The dreaded to-do list… We all hate it. Let’s be honest. It’s a list of things that we have to do eventually, but it just seems to get longer and longer. It’s like laundry, it’s never completely done. The items just keep piling on and on. How do we manage this? The stress of those long lists can be unbearable at times. We found a few tricks that will make you view your todo list as an anthill compared to the Mount Everest you used to see it as.

1. Group Similar Tasks – This seems pretty simple. Right? This one little thing, will make the world of difference when tackling your daily todo list! First things first, take a look at everything on your list and organize it. You get to pick how you organize it! If you want to do it by subject matter, do it! If you want to organize it by what the task is (blog posts, finances, maintenance), then do it. Whatever makes the most sense to you. This helps because it keeps you in the right mindset. It is easier to knock things out when your ‘mind is in the right place. Nothing distracts people more than jumping all over the place, from task to task.
2. Delegate! – Don’t ever be afraid to give tasks to others, to cross them off your list. I’m sure you have people below you that are fully capable of doing the small stuff. Every job has the ‘gopher.’ Don’t be afraid to hand things to them to do. Just one more small tip, if you don’t think your job has a ‘gopher’, then it’s probably you, and the next tip was designed just for you!

3. Reward yourself! – Unfortunately, sometimes we just can’t delegate the things we don’t want to do. We gotta do them, even if it is like pulling teeth. But the good news is that you get to reward yourself for those things! Now, we aren’t talking about a pay raise every time you sit down and write out your expenses for the month. But you are allowed a treat every now and then. Go take a walk around the block, or treat yourself to a snack after you hit send on that email you’ve been dreading for days. You’ll be surprised at how fast you check things off your list when you know that you’ll get something out of it. Who knows, after your boss sees how productive you’re being, that raise might just happen!

4. Schedule It! – We do this at work quite a bit. Many of you use a calendar system at work, like google calendars. Set aside time for yourself to get the big stuff done. Don’t be afraid to turn your phone off and hunker down to get that one thing done that you’ve been putting off for a week. If it’s on your calendar, you’re giving yourself an allotted amount of time to complete the task. Set that goal and make it happen! This tip brings out the competitive nature in all of us.

We’re taking back the negativity that surrounds our to-do list. It’s our time to conquer it and make ourselves as productive as ever. 2018 doesn’t have patience for laziness and wasting useful time. Productivity works different for everyone. Some people prefer apps to keep track of their todo list, while others live by a notebook. The point is, everyone has things to do and we’re all just looking for a way to check each task off without losing our sanity. Try a few of these tips and whatever else may work for you. By being more cognizant of your time, task, and processes you are already making big steps in the right direction.