
Ever been overhelmed by your To Do’s list or is this just me? Type YES or NO in the Comments below. I’d love to know if you’ve shared this pain.
Get Your Free Download
So, I then created a more organized To Do’s List. This time, there was one To Do list per category. Awesome! That has been working really well for me. That is how this To Do List Template came to be. You can download it for free here. Let me show you how I use it.
The To Do List Template has four pages. The first one is the Master To Do List. It contains a space for over 100 To Do tasks. It is meant to be used as a brain dump.
Steps to Use Master To Do’s List Template:
STEP 1: Just jot down all the To Do’s you have in your head. No categories. No order. Just dump it!
STEP 2: Review all the To Do’s. Break them down into small enough tasks that you can complete in a day or so. That may mean that you cross out one task and create five in it’s place.
STEP 3: Now decide how many categories you can divide these tasks into. Maybe you want to divide them into categories like Personal, Business, School, etc. Or like I do, Planners, Bible Study Workbooks, Notebooks, Website, Instagram, etc. You decide what works best for you. Maybe a category is the name of each of your children with a list of things you need to get done for them. Maybe your categories deal with your personal health; Nutrition, Activity, Mindset. Your categories can also be based on your goals; increase website visits, increase income by 10%, invest in relationships, etc.
STEP 4: Pages 2 – 4 of the PDF have been divided into three columns with space on the top to write in the categories that work best for you. Copy your tasks from page 1 to the appropriate category.
MORE TO DO’S LIST TIPS
- Do this often. I re-do my Master To Do’s List on a quarterly basis. Three months is a good length of time for me to get the important tasks done.
- Once my To Do’s are in categories, I review them monthly and decide which ones I want to work on this month. They go on my Monthly To Do’s list. You can do that by placing a specific mark in the box next to the task, like the first letter of the month, or a number 1-2-3. I prioritize them and that is the list I work on during the month. If I complete them before the end of the month, then I go back to the Quarterly To Do’s list.
- Make your To Do’s list tasks small enough to complete in a day or so. For example, if your goal is to write a book, then break it down to “Write 1000 words”. That can be achievable in an hour. It can be incorporated it into your day and you can mark it as done by the end of the day.
- As more To Do’s come up, jot them into the categories they belong. There is no need to put them on the Master To Do anymore.
- At the end of the time period you allotted yourself for accomplishing this To Do’s list, reflect on all you have accomplished. Give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. Look at the tasks that weren’t accomplished. Do you need to carry forward to your next time period or can they be scrapped? You decide. Your list.
- Print out the next Master To Do’s List and do it all over again for the next allotted time period.
Conclusion:
Creating a To Do’s list will help you become more productive. Decide on a time period that this list is going to be accomplished. I think quarterly is a good time period, but this is your list. Choose what works best for you.
Do a brain dump. Not all these To Do’s will end up completed. Some may even be scrapped. But it doesn’t matter. Get them out of your head and leave that space in your head for more productive things.
Categorize your tasks. Decide which categories work well for you.
Choose which tasks you want to work on in the short term. Even though your To Do is for, let’s say three months, choose which tasks you will get done in the next month.
Enter the task into your planner and get it done. Once it’s completed, mark your task by either crossing it out or placing a star next to it.
At the end of the time period you allotted, review your To Do’s List and pat yourself on the back for all you were able to accomplish. Reward yourself for a job well done.
Start all over again for the next period.
Let’s keep this transparent. This page contains affiliate links, which means—at zero cost to you—I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you for your support!
