De-Stress Your To-Do List in 5 Steps
Those who work remotely often gloat about being able to choose their own work hours, not having a boss breathing down their neck, the list goes on and on. While there are definitely benefits to digital remote work, there are also added stresses as your work life and personal life merge.
It's natural to worry, especially as a budding entrepreneur, about whether you're doing enough each day.
But it's just as easy to over-stress to the detriment of your business AND personal life.
After a year of working as a freelancer, I've developed a system to edit my daily to-do list and prioritize the tasks that matter, without sacrificing the all-too-important downtime.
1. Write down every single task that comes to mind. Use short phrases to start, we'll add details later. Don't stop writing until tasks stop coming to mind.
2. Strike through any "wishful thinking" tasks. These are things that don't tie into your weekly goals, and you can find time for later.
I don't delete these from my list so I can make note of them when building future lists.
3. Bold tasks you cannot put off until tomorrow. These are your immediate priorities.
4. Break down the bolded items into simple tasks. Try to limit these tasks to things that can be done in 10 minutes.
5. Add any additional details or descriptions to guide you through the tasks. I usually include questions to get answered on a phone call or topics to include when curating content
Note that there are two tasks not bolded or cut from my to do list. These are items that I would like to get to today if I find the time. Long term projects like free printables may find their way on your to do list without being high priorities, and that's okay!
There you have it! I took a list of things that were stressing me out at the start of the work day and turned it into a guide for my workday. The best part: I now have a finish line to cross, and I can keep that in mind from the moment I start.
Do you use a different method to create your to do list? Let me know in the comment section!
