The magic of the to-done list

I first wrote about my to-done lists for issue 9 of The Procrastination Paper by Zabby Allen (it also features on Zabby’s blog and in the first annual of The Procrastination Paper too, which is amazing!). Here is the original article that I wrote in 2019, to explain a little more:

I have always been the kind of person who has at least three different to-do lists on the go, and that’s not counting the mental lists that I make of stuff that I need to or would like to do at some point! Writing down a list of tasks can be helpful, especially when you’re juggling a lot of things, but when our second child was born in March I began to feel a little overwhelmed by my to-do lists. I just kept thinking of more and more things that “needed” to be done, and wondering how on earth we would ever tick anything off! I have always just added extra things that I have completed to the bottom of my to-do list anyway, so I decided to try making a to-done list instead.

A to-done list is a list of things that you have achieved in a day or a week (or longer if you prefer, but I like to keep it short). Instead of writing down everything that you “should” do, you make a list of things as you have done them. For example, you could write down tasks that you have completed, such as ‘cleaned the bathroom’ or ‘posted my friend’s birthday present’. But it could also be things that seem like much smaller achievements ordinarily, but are actually huge things if you’re going through a difficult patch. Things like ‘cooked myself a nice lunch’, ‘went for a walk in the sunshine’ or even ‘got dressed today’. It doesn’t matter how big or small they are – seeing what you have achieved on a to-done list is brilliant, and it has had a really positive impact on my mental health.

Sometimes I even sit down at the end of the day and write my to-done list, rather than writing it as I go along. It’s lovely to give myself time and space to sit and think about the day and what I have achieved, and more often than not I am surprised by everything that I have managed to fit in – yay! Don’t get me wrong, the to-do lists still exist (I am so forgetful that I need to write things down!), but the magic of the to-done list has helped me to view tasks more positively and put my mental health at the heart of that.

Top tips for writing a to-done list

• Try not to put any pressure on yourself to have ‘X’ number of achievements each day.
• If you have only done two things today but it was seven yesterday, that’s ok! Having quieter, more restful days are important too.
• Make sure that you write it down. Sometimes I do it in my head and that’s great, but being able to see it on paper is really helpful.
• Look back on what you have achieved. You could stick your lists up on your wall or in a notebook, so you can see everything that you have done!

How will this help me during the pandemic?

I’ve been writing to-done lists for a while now, and what I’ve really noticed is that its’s really helpful during times of uncertainty. I’ve felt a bit lost at various points since the start of the pandemic, but writing these lists has helped me to see that in spite of everything that’s going on, I have managed to keep going. I have achieved things on the toughest days, even when it has felt like I haven’t.

Once you start writing the lists, you’re able to see a bit more of the bigger picture too. As I said in the article above, some days you have one ore two things on the list and others it’s more like seven – but any number is absolutely fine. This bigger picture of achieving things over a week or a month has been helpful to me both in lockdown and during the pandemic more generally.

You could write your lists on a notepad, or in a notebook if you prefer. I designed these notepads back in 2019 and have only a few more left (they won’t be restocked once they have sold out). It really is good to look back on what you’ve achieved at the end of the week – particularly now as the days and weeks feel the same! I’m combining it with writing a little gratitude journal this year, and the combination feels very positive. I’m trying not to worry about missing days here and there either – at the end of the day, we can only do what we can right now. Sending you huge virtual hugs! Let me know if you give the to-done list a try and what you think about it

You may also like…

Get creative with some more projects from my blog!

Make some easy easy fabric drawer inserts:

Fabric drawer inserts

Make some super colourful curtains!

Pantone colour chart curtains

Make yourself a little treat:

White chocolate rocky road

Treat your embroidery projects to some thread conditioner:

Thread Magic thread conditioner

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My goals for 2018

I really started to think more carefully about my goals as I started to use my Dream Plan Do planner. Lots of creative people I follow on Instagram have used it previously, and I felt like now is the time for me to get really stuck in! This was partly prompted by wanting to feel like I’m using my time wisely, but also a wish to grow my business. Opening my Etsy shop last year made me realise how much I want to be able to do this more, to be able to provide for my family if possible. I know that the business side of things is something I need to work on – I’m fine at the creative stuff, but the business needs more care and attention too!  But 2017 was hard for me in terms of going back to work after maternity leave, juggling the day job with family time and working on the business as well. I’ve learnt that I need to be kinder to myself and allow for time out if I need it. So this is something that is also reflected in my 3 goals for 2018.

