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Tackling your to-dos
By Kristin Duare McKinnon, HBSW, MSW
November 26, 2007
Last month, I talked about the importance of 'taking inventory' after a stressful experience. This month, I share another important method of taking inventory...tackling your 'to do' list. But I'm not talking about that list in your pocket. I'm talking about that internal 'to do' list, the one that is playing in your head.
If you're like me, you have an ever-growing 'to do' list running on an endless loop in the back of your mind. No matter how much you accomplish in a day, there is always something new to add to the list. When your energy and patience run low, the list can cause you a great deal of stress.
A very effective stress management technique is to take that 'to do' list out of your head and get it down on paper. By putting the list onto paper you move your 'to dos' from the abstract to the concrete. Concrete actions are much easier to manage than what is floating around in your head.
Your assignment
Carry a piece of paper or notebook for a week. Listen closely to your 'mind talk' - those little messages that you give yourself throughout the day. Each time your mind talk says "I must / should / need to / have to get this done..." write it down.
After your week is done, sit down and look at your list. You will be amazed at just how much you expect yourself to do. I imagine that you can even develop several 'to do' categories - what you have to do at work, at home, with your spouse, with your children, with your parents, for you pets, in your community, and so on.
And you'll have a BIG list of 'to dos' for yourself - perhaps including some hopes, dreams or goals that you hadn't even realized were floating around in your head. These never seem to get done and add to the pressure you're feeling. 'To dos' for ourselves are always put off until everything else on the list is finished.
Your second assignment is to put six columns on a piece of paper. Title them as 'Must do', 'Should do', 'Want to do', 'Can wait', 'Forget about it' and 'Someone else can do'. You can add a 'Quick do' column too, for tasks that are quick and easy, and would be nice to check off your list right away. Divide up your list accordingly.
Now, whenever you are starting to feel stressed because of a feeling that you're always behind, take a look at your columns and decide what you can do today to make your list - and life - easier to manage.
By putting your 'to dos' on paper and tackling them one at a time, you will find that life seems a little more manageable and, perhaps, even a little more fun.
Click here to see Kristin's internal to-do list.
Kristin writes for Community Living Kawartha Lakes; for more of her articles visit the Community Living website at www.communitylivingkl.ca. Please read her disclaimer.