3 - The To-Do List

I promise they aren’t evil.

What is a to-do list?

Why should I make a to-do list?

You might be thinking, “I don’t need a to-do list, there’s no way I’ll forget what I have to do.” Well, that is precisely the problem. Constantly remembering everything you have to do is not fun. I’m not saying you should forget your responsibilities, but you also shouldn’t fill your head with them. Making a to-do list is simply another way of decluttering your mind, a process that we began in step 1. Over the next few steps you’ll realize that a large part of this system is about clearing your mind of stress, anxiety, and negative thoughts, and filling that space with… well really whatever you want.

How do I make a to-do list?

You’re going to have two different types of to-do lists: a daily list and a monster list. The monster list, also known as “backlog”, is going to be where you add every single task that you think of. Yes. Every. Single. Task. Why else would it be a monster list? But trust me, you’d rather keep this monster in a list than in your head. This list can be digital if you want, but only because you have to keep this one (read: don’t lose it!). The second list, the daily to-do list, is probably more similar to the classic to-do list you’ve been picturing; it’s every task you need to complete today. I highly recommend that you write this one down by hand because daily tasks are usually the ones that take up the most mental space.. So in the end, what you’ll have is a monster to-do list that you can look at every morning, and from that, pick which tasks you’ll be adding to your daily list.
For now don’t worry too much about finishing your daily list, just try to get into the habit of making the list. We’ll work on how to get stuff done later on so for now just try your best.

3 – Make a to-do list (or two!). And once you get into the habit of making a list every day, move on to step 4.