How to give your to-do list a goal-getter makeover

How to give your to-do list a goal-getter makeoverHow to give your to-do list a goal-getter makeoverThe new year is here Its time to crush those goals - but first, lets give your to-do list a little makeover and make getting sh*t done in 2019 as efficient as possible.First, grab yours and scan the first 5 tasks listed (if you dont have one, then we have a bigger problem - skip the next two paragraphs and dive right into the most effective tool at your fingertips right this very minute).Whats prioritized at the top of your list? Laundry, returning calls or emails, errands you need to zulauf? Chances are your list is a blend of your personal and professional life - what it takes just to stay on top of everything, and not a plan to achieve the longer-term goals youve set.With the daily responsibilities of adulting - your job/career responsibilities, being a parent, a spouse and trying to have a social life, youre left with a whole lot of chaos and not a lot of time. Its easy to be s idetracked from your dreams and the someday plans that fight for your attention. Thats why I live die by my daily to-do list - and make sure its working for me beyond simply keeping me afloat.When I take the time to plan out my day and week, Im more productive, focused and proactive. I find more time for personal activities, and accomplish goals that actually move my business forward. In my post, 7 Sanity-Saving Tips for Busy Mompreneurs the tip that landseemed to resonate most with readers was to make your To-Do List actually work for you. Here are my tips on how to do just that.Cmon get app-yUsing an app on your smartphone to manage your To Do List makes things extremely easy convenient, since your phone is with you all the time. I love theWunderlistapp, andEvernote, for managing my to-do list because I can keep several running lists of things that need to get done, and update them whenever a thought pops into my head, positivSet up a daily to-do, weekly list, and long-term goa ls, and simply move these tasks around as they become a prioritySet up reminders to alert you when tasks or lists must get done. (As I was finishing up this article, I got an alert from Wunderlist telling me that it was time to finish this article. So meta)Quickly add an item to your list as you think of it, clip an article to read later, add a grocery item to your running list and share it with your spouse or assistant (collab delegate) and sync to your desktop seamlessly.Use your smartphones dictation feature - just press the little microphone and talk. What could be easier?Plan ahead to succeedNow that you know where youll make and keep your list, you can set aside 10-15 minutes in the evening to create your action list. In the morning, we tend to grab a cup of coffee, sit down, and tackle never-ending email, right? But at night, when things are quiet and distractions are at a minimum, you can take some time to focus on how to be most productive the following day. Planning your list at night allows you to get everything out of your head and onto your action list. Youll sleep better after youve cleared your mind and can hit the ground running in the morning.Keep it (chrono)logicalThis seems obvious, but as youre planning your day, be realistic about how long things willactuallytake, what your absolute must-do items for the day are (top of the list and starred), and how organizing your tasks and errands chronologicallyand geographicallymakes the most sense. For example, if you have a lunch meeting that is near a grocery store, plan an extra 15 minutes to run in and save a second time-consuming trip. Make a sub-list of the things you need to get so you can run in and out without forgetting anything. By arranging your day properly, youll be amazed at how much more efficient you can beEmploy the 3 Ps Projects, People, PrioritiesHigh-Performance expertBrendon Burchardstresses the importance of organizing your day by considering the Projects, People and Prioritie s that matter most. Thinking this way is key to really moving your business forward and finally accomplishing your bigger goals.Projects List the top 3-5 projects you have going right now. Include 3 simple things you need to do to advance these projects- beyond your daily to-dos. Chip away at the bigger goals through smaller, actionable tasks you can tackle each day.People Ask yourself, Who am I waiting on? (or,Who is waiting on me?) If you need a decision, information, or data to complete your part of the task, reach out to the people who can give you what youre waiting on to move forward on your bigger goals.Priorities List the 5-10 urgent things that you absolutely must get accomplished today. List it, do it, cross it off. If it take less than 5-10 minutes, just do itnow.Be specific A task like answer email or organize desk is too broad and will remain on your listforever. Instead, return client email re press plan or file papers on desk for five minutes is more specific and atta inable. You may not achieve inbox zero or organize your whole office, but even answering a few pressing emails or sorting for five minutes a day will add up.Get fired upStart your day in the right mindset, then dive in Wake up earlier, even by just 10-15 minutes. The goal is to eventually wake up a whole hour early, by starting with 10 minutes each day until youre adjusted. Before you jump into work head first, get in the right mindset Meditate for 10 minutes (try appsCalmorHeadspacefor easy, guided meditations), stretch or exercise, take a shower, and drink lots of water. Ask yourself, What am I most fired-up about today? and start from a place of passion and purpose.Now you know how to use time to your advantage to really rock your goals Challenge yourself to see how many spare minutes can you find in your day, and make them count And tell me, do you have any surefire tips to share about how you organize your to-do list?This article was originally published on Create and Cultivate .