The Dreaded To-do List
Posted by Yvonne on March 20, 2008
It’s kinda like that morning cup of coffee, you can’t make it through the day
without the to-do list.
Whether you’re the type that has your list typed up nice and neat, already printed out for the next day,
or you scribble something on a spare envelope while sipping your morning coffee,
you need something to remind you that you have certain things to-do.
It’s too easy to get distracted when we sit in front of the computer.
We’ve all been there, I know I have. I meant well. Knew what I wanted to do,
sat in front of my computer, opened the email and BAM! outa nowhere, it’s lunchtime.
Write it down folks, then prioritize.
Then if you have to, close your email.
Ouch, I know.
Start out with the most important items first, if you promised someone a review, get it done,
if you are accountable to a partner, check in with them. If you’re supposed to wash someones
favorite shirt, you get the idea. As long as you make that list and do your best to get some of it
finished, it is better than having accomplished nothing at all.
I also call them checklists, because I can ‘check’ the items off my list as I finish them.
And if I don’t finish it, I’ll add it to tomorrows list. Granted, some days I have less checkmarks
than others, but life happens so I don’t let it get me down.
Guess what? It’s really not about making lists. I know, I know, I just raved about making a list.
It’s about focus.
Anyone who’s been in Internet Marketing for long knows it takes an incredible amount of focus to
build your business and still be a part of life.
Especially when you are first starting out and you feel like a tiny little goldfish in a
sea of sharks. Ya you’re outa place, you don’t even belong in saltwater!
But when you have your to-do list in front of you – making sure you visit forums, write and post
those articles, read your new ebook, stumble a few sites, twitter and digg a few times, pay the bills,
do the laundry; you know you’re making progress because you are checking it off of your to-do list.
You can see the list, you know you’ve done something today to get ahead. It feels good.
Fact of Life: If you’re not consistently making sure
that you do what needs to be done,
you will get swallowed up and left behind like shark-bait.
Helpful tip: Go to a forum that you are a regular on, and look for an accountability partner. Get on
Skype with them. Share your lists, encourage each other, moan and groan together if you have to,
but get it done.
Soon that to-do list will become one of your best friends, your confidante even. You don’t know it
yet, but every time you cross something off that list, you are one step closer to your goal.
So you could even call it your ’short-term goals’ list if it helps you make one.
Not having a to-do list creates a lot of extra stress. You have to rely on your memory for all the
little details.
Does any of this sound familiar?
You’re writing an article and little thoughts start creeping into your head, “did I mail the gas bill?”…”don’t
forget to post on the forum today …”
Or your studying an ebook you just bought and you keep reading the same paragraph over and
over because you ‘don’t want to forget to remember something you need to-do!’ and it’s all you think about.
Do I need to say it?
Start a to-do list. Dump it out of your brain and get on to more important things like devoloping
your business and becoming the shark instead of the goldfish.
Endnote: I get to ‘check’ Write To-do List Article, off my list.
Ready to start your To-do List?
Comments
2 Responses to “The Dreaded To-do List”Leave a comment, and if you'd like your own picture to show up next to your comments, go get a gravatar!
I have been using a to-do list for a while now and you are so right, it does make a big difference to my focus.
Sometimes I get annoyed with myself for not getting the things done every day but at least I have the list, so that I can carry it forward to tomorrow. It gets done eventually and my brain even has room for other thoughts.
I also like the idea of an accountability partner and finding one on the forums is a great idea.
The best part of making a list is being able to look at it at the end of the day and see that things are marked off. No matter how unproductive the day seemed, at least you have proof that you did something! My lists are always hand-written and marked off manually, which is a great way to celebrate the completion of a task (scribble-scribble-scritch-scritch-yay it’s done!).