How to Do Less: Simplifying Your To-Do List
photo credit: cursedthing
Okay, I know your first question: why would you want to do less? I’ll give you a few reasons:
- Less stress
- More time for fun
- Doing things better
Convinced? Alright then, let’s identify one of the biggest culprits: your to-do list. If your to-do list has become a repository of things you wish you would do, then that’s putting extra pressure on you. You wouldn’t be alone if you found yourself rundown and tired from constantly doing things, but feeling like a bum because you never get to the bottom of your list.
If you’re ready to do less and enjoy more, it’s probably time to declutter your to-do list. The following ideas have worked for me:
- Cross off any big items that you wish you were going to do, but aren’t actively planning on doing anytime soon. This includes things like, “paint the house” or “finish writing novel.” If you really want to get it done, keep the first step on the list (”pick up paint swatches” or “outline chapter three”).
- Cross off any items you feel like you should do, but don’t actually care about. For instance, items like “Organize photos in albums” will only make you feel guilty and unproductive. Of course, this doesn’t mean you get to nix stuff you need to do, but just don’t want to–like “Schedule doctor’s appointment,” or, “Breast self-exam.”
- Limit your list the number of things you can realistically do in a day or two. Just because you include 20 items, that doesn’t mean you have time in your day to complete them. In the end, you’ll just feel busy and overworked.
That’s it! I know it’s not a long list, but these three steps can take you a long way toward a simplified to-do list. If you’ve got any other tips, please share them in the comments! Let me know what works for you–or what hasn’t, and I’ll put together a follow-up for a few weeks from now.
July 21st, 2008 at 4:55 am
Simplicity makes life more interesting, and it can help you do more, not less, in the long run. while you are taking things slowly and simplifying them, you are still doing them. that way, you are able to do those things, and also move on to other tasks as well.
July 21st, 2008 at 5:14 am
Hi Sara - these are great tips and I would highly recommend your readers to follow them. I used to be guilty of not following tip number 3. I would add far too many things - I couldn’t have possibly got everything done in a day, so I would add them to the next day. I wound up getting really stressed as the week went, just because I wasn’t getting through my list.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:01 am
I’m usually doing a to-do list when I’m feeling overwhelmed with all the tasks that need to be done now. I make a to-do list with everything that I can think of at the time. I immediately feel better because now I have something to work with on paper that I can see and manage better. I have no intention of doing everything on the list. I instead use this list as my “master” list to prioritize tasks and do those things that need attention immediately. I also am able to separate out the “nice to do” items from the “necessary to do” items as you mention above. Also I like your mention of realistic goals for tasks - otherwise you’re not doing yourself any favors as far as feeling good about yourself when it comes to doing things on your list.
July 21st, 2008 at 8:38 am
@Joel: I agree 100 percent.
@Cath: Tell me about it! It’s easy forget that some items on the list are there just because and aren’t some kind of mandate set in concrete.
@Mark: I like that you’re using a to-do list as a tool, not a lifestyle. I think that’s where a lot of us get into trouble–the list stops serving us when we start serving the list.
July 21st, 2008 at 9:44 am
Your post is a great example of simplicity!
I agree with you about the tool aspect of the to-do list. I used to live by it, but now I use it to varying degrees depending on how stressed I am. If I have a lot to accomplish (that NEEDS to be done), I’ll write it down and even schedule blocks of time on my weekly calendar. Some weeks are very scheduled (down to the 1/2 hour) because it helps me to know that I have a designated time to work on a certain activity.
Other weeks, when I’m not so stressed, I’ll just loosely decide what day to accomplish a task, not what hour.
But the biggest thing that helped me was doing what I really wanted to and not what I thought was expected or what would make me superwoman/supermom.
July 21st, 2008 at 9:44 am
A long time ago, I joined a network called “43 Things.” It was a way to create a long-term to-do list and have emails delivered on a regular basis to you from “your former self” as reminders of your goals. At the time I though it was a great idea … then I started getting the emails and stressed about how I wasn’t completing anything.
A few weeks ago, I canceled my account there in favor of making my life easier (and minimizing the amount of time I spend reading email). Seeing the weekly, “Hey me! Have you finished your novel yet?” reminder was too taxing to inspire productivity.
I haven’t yet gotten to the point of breaking these larger tasks into smaller ones yet, but I’m sure I’ll get there soon. Right now the larger, years from now tasks are confined to the back of my mind where they are farthest away from anything that can cause me stress.
July 21st, 2008 at 11:24 am
I have a planner that breaks everything down into 15 minute intervals (how’s that for detailed huh? Lol). Anyway, I used to put “everything” in there until I got tired of constantly seeing more “red X’s” than “green checkmarks”. Sure it’s a struggle sometimes but I think I’m learning to prioritize my tasks.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Sara, you’re a smart woman. My to-do lists are sometimes so monstrous, that I almost give up before even beginning to tackle them. It makes a lot of sense to trim the daily list so that it is manageable.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Great tips Sara! Stumbled!
