Every day, one of the first things I do before I settle down to write is grab a large post-it note and write myself a to-do list. This habit has become an integral part of my daily routine. Sometimes it’s just a short list, especially if I have a long shift at my day-job, and sometimes they’re so enormous they almost don’t fit onto the note. My to-do lists are always handwritten, and complete with satisfying little checkboxes I can use to tick off my completed tasks. Some people find to-do lists a bit restricting, but I love them. They keep me productive and accountable, and help me keep track of how I’m spending my time each day. In my opinion, to-do lists are one of my most powerful tools, and today I thought I would share five reasons why they’re so good.
To-Do Lists Give The Day Structure
It’s very easy to drift through the day without achieving anything if I don’t plan out what I want to do with the time I have available. Of course, like everyone, I always have a list of things I need to do running through the back of my mind, but writing a to-do list every morning forces me to actually stop and decide which of those tasks I’m actually going to achieve. Writing a list gives me a concrete outline for what I will do with my day. That means that I know exactly what I should be working on at any moment in time, rather than bobbing along assuming that I’ll get to the important part of the day eventually.
To-Do Lists Are A Visual Reminder Of What I’ve Done
I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly anxious that I’m not getting enough done. It’s really easy reach the end of the day feel like I’ve probably wasted time, even though I’ve been hard at work. Having a to-do list with all it’s nice little checkmarks gives me a visual reminder that I actually did achieve more than I remember. This feeling is also the reason why I update my to-do lists during the day, add on any tasks that I didn’t plan for, but which took up a significant chunk of time. By adding those things to the list, I can look back at the end of the day when I’m questioning why I couldn’t get through all the writing tasks I originally planned on doing and remind myself Of all the productive things that I did achieve.
The Size Of The Paper Limits My Plans
I’m an ambitious plan maker. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to plan to over do it. If I’m prepared for NaNoWriMo, I’m preparing two or three projects. If I’m prewriting blog posts, I’m planning a month ahead. There is no in between. It’s all or nothing. And this ambition carries over into my everyday plans too. I try and cram too much into the 24 hour period, to the point I become stressed because there’s no way to actually do everything. This is why I write my to-do lists on a physical post-it note. The size of the paper limits the amount of tasks I can put on my list. Even writing small, I’m going to run out of space. I might still over-plan, but it does help to keep the list down to a more manageable level, which doesn’t stress me out quite as much.
To-Do Lists Provide A Cut Off Point For Work
Writing from home, it’s hard to know when to stop work for the night. There’s always one more thing that I could be doing, more writing do be done, another blog post to write, or social media to check on. I could work forever and still never reach the end of what needs to be done. Having a to-do list provides me with a solid end to the day. Once all the tasks are ticked off, I can reassure myself that I’ve done everything that needs to be done for the moment, and stop working for the day. Having that reminder is really helpful when it comes to allowing myself to relax without feeling guilty for not working harder.
To-Do Lists Give The Satisfaction Of Ticking Off Tasks
My final reason for having a to-do list is because I get such satisfaction out of ticking off the tasks as I achieve them. It’s such a small thing, but I get such great pleasure from being able to put a tick in each box, and looking down at a completed to-do list. You’d be surprised how motivating that feeling can be, and how hard I will work just to be able to check off another task. I can keep track of my wins, and have this little reminder of how well I’m doing, and it’s just such a good feeling.
These are my top five reasons why I absolutely love to-do lists. But I would love to hear from you. Do you use to-do lists? How do you organise your day? Do you get the same satisfaction from ticking off boxes as I do? Let’s chat down in the comments!
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