Do you 'TO DO'?

Raise your hand if you consider yourself to be an organised person.

My hand is firmly up in the air (most of the time).

And to what do I owe about 80% of my organisation success to?

LISTS!

I am a fan of the good old fashioned To Do list!

I find 'To Do' lists the most useful type of list and every time I use one I have a very productive day!

So what is my secret to a good to do list and sticking to it?

1. Time Frame. 

Is this your 'To Do' list for the day or for the week?

2. Order

I tend to write my list in the order I want to do things. Not only does it make it easier to keep track of what I've still got to do but it acts as a structure to the day.

By creating a structure to your day you don't waste the odd few minutes here and there thinking 'What shall I do next'.

You can also order the tasks you want to do least right at the top so you can get them over and done with!

3. Balance

Don't just put chores on your list. Put things on there that you enjoy doing. For example today I planned to blog and paint my nails to break up the less favourable tasks.

4. Reward

The last thing on your To Do list should be a little treat to yourself or something you've really been looking forward to doing. If you order your lists then it means you only get the reward if you have completed all of your tasks! It's such great motivation as you're plodding through your day!

5. Make your list important!

Don't just write your list on a scrap of paper and discard it for most of the day. Get hold of a note book dedicated to being organised or even a dry wipe board to keep track of your progress. Keep your list in a place you go to throughout the day (mine stays on my dressing table in my bedroom) so you can cross off each item.

If there is anything on your list at the end of the day which you have not done ask yourself:

How urgently does it have to be done?

Is it necessary?

Why didn't I get around to it?

If you didn't cross everything off of your list because you simply didn't have enough time, then just add it on to your next list.

If it's something you despise doing the ask yourself 'is there a way around it or a better alternative?'

So even if you aren't the most organised person in the world you can fake it with a To Do list!

Let me know how you get on with your list making!

x