5 reasons why you should have a master to-do list
There is something so powerful about a central place to store all of your ideas, thoughts and to-do items.
You don’t feel distracted and scattered because everything is in one place.
Whenever I start feeling overwhelmed, I make a master to-do list of everything I need AND want to do.
My current list contains emails I have to send, projects I’m working on and documents I need to update, like my travel checklist, some e-books and coaching tools.
So why a master to-do list?
What’s wrong with the back of an envelope and millions of post-it notes?
1. Writing it all down frees up your brain for big picture thinking so you don’t have to concern yourself with remembering details.
2. It eliminates all those bits and pieces of paper, post-it notes, backs of envelopes, etc.
3. There is something about the act of actually putting pen to paper that seals things in your mind. If you’ve heard my goal-setting teleseminar, you know exactly what I mean.
4. Once you see it in black and white, you can deal with reality so much better rather than imagining how bad it all is.
5. You can choose the exact number of tasks you want to tackle every day (I don’t recommend more than 6) without feeling overwhelmed. Move these 6 tasks to your daily to-do list.
My challenge to you
* Download my paper-based master to-do list from my website or use Outlook if you like the electronic version. The method doesn’t matter much; what matters is that you have a central place to collect your tasks.
* First brain dump everything – go wild, you can sort it out later.
* Now, make categories and then start attacking that list.
Happy organising!
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Marcia Francois is a time management and business organising coach who helps small business owners break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and get important projects done. Visit http://organiseyourbusiness.com for your free 7-part audio series, 7 tips for time-strapped business owners.