The Importance of "To-do" Lists

My last post was about being productive, but now I want to talk about a way to get started on it! I used to try to do things without a list, and I ended up being very disorganized because of it. I would think about one task, jump to another, and then only start on that one before seeing something else I'd rather do. That just leaves everything in a big mess, with not much actually getting done!

While making a To-Do list may sound cheesy, it really works for me and countless others as well. But what makes a good to-do list? What should be on it? What order should things go in? This is the outline I follow to making a great list, and I nearly always get everything done on it!

1. Think about what things you need to do that day. Make sure you know which things are most important (washing dishes) and which things can wait until later (painting your nails). 
2. Consider what order you want to do things in. For instance, not only is dish washing probably more important than painting your nails, you probably want to do that first so you don't mess them up! 
3. Start your list. I like to put mine in chronological order and put other things in there that are easy so I can feel accomplished marking them off (like eating breakfast or checking facebook). 
4. Set time frames for each activity if you can, such as "10-11 AM" or "before lunch". This will help you keep on track. 
5. Give yourself a break. I like to take a break while eating lunch, but then get back to it! Especially if you don't have the entire day to do it (I work in the evenings so I have to get everything done in the morning). If this is the case, give yourself a little breathing time before you have to leave as well. No one wants to go straight from being productive at home to being productive at work. Take a rest, eat a snack, and take your time. =)

As an example, here is my list for today:

• Take Nik to work
• Eat Breakfast
• Take Georgia to work
• Start laundry
• Wash half the dishes
• Do a blog post
• Make/eat lunch, relax online
• Finish dishes
• Make dinner to take to work
• Type up two chapters of my story
• Get ready for work

Some things on there may seem unnecessary, but it's nice to cross things off! A sense of accomplishment can go a long way into motivating you to complete your list, or even make a larger list to do next time! You'd be amazed at what you can do in just a few hours, if you're actually motivated.

Does anyone else make "To-do" lists? How do they work for you?