Build A Better To-Do List

 

You and Santa both check your list twice.

 

As I was revising and finalizing the content for my Simplify Your Holidays webinar on December 1, I caught an episode of The 6-Figure Coach podcast with Neill Williams featuring Leah Roling, a life and business coach talking about my favorite subject: clutter. Leah said that when she coaches her clients about their Temporal Clutter (that is: overscheduled calendars, constant busy-ness, productivity burnout), she gets them to do a To-Do List audit. My ears perked up. She was definitely speaking my "essentialist" language. Of course, clutter always starts in the mind, but it manifests in all the ways--including our cluttered calendars. Take her savvy advice and see where you might be hoarding busy-ness and overwhelm that ain't nobody got time for!

 

The To-Do List Audit

• Make a list of everything you have to-do. Leave nothing out. Listmakers, where you at? Let’s go! You know you want to write some stuff down just to cross some stuff off!
• Review each item on your list and ask yourself these questions:
• Am I the only one responsible for doing this thing (and only me)?
• But seriously: are you the only one? It’s worth asking twice.
• Does it have to be done this week?
• If yes to the questions–put it on your calendar and obey your calendar! This eliminates the decision fatigue you get from 1)not feeling like it (and you won't feel like it all the time, even when it's important) and 2) not getting it done at all while you mentally spiral and scroll social media/online shop/eat candy. Remember, clutter is just unmade decisions, so by eliminating decisions of when and if you're going to do the thing you already said you have to do and you're the only one who can do, you're removing these would-be blocks to actually doing it.
• If someone else could do it or is jointly responsible for it or it doesn't have to be done this week…it doesn't mean that the activity is not worthwhile, but it may mean that it's not the best use of YOUR time right now because either you could be doing a different activity that will be more energizing to you that only you can do (exercise, visiting a friend) or that is more focused toward your goals and values (here's me, writing this blog post and trying to create great content for my clients!). You can still add these to your calendar, but try putting them in a different color or denoting their lower priority in some way so as not to derail the priority projects.

While you get your to-do list in shape and lighten your load by delegating, remember these words of Martha Beck, "Never put off anything that you can cancel entirely."

 

If you are experiencing any kind of clutter in your life, from your calendar to your relationships or your closet, I would be so honored to help you sort it out as your clutter coach. The one you've been waiting for is already here, but she's under something heavy! Visit the contact page of my site to book a session or send me a message to set up a discovery call.