The Less Stress Way to Get Your Things-To-Do Done

Two things are certain. First, there are only twenty-four hours in a day. Second, we never seem to have enough time to do everything we want to accomplish in a day. The desire to get things done is a constant motivation for many. The inability to finish those same desired things to do is a constant demotivation for many. What a dilemma!

The to-do list: stress minimizer or maximizer?

The “To-Do List” is a proven tool anyone can use to help accomplish important or even nonessential tasks. One of the greatest benefits of a to-do list is it keeps us focused on what we hope to complete. When our day begins and we have a good to-do list to follow we have a wonderful opportunity to greatly reduce our stress. Why?

1. We know what we must do. Just the fact that we have a to-do list means we have a roadmap for how to act productively.
2. We can prioritize our agenda. With a to-do list in hand, we can decide which activity we want to handle first and assign an order for doing the other activities as well.
3. We are able to measure our effectiveness. At the end of a period, whether the past hour or the entire day, we can assess how well we have succeeded at doing the job we set our sights on accomplishing.

The flip side of to-do lists is they are stress-inducers, too. Have you ever looked at your to-do list at the end of the day and found that you did not accomplish anything on the list? I have! Or, maybe you only accomplished one thing and it was not even the highest priority activity.

When we do not do what is on our to-do list we can get disappointed about not staying on task. We might feel overwhelmed, too, because we now have all of today’s unfinished business to add to whatever we already have planned to do tomorrow. It can be enough to cause us to think and feel as if, “It will never end!”

The pressure just continues to increase as our to-do list grows longer. If you are familiar with this scenario, there is hope. During the last twenty-four hours, did you sleep the whole day away? Most likely you did not, so you did something with the time you had. You just did not finish the activities on your to-do list. Now, that should lead you to wondering, “What did I do?”

The done list?

We are often more accomplished than we might be crediting ourselves for. Here is an example from my life: at the end of each year I review the goals I set for myself at the start of the year. I make notes on how well (or poorly) I performed. I always find three outcomes. First I have the goals I intended to reach and did accomplish adequately. Second, I have goals I intended to reach, but did not accomplish and sometimes did not really start working on. Third, I discover accomplishments I achieved that were not goals I had intended to reach when the year began.

The same thing happens to us on many days. We begin the day with a plan. Then, as the day passes hour by hour we can find ourselves veering away from the plan either consciously or unconsciously. Maybe we are distracted and engaging in unproductive activity. Yet we could just as easily be doing the unpredictable, the creative, the constructive , or the urgent activities that our days often demand that we do.  If we are doing the latter, then we could be involved in non-to-do list activities for a few minutes or many hours. How do you avoid getting disappointed with your efforts when you just cannot seem to shorten that list?

One way is to create a “Did-It List”. A did-it list is simply a way of tracking your completed activities and accomplishments regularly. It is a super way to stop wondering, “What did I do with my time?” or “Why can’t I get anything done?” Instead, you are actually writing a list of what you finished.

You may be thinking that the last thing you want to do is create more work or add another item to your daily to-do list. OK, that might be true. But consider these reasons why a did-it list can be valuable:

1. You give yourself something to praise. When you look at your unfinished to-do list, you see a source of frustration. When you view your did-it list, you feel utter satisfaction. You may not have done a million things you wanted or hoped to do that day, but here are the two, five or eleven things you did finish. Give yourself a pat on the back.
2. A did-it list reveals your priorities. If you want to know what your priorities truly are, analyze what you did. Because you know you cannot accomplish everything you want to do in a day, the fact is what you actually worked on or completed is what you felt was the highest priority activity at the time.  When you do your did-it list you can note why it was important for you to do what you did instead of what you thought you were going to do.
3. You can learn and assess how your time is spent. A did-it list is not just checking off the items on your to-do list. Many things you do are omitted from your to-do list. Your did-it list adds all of those important activities that were just as necessary but never made your to-do list because they were not premeditated.

Defend yourself from distress

An especially good reason for keeping a did-it list is that the feeling of accomplishment we get puts us in a mood of appreciation. With appreciation comes gratefulness. Looking at a long, unfulfilled to-do list is a stress increaser. It can make us want to take a break to relieve the feeling. A did-it list, no matter how short, restores a sense of harmony and makes us feel productive. We get energy to do more.

Lastly, there is a mental advantage, too. If we start to think negatively or distressfully and accuse ourselves of “not doing a thing you intended to do,” the did-it list is contrary evidence we can use to bolster our attitude and diffuse such poor self-talk. It can help us honestly dissuade our disapproving thoughts by posing a simple rebuttal, “Is that so? It seems to me that I did everything I wanted to do.”

As always, today is the only day you have to earn your victory. Have a winning day!

Live encouraged,
Leon

Your comments are welcomed and I appreciate you for sharing my message with those you know.