How to make a to-do list to organize your life and get things done

It’s easy to become overwhelmed when you have a lot on your plate.

Life might get stressful, and it’s particularly difficult when you forget something essential, whether it’s at home or at work. You may use organized to-do lists to prioritize the tasks that need to be done, keep track of what has yet to be completed, and feel less stressed about your responsibilities.

To-do list templates are available at no cost. Many of these templates can be customized to fit your needs, or you can create your own custom lists that work for you.

No matter what kind of to-do list you use, keeping track of what’s on your plate and finding a way to complete everything is easier when you have an effective to-do list that helps keep your priorities in line.

How to make a to do list?

1. Why are each of your to-do items so essential?

Before you can make a to-do list, you need to establish why each of your tasks is so important. If you don’t know the reasons behind the things that need to get done, it will be difficult to stay organized and focused on completion.

Prioritize what needs to be completed for work and what needs to be handled at home.

Then, take a look at your list and find reasons behind each item so you can prioritize what’s most important for the success of your career and personal life.

2. Don’t put too much on your plate

Many people make to-do lists with nearly impossible goals, like “write the great American novel” or “get a promotion by the end of the week.”

When you add so many items to your lists, you can become overwhelmed and discouraged.

Instead, break down tasks into smaller, manageable steps so you’ll feel more motivated and productive throughout the day. Don’t underestimate yourself: You can reach your goals if you stay focused and work steadily toward completion!

3. Prioritize your list

Start your to-do list by prioritizing what needs to get done first. If you’re in a personal bind, you may need to come up with strategies that help you prioritize when certain aspects of life tend to become overwhelming.

For example, if you have one responsibility that will make a significant impact on future plans, such as paying for college, you may need to take care of that task before anything else.

4. Assign deadlines and due dates

You can easily become overwhelmed without a way to track your deadlines and due dates.

Assigning specific times and dates will help ensure that you don’t forget about what needs to get done, unless you have a good reason.

If you’re waiting for a response from someone, it might be helpful to assign a date by which you expect to hear back from the person.

5. Take small steps to success

It’s easy to become discouraged when you want something so badly that you take shortcuts and skip parts of the process along the way.

For example, if you’re writing a book and you want to get published as soon as possible, it might be tempting to hire someone who will write the first draft of the manuscript for you.

You must avoid this type of behavior: You’ll need to complete each step in order to reach your goal.

6. Maintain your list

One of the major benefits of to-do lists is that they help you maintain organization throughout your daily routine.

When it’s time to start a new day, take just a few minutes to review what needs to be done and look for ways you can improve your strategies in order to get even more things done.

If you’re making plans with friends or family, make sure those items are also on your list.

7. Reward yourself

Once you’ve reached a milestone or completed a task for the day, take some time to reward yourself and enjoy what you’ve done.

If you’re spending too much time working and not enough playing, it will be difficult to keep up with your daily tasks. Make sure that you’re enjoying your life by carving out some time to relax and do something that’s fun.

8. Don’t be afraid of new technology

When it comes to scheduling significant events, like an appointment with the dentist or a meeting with co-workers, most people rely on their phones or computers for reminders.

However, a variety of apps exist that will help you stay on top of your to-do list, so take some time to explore different options and choose the one that works best for you.

9. Use reminders for everyday tasks

There are certain daily tasks that tend to get lost in the shuffle if they don’t have a pre-determined time and date to get done. You may need reminders for tasks such as washing the dishes, taking out the garbage, doing laundry, etc.

If you tend to be forgetful or you simply don’t have enough hours in the day to complete every task that needs to get done, consider using a note app on your phone or computer so you can create a list of reminders for yourself.

10. Keep your lists private

When you share your to-do list with other people, there’s a chance they will set you up for failure if they add items that don’t relate to what needs to get done in order for you to reach your goals.

In addition, it’s difficult to prioritize tasks when you have other people involved.

Even if your friends and family members are supportive of your efforts, they may unintentionally distract you from what needs to be done in order for you to succeed.

11. Change up the format

If you’re not getting the results that you want out of a specific list or app, change things up a bit. Although many people stick to pen and paper, consider using your computer or phone if you’d prefer typing everything out in order to stay organized.

You may even want to break up your tasks into smaller pieces by getting creative with the format of your lists.

For example, you might use different colors for each category of chores or special events.

• See also: How to measure your improvement and why you should care
• See also: 5 steps to writing your own simple self improvement plan

12. Be realistic about your goals

It’s easy to get carried away when you’re thinking about your goals, so it’s best to use restraint and only list items that you know you can accomplish.

For example, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds but you’ve never run more than a mile in your life, there’s no point in listing that as one of your tasks.

In addition, it’s important to consider the things that you can’t control before adding them to your list.

For example, if a friend invites you out for dinner and you already have plans, there’s no sense including “avoiding extra calories” as a task on your list because you’ll have no control over what you eat.

13. Be realistic about your schedule

Although it’s important to be creative with your list, you also have to consider how long each task will take in order for you to complete everything that needs to get done within a reasonable time period.

If the dog walker is coming by twice a day, there’s no need to schedule dog walking as a task for every single day.

In addition, if you only have 10 minutes to walk the dog but it takes 45 minutes to drive there and back, don’t bother setting aside an entire hour for one trip because you won’t be able to accomplish anything else during that time frame.

Summary

Make a list of daily, weekly, monthly or yearly tasks. These should be things that you want to accomplish during the time period that you’ve created for yourself.

If you need some inspiration, consider using your phone or computer to search online for “to-do list” printables which are available in various formats.

However, it’s best to avoid using someone else’s ideas, because you want the items on your list to be realistic.

If you don’t have time or desire to make a formal list, simply write down one or two tasks on whatever paper product is available in the moment and keep it in your pocket or purse so that it’s accessible later when you need it.

Prioritize each task by ranking them according to their level of importance. When you’ve finished, take a close look at your list in order to determine which deadlines need to be met in order for you to meet all of your goals.