Ever looked on your desk or counter and saw what seemed to be a thousand sticky notes with task items on them? Then you look by the door and you have three more reminders? Oh yeah…you also have that notebook and calendar you sometimes write things in?
When all these “to do’s” are spread out everywhere, they look more overwhelming than they need to. My number one suggestion for getting a handle on your life’s task items? Put it all in one place.
- This place can be an electronic gadget or paper. The only exception I make to this rule is if you have an electronic calendar and can have a paper notebook with your task items. Back up your calendar in another location. My calendar is in my phone and synced to my Google account.
- Your shopping lists, volunteer project notes, gardening lists, notes from a recent job hunt should ALL go in this one notebook.
- Cross out items as they get done and recycle pages after all tasks are complete. Don’t bog down your mind with past items. Also, if something hasn’t gotten done in three months, cross it off your list. Chances are that it wasn’t a priority and you don’t need that guilt of the un-done task staring you in the face each time you open this notebook.
- As for aesthetics, this notebook needs to be attractive to you, and please get one of the new cute ones that’s made of 100% post-consumer product and recyclable. It should fit in a bag you regularly use or are otherwise comfortable carrying around.
We’re all busy, but we need to manage life’s tasks. By having everything in one place, it helps evaluate how full your plate really is (or isn’t). Do you need to say no if an acquaintance needs help mopving? Do you need to volunteer more? You can better judge this because your priorities are now in this one place.
Again, it’s all about conquering the little details of life and not letting them rule your life.