July 21st, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Zenhabits has a great post about having a “laundry” day, not to actually do laundry, but to have a day set aside to do the little things that start piling up on the to do lists, such as sewing the button on the shirt, or paying the bills or going through the in box,picking up the dry cleaning etc etc. Then after you have finished your day set aside to clean up your little to dos, how much lighter you feel and how much easier to accomplish the big tasks.
I can’t do the article justice but its definitely worth the read.
July 21st, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Great points Sara. I would add that you should have a master to do list and then for each individual day you shouldn’t write the whole task–like organize my home–but instead pencil in the specific small task you’re going to take on that day to move toward the bigger goal of getting your home organized (like go through all of the bulletin boards in the house and throw out things that no longer need to be there). I’ve also stumbled this
July 21st, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Great ideas here Sara! I think when we simplify, we make what we are doing so much more productive and fun - because we’re not pre-occupied with other things that need to get done. So, time to cross some things off!
July 21st, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Hi Sara,
I’m a list maker and love to cross things off. Often if I do something that’s not on my list, I add it, then immediately cross it off. Oh…that makes me feel so “accomplished”.
I agree, breaking huge projects into small steps makes things a lot more manageable.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:29 pm
@Sarah: You know, I think you hit on something with the idea that we try to be superhuman. It’s like a crazy kind of optimism gone awry. If we let ourselves be average at some things, I wonder what things we could be truly amazing at. (Clearly, I’m being average on preposition use…)
@Eric: It sounds like 43 Things needs some kind of warning label. “May cause you to violently hate your former self. Use with caution and sensitivity to your future laziness.”
@Ricardo: Every 15 minutes? You must be a machine!
@Vered: There’s something about seeing everything in print that’s a bit intimidating, isn’t there?
@Marc and Angel: Thanks! I appreciate it!
@Christa: I’ll go check that article out; thanks for the suggestion!
@Marelisa: I like the idea of a master list. Being able to pick and choose the baby steps you’re in the mood for while still working toward big things seems like a great way to do things.
@Lance: I love your addition of the word “fun.” After all, there should be some things on our lists that are fun to accomplish. Right?
@Barbara: Dude, I do the same thing! I’ll add something not on the list. I’ll be the first to admit it’s a bit silly on my part, but it can help build some momentum.
July 21st, 2008 at 8:36 pm
You kidding? No way! Lol. My planner is just like that; it’s one of those 7:00am to 9:00pm day planners. I used to load it with all my To Do’s but it just wasn’t working out. I had all this stuff I “wanted” to do but it just didn’t get done. Let’s just say that I’ve since learned to set proper expectations and prioritize a little more.
July 21st, 2008 at 10:16 pm
I’ve been trying to limit my daily to-do’s to three items (Most Important Things) each for work and home. I still have a “brain dump” list where I write down everything that comes to mind, even if I won’t be tackling it for a while. But it is important not to continually write to-do list that is so long that you never get to the end!
July 21st, 2008 at 10:50 pm
@Ricardo: Phew! I’m relieved to know that you don’t actually live your life in 15-minute increments.
@Ann: I love the MIT idea, but don’t always pull it off. Lately I’ve been making a weekly list with the “must do” items on it, and put my energy into what seems most exciting (or necessary) at the moment. And I think “brain dump” is the perfect term for a master list, except it kinda makes me think my ideas are garbage…
July 22nd, 2008 at 6:18 am
Thanks for the tips! My to-do list is always so looong that I always need help in getting my things sorted out. I like Ann’s suggestion too….just 3 items a day!
Evelyn
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:25 am
Hi Evelyn,
I agree–three things a day is pretty doable. Long lists can be so unmotivating–even if there’s fun stuff on them!
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:15 pm
short but sweet list. it’s helpful to me if i specify things i want to do. rather than say organize photos, i might say label the first 100 photos today. i have too many photos to organize, so by being specific and limiting myself help.
today i worked on my forum. it’s not finished, but i did just enough to feel a bit of accomplishment.
doing what’s easy on the to-do list first build momentum and i’m likely to do more, but less at a time.
July 22nd, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Hi Natural,
You know, momentum is a huge part of actually getting things done. I’m very torn between tackling the hardest items first and feeling accomplished, or doing the little things right off and building that momentum.
I really like your idea of limits. I think I tend to overlook limits and then burn out on certain tasks before they’re complete.
Thanks for the food for thought!
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Good stuff, Sara—I’m right there with you when it comes to simplicity in the to-do list.
Along the lines of restricting the number of items on the list: as you said, only list what you can get done in a given day, and then I like to put a “priority asterisk” next to only three items on that list. No more than that. They’re the items that I must get done in a day.
It’s all about restricting yourself and not going overboard. Almost every time I tell someone I’m coaching not to use the asterisk on more than three tasks, they do it anyway, and then ask me why it’s not working.
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Hi Joel,
I’m loving the idea that by restricting yourself, you’re really creating freedom for yourself. That’s a frickin’ awesome way of looking at things!