This week’s post is coming to you from my organizational expert Crystal Nerpel of Cloud Nine Organizing who takes us through the process, sharing her own changes for going from to-do to TaDa!
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If your To-Do List is overwhelming then make a TaDa List!
Wouldn’t you rather say “TaDa! I am done!” at the end of the day instead of looking at an unfinished To-Do list? I would…it’s time to delegate and delete! Here’s how I did it:
Make a master list
Write our a master list of all your responsibilities. This might be a very long list, but that’s OK. The more you can add the better.
Delegate!
Next to each one of your responsibilities write the name of someone who could either help you or completely take over that responsibility. These could be family members, friends or professionals you hire. The more you delegate the faster you’ll be able to say, “TaDa!”
I know that some of you may think it’s a waste of money to hire someone else to do something that you could do yourself. I used to feel the same way. For instance, I am totally capable of mowing my own lawn. I have the skills, but I don’t have the time or desire. It was stressing me out! Now, I hire someone to take care of the tasks that are time-suckers and stress me out. I budget for it and my life is so much better.
Delete!
Draw a BIG line through anything that isn’t important. Really think about each “responsibility.” You may be doing unproductive busywork without realizing it. Sometimes, we do certain tasks simply because we’ve always done them. Delete as much busywork as possible. You also need to make sure you aren’t doing someone else’s work for them. That’s where I seem to waste my time and energy:
I deleted “monitor Tori’s grades” from my To-Do list. I know a lot parents wouldn’t dream of deleting this one off their list, but it works for me. (disclaimer: I look at them from time-to-time but not nearly as much as I used to). Her grades are her responsibility. TaDa! I have also deleted “drop off dry cleaning” from my To-Do list. Most of the dry cleaning is my husband’s and he drives near the dry cleaners almost every day. It makes more sense for “dry cleaning” to be on his To-Do list. TaDa! (I don’t consider this a delegation because I completely deleted it from my To-Do list. And I don’t not worry if it gets done. I don’t monitor it. It is deleted.)
Highlight
Highlight anything on your list that only you can take care of. For instance, only you can workout or go to the doctor.
Add the good stuff!
Add things to your list that make you happy and healthy: date nights, quiet time, walks, take kids to park, read a book, etc. At this point, your To-Do list should be looking more like a TaDa list.
For the most part, we can get help with our overwhelming To-Do Lists. We hardly ever take the time to evaluate our responsibilities and ask for help. If you don’t ask for help, you are never going to get it. I hope you are able to downsize your overloaded To-Do List and turn it into a TaDa List!
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Crystal is the owner of Cloud Nine Organizing – a home organizing service. She works one-on-one with clients to help them implement systems that work with their lifestyles. To find out more about Crystal and her services, check out her www.cloudnineorganizing.com.