Tackling Your To Do's
October 15, 2007
Last month, I talked about the importance of 'taking inventory' after a stressful experience. This month I share another important method of taking inventory…tackling your 'to do' list. But I'm not talking about that list in your pocket. I'm talking about that internal 'to do' list, the one that is playing in your head.
If you're like me, you have an ever-growing 'to do' list running on an endless loop in the back of your mind. No matter how much you accomplish in a day, there is always something new to add to the list. When your energy and patience run low, the list can cause you a great deal of stress.
A very effective stress management technique is to take that 'to do' list out of your head and get it down on paper. By putting the list onto paper you move your 'to dos' from the abstract to the concrete. Concrete actions are much easier to manage than what is floating around in your head.
Your assignment: Carry a piece of paper or notebook for a week. Listen closely to your 'mind talk' - those little messages that you give yourself throughout the day. Each time your mind talk says "I must / should / need to / have to get this done…" write it down.
After your week is done, sit down and look at your list. You will be amazed at just how much you expect yourself to do. I imagine that you can even develop several 'to do' categories - what you have to do at work, at home, with your spouse, with your children, with your parents, for you pets, in your community and so on.
And you'll have a BIG list of 'to dos' for yourself - perhaps including some hopes, dreams or goals that you hadn't even realize were floating around in your head. These never seem to get done and add to the pressure you're feeling. 'To dos' for ourselves are always put off until everything else on the list is finished.
Your second assignment is to put six columns on a piece of paper. Title them as 'Must do', 'Should do', 'Want to do', 'Can wait', 'Forget about it' and 'Someone else can do'. You can add a 'Quick do' column too - for tasks that are quick and easy, and would be nice to check off your list right away. Divide up your list accordingly.
Now, whenever you are starting to feel stressed because of a feeling that you're always behind, take a look at your columns and decide what you can do today to make your list - and life - easier to manage.
By putting your 'to dos' on paper and tackling them one at a time, you will find that life seems a little more manageable and perhaps, even, a little more fun.
My internal 'to do' list
(It is important to remember that the items on your list aren't bad or stressful; it is the accumulation of things 'to do' that can start to make us crazy! You'll notice that I don't have every day 'to do' items on my list, like doing errands, feeding the cats, making phone calls, etc. These are tasks that tend to be either automatic or they are on a paper list somewhere already.)
- Write Take Care column for November.
- Finish work for client A, due October.
- Finish work for client B, due October.
- Finish work for client C, due November.
- Finish work for client D, ongoing.
- Finish work for client E, donated. Waiting to hear back.
- Do month-end for my business (January to present).
- Write up and send out Thanksgiving cards to family etc.
- Plan Christmas (Who is coming?)
- Clean house, company coming this weekend and next.
- Buy Thanksgiving turkey.
- Bake my food (I make many of my own foods so I can control ingredients, especially sugar and wheat).
- Organize books etc. downstairs (rearranged furniture, bookshelves etc., not yet done).
- Clean cat boxes.
- Fix screens in deck door and basement window.
- Paint my bathroom.
- Go to Green meetings (volunteer commitment).
- Attend municipal meetings / write letters / contact politicians / real people & research ideas (civic involvement re: pending incinerator).
- Call to switch over local phone / long distance service to Yak.
- Call Sympatico re: modem lease??
- Order office supplies.
- Update anti-virus, new software?
- Reconcile bank statements (personal).
- Go through inbox (personal).
- Update finances (personal).
- Make Christmas gifts.
- Make new curtains for kitchen.
- Reorganize art supplies.
- Explore new business idea.
- Explore new creative ventures.
- Explore updated software.
- Get to know how to use new software.
- Spend time with husband.
- See friends.
- Book hair appointment (Toronto).
- Find new doctor (Toronto).
- Clean house.
- Play with cats.
- Weed gardens.
- Collect annual seeds.
- Clean oil stains off driveway (try baby powder).
- Plant mums in front garden and butterfly bushes in back.
- Buy pumpkins / fall décor for outside.
- Fertilize cedars.
- Pick up the mail!
- Answer Kelli's letter.
- Answer Vicki's letter.
- Call my aunts.
- Organize work files.
- Find past accounting / tax records and learn to do own taxes (software?).
- Plan menu and buy groceries for next couple of weeks.
- Spend time with husband.
- Have friends over for dinner.
- Patch paint in hallway.
- Get garage ready for car (winter's coming. Snow tires need to go on, too).
- Brush cats.
- MSN nephews.
- Send birthday card to Ralph (cow card!).
- Use latest energy coupons.
- Put together new desk and set up for internet computer (it has been in the living room in the box for 3 weeks).
- Fix office window?
- Mail nephew #2's birthday gift.
- Get a photo of that awesome tree in the park (red).
- Sort digital photos from trips to TBay and NB.
- Explore trails in this area.
- Apples at Archibalds.