Goal 1: Focus on the business side of my business

Out of my 3 goals for 2018, this is going to be the toughest challenge for me! The Dream Plan Do planner is amazing, but I must admit that it is a little bit daunting. Getting my head around lots of new things will be tough, and to be honest anything that involves maths immediately freaks me out! I know that I’m going to need help with a lot of things, so part of this goal is also not being afraid to ask for help. I can’t do everything on my own, so I need to find my tribe and ask people who can help or point me in the right direction. I’m lucky that Tom is so supportive of what I’m doing, so I know he’ll help out too (he’s already agreed that I can train him up in painting hoops!). I really hope that 2018 is the year that I can grow my business.

Goal 2: Write 4 blog posts every month

Blogging is where it all started for me, and I absolutely LOVE doing it. I really want to get momentum going with it again and post more frequently. I considered posting on the same day each week in order to have a focus, but on reflection I think that would probably be counter-productive in the long-run! Although we do have a fairly fixed routine, nap times change a little bit week to week, and I don’t want to feel like every bit of the week is accounted for. I think I would feel the pressure a bit if I felt that I really have to post every Wednesday or whatever. I chatted to Tom about it, and he suggested writing 4 posts a month which I think is a much better way of working for me! I still have something to aim for, but if I post 3 in one week and then nothing until the end of the month that’s ok.

Goal 3: Make time to craft just for me

Part of being kind to myself this year involves allowing time to craft just for me. I really love designing and making for hellohoorayshop, but I don’t want to feel like I’m only making to sell. Creativity is such an important aspect of my life, and I didn’t get a good balance of business vs personal crafting last year. I’ve already started well in terms of achieving this goal, making a few new things for my craft room (yes, a craft room!) and I hope that this can continue.

My intentions for 2018

So my intentions for 2018 are slightly different to my goals, in that they are things that I would really like to do but without any pressure. There are a few links between my intentions and goals in many ways!

Intention 1: Be kind to myself

Out of all of my intentions, this is probably the most significant. I felt a lot of pressure last year, and whilst a lot of it was coming from the day job, a lot of it was just from me! Why do we make things harder for ourselves?! I need to be so much kinder to myself this year. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s ok to give myself headspace, creative time, time out for a walk, or to buy a bunch of flowers because they make me feel happy.

Intention 2: Write more letters

I’ve recently received some lovely snail mail – a Christmas card from Tobia at Craftalicious Me, a sweet package from @meisje.mik as a random act of kindness, and a postcard from my best friend with some amazing words of encouragement. They cheered me up so much! It’s so nice to receive, but it’s even nicer to send. I’ve got out of the habit of letter writing, but I really want to take it up again. It doesn’t even need to be a long letter – a note on a postcard or something that says ‘I saw this and thought of you’ can really make someone’s day.

Intention 3: Buy a bike

Finding time for exercise is pretty hard for me. I know that might sound like a rubbish excuse, but it’s true! I’ve really missed being outside recently and I know I need to do more exercise – it would help me feel fitter but would also give me a bit more headspace too. I love to swim, but haven’t been able to make that work around family or work. So I’ve come up with the idea of buying a bike and cycling to work a couple of days a week! It’s a decent distance, but I think it would be manageable. The best thing is that it doesn’t take any additional time! I need to get to the day job somehow, and this way I won’t be stuck in traffic or stood waiting for ages to get the bus home. So I’m currently looking into this and hoping I can start cycling to work in spring.

This is a sneak peek of some of my new craft room. I just love it! I’m so very lucky to have my own space. I’m busy putting the final touches to it, and then there will be a blog post to show you more. A good way to achieve one of my goals, don’t you think?! Do you have any goals for 2018?

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