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Hi there! It’s the start of the week, so I thought it’d be
appropriate to post this now. Something that I really, really love writing are
lists. I write a least one everyday and it’s usually a to-do list. Sometimes,
okay a lot of the times, they’re
really specific and ambitious, but lately, I’ve found ways to make them more
manageable and realistic so I can check everything off my list by the end of
the day. Writing to-do lists are great ways to stay organised, so here are a few
of the tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the years.
That step’s pretty self-explanatory. Make a list of the
things you have to get done for the day, but don’t stress out about it. It’s
just a rough draft of the actual one. If you can make the list early in the
morning, it’d be best because you’ll feel really motivated throughout the day,
but if you’re, say in school and you know you’re going to get more tasks to do
as the day goes by, make it as soon as you possibly can afterwards.
For this step, I’d suggest writing it down on paper, like a
sticky note or a mini notebook because it is just a rough draft.
Step #2: Be specific.
Now that you have all the things you need to do, be very,
very specific about it. Don’t write really vague things like “start English
project” because you’ll only confuse yourself and make your goal harder to
reach. Just don’t go too crazy to the point where your task can’t fit onto two
lines.
Step #3: Figure out
your priorities.
Put a little star or something like that beside the tasks
that you absolutely have to finish
that day. The things that aren’t a huge priority can get another symbol and the
ones that are even lower on your list of priorities can get another symbol.
Step #4: Add times.
This doesn’t mean add the time of the day you want to get a
certain task done, but rather how long you think it’s going to take. Always give yourself a bit extra time. That’s
something I always neglect to do and a to-do list that is not completely
checked off is just the worst. Avoid that by giving yourself a reasonable
amount of time to do something.
Step #5: Make the
final list.
Now that you have all those bits and bobs out of the way,
you can finally make your to-do list for the day. Write it on paper or on your
phone… whichever works best for you and that you can keep with you at all
times. On this list, add the times of
the day you want to start and finish
the task by. It really does help, but once again, be realistic and don’t
stretch yourself too thin.
Step #6: Keep an eye
on the clock.
You obviously don’t want to be rushing when you’re
completing your tasks, but just check the time every now and then so you get a
decent idea of how you’re doing and if you need to alter your list/times a bit
to be able to complete everything.
Are you a to-do list writer? How do you usually go about
writing your lists? What are your tips to make sure that you check everything
off? Share your thoughts below!
Thank you so much for reading!
- J
Great tips! Between uni and blogging, we have come to realise we need to be masters of to do lists!! We totally agree about giving yourself extra time, because nothing is worse than the feeling of defeat and sheer stress that comes when you fail to get something done on time.
ReplyDeletewww.mkstyleramblings.blogspot.com.au
I definitely agree that blogging takes up a lot of time, so to-do lists are key to managing a schedule. - J
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