- Update speed dials on office phone (since move).
|
Quick do
|
Must do
|
Should do
|
Want to do
|
Can wait
|
Forget about it
|
Someone else can do / can help
|
|
Write up and send out Thanksgiving cards to family etc.
|
Finish work for client B, due October.
|
Go to Green meetings (volunteer commitment).
|
Make Christmas gifts.
|
Finish work for client E, donated. Waiting to hear back.
|
Call Sympatico re: modem lease??
|
Buy Thanksgiving turkey.
|
|
Plan Christmas (Who is coming?)
|
Finish work for client C, due November.
|
Find new doctor (Toronto).
|
Make new curtains for kitchen.
|
Paint my bathroom.
|
|
Organize books etc. downstairs (rearranged furniture, bookshelves etc., not yet done).
|
|
Clean cat boxes.
|
Finish work for client D, ongoing.
|
Plan menu and buy groceries for next couple of weeks.
|
Apples at Archibalds.
|
Reconcile bank statements (personal).
|
|
Buy pumpkins / fall décor for outside.
|
|
Fix screens in deck door and basement window.
|
Bake my foods.
|
|
Explore new creative ventures.
|
Reorganize art supplies.
|
|
Fertilize cedars.
|
|
Call to switch over local phone / long distance service to Yak.
|
Update anti-virus, new software?
|
|
Spend time with husband.
|
Explore new business ideas.
|
|
Get garage ready for car (winter's coming).
|
|
Book hair appointment (Toronto).
|
|
|
See friends.
|
Explore updated software.
|
|
Use latest energy coupons.
|
|
Order office supplies.
|
|
|
Weed gardens.
|
Organize work files.
|
|
Put together new desk and set up for internet computer (it has been in the living room in the box for 3 weeks).
|
|
Go through inbox (personal).
|
|
|
Play with cats.
|
Find past accounting / tax records and learn to do own taxes (software?).
|
|
Fix office window. (Winter is coming anyway.)
|
|
Update finances (personal).
|
|
|
MSN nephews.
|
Have friends over for dinner.
|
|
|
|
Call Mom.
|
|
|
Answer Kelli's letter. Answer Vicki's letter.
|
Sort digital photos from trips to TBay and NB.
|
|
|
|
Clean oil stains off driveway (try baby powder).
|
|
|
Call my Aunts.
|
|
|
|
|
Plant mums in front garden.
|
|
|
Brush cats.
|
|
|
|
|
Pick up the mail!
|
|
|
Get a photo of that awesome tree in the park (red).
|
|
|
|
|
Update speed dials on office phone (since move).
|
|
|
Explore trails in this area.
|
|
|
|
|
Patch paint in hallway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Send birthday card to Ralph (cow card!).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What is Take Care?
"Health and wellness" is one of those phrases that, while popular, is becoming a bit of a cliché these days. While overused, "health and wellness" is often misunderstood and can have different meanings for different people.
I like to simplify things. So rather than calling this just a "health and wellness column," I have decided to call it, Take Care. I have chosen Take Care because that is what I will be writing about - how you can take care of yourself.
Don't worry. I won't be throwing facts and statistics at you - although I may occasionally share the title of a great book or the link to an awesome website. Neither do I claim to be a great guru with all of life's answers. What I can offer is the experience that I have gained from 43 years as a human being, 20 years in human services and almost a decade of living with chronic illness.
Let's face it; we live in a crazy world these days. We are constantly barraged by the demands on our time, attention and energy. Many of us are working full-time, managing a home, raising children and taking care of our parents … in some cases even our grandparents (or grandchildren…). We never seem to get away from the ringing of cell phones, the beeping of text messages and the growing pile of email messages in our inboxes - not to mention the old fashioned paper way of communicating.
Just when we think we are on top of it all, we decide to do something crazy like take a vacation … and we have to work twice as hard to get ready before we go away and three times as hard to catch up when we get back.
The body isn't made to be under constant stress. Constant stress leads to physical changes in the body and the mind that can contribute to serious illness. So don't tell me you can't afford the time to take care of yourself because I'll tell you that you can't afford NOT to take care.
Think of "Take Care" as a place to start … a place to start thinking about some very basic ways that you can take better care of yourself.
Why not start by visiting our website each month and reading this column?
Take care,
Kristin
About the author
Kristin has two decades of experience in the not-for-profit and social services sector, ten of those years spent running her own business - KDM Program & Management Services. Through KDM, Kristin provides contract, short-term and recurring program and management support to the not-for-profit sector. Services include - but are not limited to - public relations and marketing, website planning and content development, proposal writing, program evaluation and development, and project management and coordination. To reach Kristin, click here.
Copyright
The column, Take Care, and its contents are copyright, Kristin Duare McKinnon, all rights reserved. You may download, display, print and / or reproduce this material in single, unaltered form only - retaining copyright notice and author information - for your personal, non-commercial use. You must not change any of the material or remove any part of the article or notices that follow. For further information or to use the information contained in any Take Care column outside of the parameters indicated here, please contact Kristin.
Disclaimers
The information provided in the Take Care column is of a general nature only and is not intended as a substitute for professional health advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any personal medical and health questions that you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website or any other website.
We have made reasonable efforts to ensure that the information contained in the Take Care column is accurate and up-to-date. To the extent permitted by law, Kristin Duare McKinnon and Community Living Kawartha Lakes accept no liability for any injury, loss or damage caused by reliance on any part of this information.
Please also read our external website disclaimer.
