Honestly, this is why to-do lists don't always work
*writes down to-do list to write to-do list post*
Hi again. I can’t believe I’m on a two-week streak!
This is pretty exciting. Time management has been the biggest challenge for me so far, but now that I’m freelancing more than ever, I have way more time to write weekly in this newsletter.
So this week’s edition is more about productivity. As a freelancer, I’m learning that I can’t rely on others to be organized for me- it’s up to me to stay tidy and manage my time better. And that’s been a struggle because up until recently I’ve finally learned what it means to be organized and productive. It’s a constant battle every day.
One thing that has (and hasn’t) helped me is to-do lists.
So, what about to-do lists?
You probably know what a to-do list is. It’s a list that you write down with the things you have to do. That’s it.
According to the Internet, though, there are so many types of to-do lists. (seriously… so many.) There’s a to-don’t list, and you can make weekly to-do lists if you want to.
If you really want to go above and beyond to stay organized, lots of people use Notion or some type of project management system to help them stay on top of things.
I feel like I’ve explored every type of to-do list out there. I need some type of to-do list. My mind bounces all over the place, so if I don’t check myself, I’m constantly writing random notes like “don’t get takeout!!” on a whiteboard or writing down article ideas and forgetting about them one week later. I’ve been worse, but thankfully I feel like I kinda got things together.
Because of my chaotic brain, though, to-do lists don’t always work for me. That’s because I write too many to-do lists. Or I put too much importance on my to-do list and get distracted by something else. As a result, I forget that I even had a to-do list and start to feel sad about missing my to-dos. So yeah, this isn’t a great process.
If you also deal with this same problem, you’re definitely not alone. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be organized or that your brain is broken. You just need a strategy that works for you. :)
Creating a to-do list that actually works
Kirstin O’Donovan, a productivity coach and founder and CEO of TopResultsCoaching, lists in a LifeHack article strategies you can take to write to-do lists that don’t overwhelm you and aren’t impossible to do. Below are her suggestions to make to-do lists helpful:
Break the list down
Have you ever written down seven to eight tasks and thought, “Oh my god, what did I get myself into?” O’Donovan says that’s because our brains get overwhelmed with overly long to-do lists. To shorten your list, make different projects and then categorize your to-do list that way (e.g. “chore” list, “don’t forget to cook lunch” list, “please, please, buy those home items you need on your Alexa shopping” list, etc. Obviously, these are my suggestions, so tailor them to your likes.)
Estimate your time
Often we’re not very good at estimating the time it takes to do a task. Take in how long it takes to really do a task (e.g. 30 mins, 1 hour, 2 hours) and add it to your list.
My personal tip: if you think, “Yeah, I can get this done in 30 mins b/c that’s my goal” and your soul starts to shake, then that might mean you need more time to add. Give yourself enough time to complete a task, and factor in distractions if you know they’re going to happen. To-do lists are here to make your life easier, not harder.
Take in your priorities
I’ve never heard of this one, so I’m going to try it myself. Organizing your tasks by priority is important, but the author mentions actually shifting what tasks are the biggest priority to you into four categories:
Important and urgent
Not urgent but important
Not important but urgent
Not important or urgent
Work on tasks that are important and urgent, but also factor in that you’ll want to work on tasks that aren’t urgent but important. This is because you want to create a workflow that feels easy and balanced instead of one where you feel rushed to make important decisions from 9 to 5.
Personally, this is my biggest problem. In freelancing I felt like I was putting out fires constantly while putting aside my career explorations I so wanted to do- like photography and art.
Cultivate your time for yourself
It’s important to know that your time is your time. Nobody can force you to choose what you want to do on a given day. It might be hard to say no to someone who is a boss that forces you to take a deadline, and it might take time to manage your interests, but your time is sacred.
So, nourish it and do the things you want to do, regardless of what’s going on around you.