The Balancing Act of Getting Things Done – Mastering the Art of the To-Do List

How ironic that my very first blog post for skirt! centers around the idea of a “to-do” list. Well maybe just ironic for me since writing this post has been on my list for the past five days. As I reviewed the laundry list of things I planned to accomplish over the weekend, I took a moment to reflect – realizing that sometimes a simple list of “to-do's” just won’t get the job done.

It’s been said time and time again, we women have a lot on our plates. We’re natural born jugglers. If we’re not solving a problem at work, we’re settling a matter at home. Between board meeting, business meetings and PTA, we keep a pretty crazy schedule. So creating a “to do” list seems like the most realistic options for a woman on the run. Well, I can’t speak for every skirt! reader but I can honestly tell you, my list is starting to become more of a challenge than a relief.

It started on last Friday. I had every intention of tackling my list of critical, most accomplish items. I started off as I always do, full of energy and ready to get the job done. The biggest item on my list – the seasonal closet cleaning project. This one really wiped me out. It’s amazing what we as women can hold on to in our closets. I could have retraced the last ten years of my life with some of the clothes I found in there. (I’ll save that little trip down memory lane for another post. But late Sunday evening, my tune changed to just wanting to get one or two things done. I think I’ve figured out my problem though. I get side tracked. Between Lifetime TV and good phone chat with a girlfriend or two, I’ve lost two or three hours of good hard cleaning, organizing and planning.

The whole idea of a to-do list is to better manage your time and complete tasks without forgetting things or falling behind with your goals. We’ll let’s just say I need to rethink how I create my tasks. Maybe I’m putting too much on my list or setting my expectations too high. It wouldn’t be the first time. As you continue to read more of my blog posts, you’ll learn that I have a tendency to push myself a little too hard at times. But it’s what keeps me going and helps me stay focused. A "to-do" list is my effort at staying focused on my goals and making sure I am completing them.

So over the next three months I’m embarking on a new challenge. I’m calling it “One-Per-Day”. I’m going to tackling this list monster head on. I’m making the effort to only create a list based on the current day. No more weekday or weekend list. I’m keeping it plan and simple, focusing only on the task right in front on me. Wish me luck!

How do you tackle your “to-do” list? What methods have you found that really help you get things done? I’d love to hear from you?

Hey…I need all the help I can get.