Sometimes it sucks being driven, doesn’t it? Like on one hand your drive is the main force behind all the great things you have in your life. But on the other hand, it’s that desire for bigger and better things that keeps loading up your plate with more responsibilities… and now your plate’s full. I’m going to get into list making in just a second, but I want to riff on this a little bit more first.
Your drive is an amazing thing.
It’s what has led you down the path of success so far and it’s the thing that will keep you going even when you’re frustrated, stuck, or disappointed.
But let’s be honest, drive is a greedy little thing. It’s that voice inside your head saying I want more!
And more is what you give it. Because it’s fun. Achieving things is fun. Creating an amazing life for yourself is fun.
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List making is a powerful thing that I use to keep myself organized and focused, especially when overwhelmed. Because overwhelm is a terrible feeling.
Like your brain is being pulled in every direction. Like you’re treading water but are slowly sinking.
It’s not fun.
But, in my experience, I have found list making to be one way that I can gain some control and offset some of that overwhelming chaos.
So what is list making?
In its most basic form, it is writing down everything that you need to do. It’s honestly that simple and for some reason not a lot of people do it.
Instead they let things pile up in their head until they either:
Forget what they need to do
Panic because their mind feels like insanity with all the tasks bouncing around
It really doesn’t need to be that hard. You just need to do a little list making.
The power of list making
I see it like this – if you’re driven and are working towards an amazing life (which I’m assuming you are), overwhelm is a sensation that you’ll need to get used to.
As far as I can tell, it’s part of the process.
The importance of to-do lists
There is a tremendous value to be gained in list making. Like I mentioned, it isn’t the end-all-be-all to eliminating your overwhelm, but it is a useful tool to help manage your life and to stay on top of things.
And while list making as a concept is simple to explain and comprehend, there is a specific formula that I recommend you follow when creating a list for yourself.
Especially when first starting out with list making.
Now, the exact step-by-step process that I recommend is a little too long to explain in full detail for this post, so instead I’ve created a bootcamp around the subject.
The bootcamp is a free, five day email series. Each day I will email you one new lesson that you can use to create a productive plan for your time. It’s like a combination of a planning course and a to-do list course. And it’s free.
When list making is right for you
As I’ve touched on, list making is a great tool to have in your toolbelt. It’s a smart strategy to employ when feeling:
Overwhelmed
Frustrated
Or that life is chaotic
By creating a to-do list for yourself you’ll take back some of that control that you feel you’re lacking. You’ll reign in some of that chaos, quiet some of that frustration, reduce some of that overwhelm.
If those are feelings you are experiencing, or those are the results you are looking for, list making is for you.
And now that you have an understanding of who list making can benefit (you) and what to expect, here is how you can get started creating effective lists of your very own.
List making: How to create your to-do list
The process of list making is straightforward. Follow this simple five step formula to create a comprehensive list that you can use throughout your day.
Step 1: Write it down
First, write down everything that you need to do. Everything. Write down every little detail, every little task. Every single item that you can think of.
Getting this all out of your head and onto something that you can see and organize will help calm down some of that noise rattling around your brain.
Step 2: Organize
Next, take your full list and reorganize it by priority. Place your most important tasks at the top and your least important ones at the bottom.
You’re going to always work on your most important tasks first so that you are continuously making progress forward.
If you’re not sure what the priority is, see my post here. It covers how to set goals for yourself. Don’t get too caught up on that though.
The reason that post in particular is helpful is that it walks you through the process of understanding what is and isn’t important in your life. A lesson that you can then come back to and apply to this step of the list making process
Step 3: Time value
From there, look at each task on your list and write down how long you expect it to take. For example:
Complete report (45 minutes)
Call consulting team (15 minutes)
Read book (35 minutes)
That way you can gain a better understanding of how much time is actually required to get everything done.
Don’t panic if you feel like there is too much to do. You will eventually get everything done.
Step 4: Factor it
At this point, you have your list and you know how long everything should take. The next step is to factor those tasks into the context of your day.
You have a busy and full life and while it’s great that you have your list of tasks ready to go, you need to be able to fit it into your schedule amongst the other items vying for your attention.
So to help, see my posts on daily planning here and productive planning here.
Step 5: One step
Finally, don’t see your list as this huge expedition that needs to be traveled in a day.
No.
Recognize that you are on a long journey and that each day you just need to take one step forward. That’s it.
If you take one step forward each day, you’ll get to your end goal in no time.
Don’t stress out over the amount of tasks you need to do. Just focus on one at a time. When that one task is done, move onto the next one. And when that’s done, move on from there.
You know the saying about not seeing the forest for the trees? Ya, well ignore it. Zoom in on those trees and take it one at a time. Don’t worry about the end of the forest because you’ll eventually get there.
For now, just take it one tree at a time.
And if you can’t get everything done today, there’s always tomorrow. Don’t stress too much. It will all get done. Be the puzzle master you know you can be.
When is a good time for list making?
At this point you may be wondering: so when should I be creating my lists? Is there a specific time or period of the day that I should do my list making?
A great question.
The answer is totally dependent on you and your preferences.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now and it’s the middle of the day, now’s the perfect time. If you wake up at three in the morning panicked by how much you have to do, that’s an equally great time to make a list.
Personally, I create my lists for the following day. For example, if today is Monday, at the end of the day I will create my list and plan for Tuesday so that when I wake up I can be ready to tackle the day with focus and organization on my side.
I use list making to be proactive.
But I will also do list making when feeling overloaded or stressed.
The best place for list making
Just like my answer to when to create your list, where to create your list is also entirely up to you. I will say though, do whatever is easiest for you.
If you have a pad of paper nearby, use that. If you have a napkin by your side, use that.
Do your list making in whatever space or on whatever material is easiest for you to get to.
There isn’t any list making app or notebook that is better than another. It’s your preference.
Personally, I use a combination of the Notes app on my iPhone and the Google Docs app. I’ll use the Notes app to log any ideas or tasks that arise throughout the day.
And then later when planning out the next day, I will move those notes onto one of my various Google Docs where I have larger, master lists.
Moving forward with list making
List making is a powerful thing. It’s a simple, yet effective strategy to reduce overwhelm, get organized, and gain some control over your life.
So give it a try!
Go through the steps above and create some to-do lists of your very own. Check back on this post from time to time for a refresher and continue to work on your list making skills until they become habit.