The To-Do List Mindset Shift that Will Set You Free

How many times have you heard (or said) “I have so much on my to-do list! I’ve just gotta get all this stuff done.” 

Does that sound familiar? Have you felt that way before? 

Guess what… I’m about to give you the one, simple mindset shift that can transform that feeling and get rid of it forever. Ready?

I know, kinda crazy for a productivity expert to be telling you to stop trying to “get everything done.” But, let me explain…

At some point we were all taught to make these “to-do lists,” and then the goal was to get everything on the list done, right? That’s how you show (someone? Yourself?)  that you’re productive. Well, it’s baloney, and here’s why.

In the best of all possible worlds you will have a to-do list on the day you die.

When I say this during my live workshops I frequently hear gasps (or groans), but let me explain. All having a to-do list means is that there are still things that you care about and want to fill your days with all the way to the end of your life.

Now, it’s highly likely that the content of your to-do list might change dramatically in different phases of your life. Maybe it will have reminders about picking up your medication or sending a birthday card to your grandchildren, but having a list isn’t a bad thing. That’s not the problem.

Here’s a different perspective. My grandmother had 11 children, 19 grandchildren, and more great-grandchildren every year. For many, many years as I grew up I would always get a birthday card from my grandmother. Then, about 15 years ago… it stopped. Grandma’s dementia had started setting in, and my various aunts decided that it was time for Grandma to “decommit” from sending birthday cards. I watched as Grandma’s world increasingly had less past and less future. For her, the world was all about the present moment and the squirrel Olympics outside her window. Now, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing either. There were beautiful lessons in being fully present that I learned watching my grandmother’s decline.

Nevertheless, there’s no question that her world of experience was dramatically reduced. That’s why I’m grateful for my To-Do List. I consider it a privilege and a joy that I am able to make choices about what I spend my time on each day and how I care for the lives of others in my world. Whether that’s spending this morning in my coffee shop writing for you or my evening tonight with my husband celebrating his birthday at a local improv show (which required buying tickets, making babysitter arrangements, etc… all stuff that was on my to-do list a few weeks ago and got done.)

So, give yourself permission to let go of trying to “finish” your to-do list. Having a list is a good thing, the goal is to learn to manage the flow of tasks through it.

Let’s talk about how to manage that flow of tasks better in your life. The place to start is by creating a “permanent” Master List system… aka… that list you have with 20+ things on it. That’s the beginning of your Master List. (I cover a lot more of about developing this system in my upcoming course The Freedom Evolution) In fact, I’m going to encourage you to spend some time making it even longer.

I bet there are a bunch of tasks, actions, & projects that are swirling around in your head which haven’t yet even been written on your list. Let’s get them ALL out of your head and down on that list.

Often when people first do this they feel overwhelmed… “OMG, Look at everything on my list!” That’s when I’ll remind you. The goal is not to finish the list. The actual goal is to create your menu of options for each day. 

Your Master List is like a restaurant menu that you get to choose from. What do I want to eat today? What do I choose to do today? Some people’s lists are like going to the Cheesecake Factory with pages and pages of items (that’s me). For other people it might be more like a 15-30 item high-end dining experience. That’s fine. There is no magic number… the goal is to write down everything you’ve internally committed to – both personal and professional.

Then, from your Master List you get to choose your items for today. Think of this like planning your breakfast, lunch, snack, & dinner. These are the items that are your priorities (rather than all those other tasks that happen to show up in your email inbox or Slack messages.) These are the items that deserve your first attention today: Your Today To-Do List.

To help you learn to create your Today To-do List you’ll want to pick up Your Five-Minute Daily Plan eGuide.

• Ensure you always know your priorities.
• End the entrepreneur’s guilt of “I should be working and doing more.”
• Discover the one simple habit to become someone who ”consistently gets things done.”