WHAT'S GOOD TO KNOW ABOUT TO-DO LISTS
1. They ALWAYS have way too much on them.
2. Often to-do lists contain tasks that are just not important. The tool I’m sharing with you will help to make it clear which tasks can be safely removed from your list.
3. Most people overestimate their ability to get things done and underestimate how long each task will take to complete, setting themselves up for failure right from the start.
4. We rarely put ourselves and the things that keep us well on the list, e.g. exercise, social time, reading for pleasure etc.
5. Each time you tick something off your list your brain gets a dopamine hit (a rush of feel-good chemicals). It turns out though that there is a shadow side to that dopamine hit: we begin to crave it. So then we go after the quick-fix items on our list, they are easier to tick off and the more we tick off - the more dopamine we trigger. The problem is, the really important items often aren’t the quick-fixes and hence we keep dropping them down the list.
IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT THE LIST
It turns out that the list might not be the only cause of stress. Dr Libby Weaver points out that sometimes, ‘The problem is not the tasks to complete, it can be the attitude with which you approach them that influences your health’. When you approach your list in battle mode each day, aiming to ‘smash it out’ as much as possible no matter how long it takes, or when you approach the to-do list with dread and hopelessness, then you dial up the stress and negativity and place yourself at risk of the physical and mental health complications that go along with stress.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
I’ve played with lots of different types of lists and the one I’m sharing with you here is not only one of my favourites, but it’s also a hit with so many of the teachers I share it with. It’s simple, flexible and you can adjust it so that it’s just right for you. This tool will help you take control of your to-do list and make it something that gives you that end of day feeling of accomplishment and ta-da!