To-Do Listing

There are numerous ways to do or not to "to-do" lists, but here's what I think works quite well and can be adjusted to whatever your brain needs!

I use the "Notes" app that comes with an iTouch (possibly an iPhone too...not cool enough for one of those yet!!) but whatever list-making medium you actually use is going to work best. Under that application, I've created a number of separate "notes" that organize my brain for me.  Use this as a place to gather all your lists...make it the master list! That way, you have a reason to check it consistently, and you'll see the stuff you wrote down yesterday and would have forgotten if it was on a scrap of paper that accidentally got thrown away with your receipts or something!

The two main notes:

"TODAY" and "TO-DO"

"TODAY" holds the list of things that floods my brain at night that I need to remember to do the next day. I write it in there at night and sleep peacefully, forming a habit to check that list throughout the day. It's a lot easier to check a to-do list for that day if you always know it's in the same place!

Example of things on my "TODAY" list:

Go to post office

Text Michelle

Call about doc appt.

Clean mirror

Return Target stuff

Put stroller back in car

"TO-DO" holds all the stuff I need to do, but I don't want to overload myself, and let's be realistic-I can't do everything today! Nor do I want to...then what would I do tomorrow?!? This list has things that I don't want to forget about, but I don't need to focus on them today. That way, I can feel productive about deciding what I can do today and clearing up that "TODAY" list! That way you're not bogged down by those things that don't leave your list for months, and you can separate the "get done now" from the "get done soon/sometime".

Example of my "TO-DO" list:

Pay auto insurance

Return clothes that didn't fit

Come up with invitations for baby shower

Order a birth certificate

Renew driver's license

Other lists on my "Notes" include:

• Waiting on (things that I'm waiting for, such as a rebate/reimbursement/insurance card in the mail/etc. Things that I don't need to do anything about, but if they never arrive I don't want to forget I was keeping an eye out for them!)
• Thank You's to write (you'd be surprised how often you use this!)
• Project List (things I have started or want to do, just so I don't forget to finish them)
• Books/songs/etc. that people recommend (while I'm out and need to write them down)
• Things to write in my son's journal
• Current Goals (If I have a stroke of inspiration for a future goal, I'll have a place to write it down and not forget it!)
• Misc. Shopping list (I use a different grocery shopping list app, but this would be more for random stores or items I wouldn't normally buy)

This usually covers what I need! Make "Notes" according to what you usually need to write down. The key is in always having it in one place so you can make a habit of checking it frequently and not worrying you've forgotten something. The other important part is prioritizing what needs to be done today and what can wait! Be realistic so you can feel you've achieved something everyday rather than just noticing what's still on your list.