Slaying the "To-Do List" Dragon
As a creative individual I can sometimes get lost in the myriad of things “to do”. The “I’d LIKE to get this done”, and the “I NEED to get this done” list.
I recently noticed that this to-do list feels never-ending when I am between projects. When I’m engaged in a project the list seems more manageable (or maybe I just put them off and that’s why it’s seems so on-going when I’m less engaged).
So how can I make an impact on this list that seems to go on and on, get things done, and not become overwhelmed?
I notice that it is easier to get some of these items out of the way at the beginning of any day, or when I sit down at my computer, if I give myself just a few to-do items and then move on the goal I have set for myself that day. That way I feel successful at achieving my main goal of the day, and check off the smaller items on my list, i.e., slay the dragon.
Here’s an example:
I am currently updating my website, which is very time consuming. I have multiple documents that I want to upload to my new website but they are in multiple folders and need editing and updating.
So at the beginning of my PROJECT I take the following steps:
Open my list of folders.
Select/open the folder based on the section of my website I will be updating that day - THIS IS MY GOAL FOR THE DAY.
Open/review each document.
List each document in order of importance by renaming it using a dot (.) in front of each.
Open and edit the first document. When complete, rename by removing dot (or rename completely).
I only give myself 1 hour to address items on my to-do list. If the documents are long and need a great deal of editing I update as much of the document as time allows. If little or no editing is needed, I can move on to the next document or folder.
Once that hour is over, I then move on to updating my website, which is my main objective.
Remember, there are the “I’d LIKE to get this done”, and the “I NEED to get this done” lists, so do something from both. I always start with Need and move on to Like depending on the goal I have set for the day. All work and no play is not fun and it's not how to live life fully either.
The only way you can impact the future is by staying in the present…one moment/action at a time.
