I am a list maker. I make household to-do lists, decorating project lists, trip packing lists, blog post lists, etc. I like other people’s lists as well. You know the kind you find on Pinterest: 5 days to a clean house, 10 days to 10 pounds of weight loss, couch to 5k in six weeks, etc.
I love books that have 30 day plans for whatever, but by day 15 I am so far behind that I close the book and admit defeat. I let lists steal my hope of the desired outcome. I am an unrealistically optimistic list user, and the result can be disappointing and discouraging. I seem to be missing that internal warning system that says: “This list may be more than you can accomplish in the prescribed amount of time. Either the list or the time frame must be altered according to your schedule and stamina.”
Here are the steps I have learned/am learning to manage lists for success instead of discouragement.
If you are writing the list:
- 1. Be realistic about the time needed for each task.
- 2. Note the expected time on your list, then time the task when you actually do it.
- 3. Make the necessary adjustments on your list to compensate for the difference between your estimate and actual time used.
- 4. Each day, decide which tasks are most important and start with them. The tasks that are not finished at the end of the day leave you with two choices: move it to another day or decide it really didn’t need to be done at all.
If you are using someone else’s list:
- 1. Read the introductory information with the list very carefully.
- 2. Determine the timeframe for each “day” on the list? Do the daily tasks require 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours?
- 3. Determine the amount of time you actually have in a day to work on the tasks lists. If you are working full- or part-time, you don’t have 8 hours a day to work on a task list regardless of the goal.
- 4. Realign the timeframe to match your time available.
- 5. Each day assess your progress and the time you have available and make adjustments as needed.
Here’s the real secret: Just because a book or list says you CAN complete it in 5 days, 10 days, 30 days, etc., DOESN’T mean you HAVE to complete it in that time frame.
What you need to do is value the end result and enjoy the journey to that result.
Now, I know that we all have to work with deadlines occasionally but that doesn’t mean we have to multiply the tasks completed in that time frame. It means we have to prioritize what is important in that time frame and defer the rest or let it go.
We need to stop setting traps for ourselves that lead us into discouragement and cause us to abandon our vision and goals. Start with a list that fits YOUR time availability, YOUR lifestyle, YOUR desired outcomes. Then enjoy crossing off the items as completed and, most important, celebrate when the list is done!
Don’t let a list on a piece of paper, on your smart phone, in a magazine or a book, steal your hope of a home and life that matches your vision! If you need to, post this sign wherever you sit to make your lists or read:
I am looking forward this year to completing more tasks and finishing more projects because I don’t let discouragement convince me to quit in the middle.
Do lists get the best of you? Do you quit out of frustration and discouragement even when you started with excitement and enthusiasm? I would love to hear if today’s blog encouraged you to make an adjustment and keep going!
Checking off my revised list as I share my heart 4 home!
