3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys to Coping with a To-do List that Runneth Over

Photo: Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Earlier this week, I wrote a post at the Porch Swing Chronicles about lists and priorities. More philosophical than practical, it encapsulated the attitude I try to have on those days when the list gets ditched for other things.

But what about the days when time stretches out before you, but your list still seems too long? Time isn't the issue -- or not the main one anyway -- but you just keep getting in your own way.

What then?

Here are a few things to try on those days when procrastinating (or going back to bed) feels like a better alternative than tackling the list.

Cross things off before you start. Take a look at your list. What are you realistically not going to do today due to time constraints, mood or circumstances? Excise those items from today's list and save them for another day.

Celebrate what you accomplish. Yesterday, I finally got my Christmas decorations put in the crawlspace, where they belong, but I was so guilt-ridden and embarrassed by the fact that it took me until MARCH to do this that I sucked all the joy out of getting it done. It was only when I forced myself to take in the beautiful empty space I'd created (finally!) that I began to let go of the guilt and realize the most important thing: this is no longer on my list! The myriad reasons why it took me so long to get to this task are best saved for another day.

Keep track of what you've done, not what you've left undone.  Most days, we do much more than we give ourselves credit for. Instead of crossing things off your list, highlight each item you accomplish. Did you do a few things that weren't on the list at all? Routine things like meals, laundry, emptying the dishwasher? Add them to the list and highlight them as well. At the end of the day, sit back and congratulate yourself for a day well-spent.

To-do lists are supposed to work in our service, not the other way around. When you find yourself feeling mastered by your list instead of being the master of it, take a deep breath and find a way to show that list who's really in charge.