How to Finish Your To-Do List Everyday

Imagine being able to accomplish your to-do list every day…

Going to bed every night without a million things swimming through your head…

As parents and homemakers, we have hundreds of ideas and things to do on a daily basis.  And keeping track of all of it is a tough job!

I find that I have even more on my mind at this time of year.  When the kids go back to school and we have to get back into a routine.

To make your job as a parent easier, you might jot down a few items on a to-do list.

Then something else pops into your head and you add it to the bottom of the list.

Before you know it, you have a mile-long list that’s filled with #allthethings!

Where do you start?

Which task should you focus on first?

And how in the world are you supposed to keep track of the random ideas that seem to come out of nowhere?

In this post, we’re talking about the best way to juggle everything you need to do on a daily basis.

If you’re overwhelmed at the thought of your to-do list, these steps will help you create a to-do list you can be proud of!

Use One Notebook for Your To-Do Lists

First, let’s forget about using post-it notes and random scraps of paper for your to-do lists.

Post-its are extremely effective if you’re using them for a single reminder.  Like reminding your kids to shut the back door.

But if you’re trying to be more efficient with your to-do list, your best bet will be a notebook of some kind.

Any kind of notebook will do; you can even use a bullet journal or a home management binder.  As long as you have a dedicated place to house all of your lists.

Create a Master To-Do List

Have you ever heard of the method, Getting Things Done?  It was developed by productivity expert David Allen.

One of his most popular beliefs is how the brain was not made to remember things.

George A. Miller, a psychologist from Princeton University demonstrates the same concept.  He believes that our short term memories are only able to remember 5-9 items at a time.

This would explain why some of us have such a hard time trying to manage our homes!

It’s easy to remember to do the dishes because you walk by your sink all day long.

But what about the phone calls, emails, errands, and the laundry list of other things a parent has to do on a daily basis?

Add home projects to the mix and you’ll be more likely to forget what you need to do.

That’s where a master to-do list comes in!  If you’re looking for an easy way to stay on top of everything, a master list is a perfect solution.

Your master list will act as your short term memory as well as keep your projects organized.

Anytime something pops into your head, you’ll want to add it to your master list as soon as possible.

So how do you create a master to-do list?  Get out your dedicated to-do book and turn to a clean page.

- Start With a Brain Dump

First, you want to get everything out of your head and onto paper.

Don’t worry about how it looks, and don’t focus on prioritizing the tasks.

Set a timer for 20 minutes and start writing down every item that comes to your head.

- Break Down Larger Projects Into Smaller Tasks

Be as ruthless as you need to be – whatever it takes to enable you to get things done.

For example, “clean house” is a little too vague.  You can break it down a lot further by dividing your house into rooms and then zones within each room.

The best way to break up a task is to consider every single step you will need to take to complete it.

If you want to paint the living room, list out every task that you will need to do.  Choosing paint swatches, deciding on a color, purchasing supplies, etc.

Even if a step seems trivial, write it down anyway.

- Review Your Brain Dump

Add relevant dates to calendars and cross off anything unimportant.

Can you delegate any tasks to someone else?

If you have a million things to do, ask your spouse or a family member to take care of a few things so you’ll have more time for more pressing matters.

And if there’s something you can do quickly, write it on a post-it note and cross that item off your list.  Like asking your kids what they want for Christmas or changing a light bulb.

- Finally, Create Your Master To-Do List

Transfer everything to a new sheet of paper.  You can make your list as neat or as messy as you’d like.

But make sure to label it at the top as your Master To-Do List so you’ll be able to identify it immediately.

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Use Your Master List to Plan Your Day

Now that you have your master to-do list, you’ll be better prepared to plan your daily to-do lists.

You can plan your list before you go to bed or you can make it part of your morning routine.  But try to avoid writing down whatever comes to your mind.

- Take a Look at Your Master List + Choose a Few Tasks to Complete

Add any timely tasks that need to be completed, such as doctor appointments, work hours, etc.

From there, add your daily chore, errands, and important phone calls.

And consider adding a few household projects.  If you’ve been telling yourself that you need to clean out the fridge or declutter the hall closet, add it to your list!

- Avoid Over-Scheduling

If you find that you tend to overschedule your day, try estimating how long each task will take.

And then add the estimated time to the end of each task.

For example:

• Post office (30 min)
• Clean out the fridge (1 hr)

By adding up your estimated times, you’ll know right away if you’ve over-scheduled!

- Prioritize!

Choose your top 3 tasks that you absolutely HAVE to do today.

These are your do or die tasks.  Calling the pediatrician to schedule an appointment.  Making your credit card payment because you’re already 15 days late. 🙄

Highlight Your Top 3

By now you should have your master to-do list and your daily to-do list.

And ideally, both should be in the same notebook.

Next, you’ll want to highlight your 3 most important tasks.

This is the secret to accomplishing your to-do list every day!  It’s the best way to distinguish your important tasks from the rest of your list.

It’s easy to get lost in a sea of tasks.  Our subconscious mind realizes it can’t possibly complete everything, which causes anxiety.

If you’re faced with too many choices, studies have shown that you will most likely choose none.

Which explains why a lot of people have such a hard time committing to their daily to-do’s.

But highlighting your most important tasks makes it easy to recognize what you need to do next!

Your Turn

If you’re having trouble managing your duties as a parent or a homemaker, these tips will be life-changing!

Follow the steps below for a to-do list that is easy to accomplish every single day!

Use a notebook, a bullet journal, or a home management binder and get everything out of your head with a brain dump:

• • Break down larger projects 
  • Add relevant dates to calendars
  • Cross off anything unimportant
  • Transfer everything to your Master To-Do List

Use your Master To-Do List to plan your day:

• Add any timely tasks that need to be completed
• Add your daily chore, errands, and important phone calls
• Consider adding any household projects 

Avoid over-scheduling:

• Estimate how long each task will take
• And then add the estimated time to the end of each task

Prioritize:

• Choose your top 3 tasks that have to be done today

Finally, highlight your top 3:

• Use a highlighter to call attention to your most important tasks

If you haven’t used a to-do list before, just take it one step at a time.  Using any ol’ notebook, start with a brain dump.  You’ll be surprised by how many thoughts are swimming around in the back of your head!

Once you start writing, you’ll be reminded of more and more that needs to be done. 

Final Thoughts

Many people are bothered by the fact that a to-do list has a tendency to never end.

They keep adding things to their list without any consideration as to how long it will take them.

The tasks that aren’t finished get rolled over to the next day.  And then they feel defeated since they weren’t able to finish their to-do list.

Give yourself the freedom to put things off when you’re too tired to lift a muscle.  Acknowledge that you won’t get to every daily task every day of the week, and you’ll set yourself up for success.

It’s okay to admit that you couldn’t finish everything.  We’re all human and we all have times when we’re not feeling our best.

So don’t get discouraged by the fact that a to-do list “never ends”.  Because we will ALWAYS have things to do.

If your daily tasks are repeatedly rolling over to the next day, you might be over-scheduling.  Try cutting your daily list down by half and then take note of how much you are able to accomplish.

Happy scheduling! 😉

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