When Your To-Do List is Getting the Best of You
Jun 06, 2022
I'm sitting at my desk, staring at a list of half-way-done to-do's that need to get the f*ck off my list, but can't until they're all-the-way-done to-do's. And it's kind of annoying.
Have you been in these shoes?
In my honest opinion, being in this place fills me with anxiety, dread, and defeat. It makes me tired of the hamster wheel I'm constantly running on. Wearing these shoes is like wearing Crocs when you're more of a Christian Louboutin type of gal.
You feel stuck in this world of wide, ugly rubber soles and just want to be polished and glamorous walking down the runway of life #likeaboss.
STOP right there, mama. I'm here to tell you (and remind me), that dealing with this situation can be just as easy as flinging off those Crocs, throwing on some red lipstick and an LBD (little black dress) and cat walking through your day.
Here’s how to get passed the sucky stuckness you feel when you’re staring at a to-do list that simply cannot get done, for whatever reason that is.
Let’s start with some questions.
First, how many things are on your list? If you’re setting unreasonable expectations of yourself when it comes to your to-do list, you’re going to get stuck in a state of constant defeat. Your to do list is going to win, and you are going to lose every game you play together, which I’d venture to guess feels kind of like a daily battle.
Ideally, even if your list is the length of a CVS receipt, your focus should be on three things at a time, no more, no less. Three is a reasonable number and one you can usually hold yourself accountable to complete each and every day.
Second, are there things on your list that are halfway done and holding you hostage because you’re waiting on someone else to do their part?
If that’s the case, remove those things from your priorities until that person’s part has been done. That’s it. Literally, erase them from your mind (not your paper because #mombrain), and don’t revisit again until the tasks are done or you’re closer to the deadline and need to remind that person about their part.
Third, is confusion or doubt or some other form of self-sabotage causing you to stop halfway through the task and not complete it?
If the answer is yes, hooray! The good news here is that while this can feel super overwhelming and discouraging, it’s also empowering to know you alone have the power the fix it. That’s pretty freakin’ awesome. In order to do this, though, you’ll have to get to the core of the problem. What’s actually causing this analysis paralysis? Hint—it usually has something to do with a four-letter word that starts with F. If your mind goes straight to the gutter like mine does, I’ll just spell it out for you here: F E A R! Often times, when you unmask fear, it’s not that, well, fearful. You can figure out a small step to take in the right direction and usually get that to-do off your list faster than it takes to say, F-U to Fear itself.
Fourth and final question, is this still on your list because it’s simply uninteresting AF?
If this half-assed to do is sitting there annoying the sh*t out of you because you’re bored just looking at the written words telling you to do it, here’s some sound advice. Don’t. Do. It. Delegate, delegate, delegate. Believe it or not, someone else out there would happily do that task. And if you live in the U.S.A., I’m going to go out on a limb here and say, there’s probably a service or app or totally capable human being who would LOVE to fold your laundry or meal prep your dinner or fill in the blank of said annoying AF task in exchange for some money.
Ok, I hope you've found this quick, little time management read helpful in your busy mom life. Is you want more tips on how to manage your time and feel less overwhelmed by that to-do list, be sure to join us on Monday, June 13, 2022 as we dive into Time MOMagement: The FREE 5 Day Experience. Register here.
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