November 5, 2024
Toss the To-Do List
Try an “I Got Sh*t Done” List Instead
Like many people, I am a list-maker at heart. I love to make my daily to-do lists in the morning. On any given day, I have created lists for my business activities, events, grocery lists, and, depending on the time of year, even a Christmas card list. When traveling, I make a list of packing needs. If I am hosting a party, I also start making lists for that.
My lists help me stay organized and efficient with my time. I can plan my driving routes based on the errands that need to be done, or I can be prepared for hurricane season well in advance.
It makes me feel thrilled when I check things off my list and have visual representations of all that I have accomplished in the day. Then there are the days when life gets crazy, busy, and filled with interruptions, and the crisis of the moment takes me off track and requires my time and attention. On those days, I look at my to-do list and just sigh. These types of days kind of bum me out.
When I experience multiple hectic days in a row, even having a to-do list stresses me out.
On those stressful streaks, I toss my to-do list and make an “I got sh*t done” list instead. For my “I got sh*t done” list, I make a list of all that I was able to do that day and have the pleasure of mentally checking off the list as I review it.
Creating an “I got sh*t done” list never disappoints.
Even though things have been hectic, I get the reward of tangible proof that I achieved a lot. Maybe I didn’t accomplish everything I was planning on doing for that day. However, I can see that the tasks I did accomplish still helped me towards my longer-term goals or, at a minimum, provided me with a lesson for growth and personal development.
Maybe I learned something new or got to spend time with someone I normally don’t get the chance to.
Other times, I may have completed a task that I was planning to complete the following week—one thing less for that day’s to-do list.
An “I got sh*t done” list fosters gratitude and helps you celebrate life’s small wins. Recognizing your accomplishments, both big and small, helps promote self-confidence and make you feel more powerful.
Remember to take the time to acknowledge yourself for a job well done.
It’s much better than feeling a sense of failure or distress. So go ahead and toss that to-do list on the days when things get a little out of hand, and you have to handle the unexpected.
Use the “I got sh*t done” list on your wilder days and give yourself a little credit for the tasks that you were able to accomplish. There is always a chance to make another list for tomorrow.
Which type of list is better? They are both useful for different reasons and various kinds of personalities.
If you are a procrastinator, avoid spending time creating your to-do list as a way to put off the tasks or activities you need to complete. It’s easy to focus on developing your list and evade doing what needs to get done..
Even if you tend to procrastinate but still want to make that list, go ahead. Just be mindful of your time.
Keep the list focused and straightforward. Limit your lists to less than ten items. Try creating a list with the top five things you need to complete and then rank them in order of priority.
If you are someone who gets stressed out when things on your list do not get checked off, dump the to-do list and use an “I got sh*t done” list instead.
It’s much better to change perspective and acknowledge everything you did accomplish. The rest of the tasks on your list can be done another day.
Personally, I use both “I got sh*t done” and to-do lists. I use my daily to-do lists to start my day and keep my high-priority items at the front of my mind.
My “I got sh*t done” list is usually for the end of the day or week and helps me recognize all that I was able to accomplish to make me feel effective and competent.
Every task that I don’t accomplish that day gets moved to the next day or week based on my needs and priorities. If a task keeps moving forward to a new list day after day, I take time out to review the issue.
I ask myself a set of questions.
Why am I procrastinating? Am I avoiding this task because of timing or resources, feeling overwhelmed by the task itself, or do I need help getting it done?
Often, I need to break the list item down into more manageable steps and add those to my daily list instead. Or maybe the task is not important anymore. Or this isn’t the right time.
If that is the case, it gets tossed out along with that previous list, and I write out what I did get done. I’m so much happier that way.
If you have had a day where nothing on your list got checked off, and it was chaos and craziness, toss the to-do list and be thankful and mindful of all that you did achieve. You’ve got this.
In Love and Light.
Jackie
If you need help getting more organized and efficient or you’d like to learn more about personal development skills and tools to help you be your best, you’re in the right place at the Delean Institute for Growth and Wellness.
