Making your to do list less terrifying
I find that some items linger on my to do list longer than they should, and there’s no logical reason for it. Because the reason is psychological. There’s something about that lingering item that I don’t want to deal with. It could be I’m not sure it’s what I should do, or it just sounds so painful I’m dreading it, or I’m afraid I’ll screw it up.
The purpose of a to do list is not to make you feel like a lazy slob. It’s to break down your day into manageable tasks so you can plan ahead, keep things simple, and not run around in a panic at the end of the day. The rule to remember is:
Every item on your to do list should promise a feeling of relief and accomplishment. You should look forward to crossing off each item. If the thought of completing certain items doesn’t promise relief, then that item isn’t worth doing, at least not right now.
The way to test an item that’s bugging you is: break the item down into steps - smaller to do list items that add up to getting that task accomplished. Maybe you need to do more research first. Maybe you need to talk to someone first. Maybe there’s a simpler or better way to accomplish the same thing. Breaking it down into steps should sort this out for you.
If each of those tasks seems manageable, you should feel relieved. Now you can dump the original “to do” item and replace it with the smaller steps which don’t make you feel anxious.
If the smaller items still leave you feeling anxious or unsure, your instinct is telling you something’s wrong. Listen to it. Just strike that item off.
If you can’t bear to let it go forever, make a special list for Dreadful To Dos and stick it on there. Look at that list every once in a while when you need new ideas.
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