Are you struggling to get anything done on your home business to-do lists? Do your to-do lists always seem full? You’re not alone. In fact, a lot of people suffer from this same problem. But let’s fix that right now.
I’m just curious…
Did you make a to-do list for today? If so, how far have you gone, or did you completely forget about it already? Well, don’t worry too much because roughly 41% of items on most people’s to-do lists never get done, so you are not alone.
Most people are not making the right to-do lists either. The best way to fix this and have it work for you instead of against you is first to understand the common reasons why they fail in the first place.
We all have to-do lists. Some are more effective than others, but they all have one thing in common – they’re not working for us. Here are the top 5 reasons why your to-do lists are failing you and what you can do about it to increase your home business productivity (of course this also works in your personal life too)…
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1 – Your To-Do Lists Have Way too Many Things to Do
To-do lists should never be multiple pages long or used for the long term. (If you’re doing that, you’re probably creating more of a brain dump, which is part of the getting-unstuck strategies we do in Slay Biz Overwhelm – we create a Master List & then organize it & prioritize, so we know what actually belongs on our daily task lists and can make sure they actually support our goals). Instead, to-do lists should focus on daily tasks within a certain period of time you plan to be able to work…. meaning you should have multiple lists, not one overwhelming one that will surely get you lost.
2 – Your To-Do Lists Have Unclear Deadlines
You need to set deadlines and have the discipline to follow through. A to-do list without deadlines will only give you permission to take your time or not do it at all. Make sure you understand how long it takes to do each activity, including prep and cleanup, and never assume you can do double the amount of work in one stretch.
Ninja Tip: I like to use Asana to keep track of my tasks and assign deadlines and priorities to them, so I know exactly what tasks to work on each day.
3 – You Don’t Account for When #LIFEHAPPENS
No one’s schedule is perfect, so don’t expect it to be. Account for flexibility and always include an extra fifteen minutes each day for the unexpected. You may end up in the bathroom or traffic a little longer than you realized, for example. Break up important meetings or errands into smaller chunks and give yourself some breathing room between them.
4 – Your To-Do Lists are Too Long-Term
You are giving yourself too much time to complete tasks or are creating to-do lists for more than one day. Your lists will guide and maintain your 90-day action plan. They are not meant to replace it. Break longer projects down into smaller task lists. Be sure your to-do lists are to the point and are a direct path for achieving your primary objective for that day or even a 90-minute stretch. (In Slay Biz Overwhelm, you’ll discover how to create one big Master List of projects and tasks, which you will then prioritize, categorize, and use to create your daily to-do list.)
5 – You Have Unorganized and Unclear Main Objectives
Taking the time to evaluate and hone in on what you want to achieve is crucial to a successful to-do list. If you don’t have a firm grasp on what your goals are, how can you create an effective plan to achieve them? Unclear objectives lead to unorganized plans, ideas, and actions. Learn to understand what you need and want to accomplish and prioritize to get things done in a timely and orderly fashion.
Don’t let your to-do lists fail you anymore. Your lists are a great tool to guide you through creating an effective day. It’s how you propel your business on the right trajectory to long-term success… as long as the to-do lists are done correctly.
30 Days to Maximize Your Home Business Productivity
This blog post is part of a challenge series called “30 Days to Maximize Your Home Business Productivity.” You’ll be able to find the whole productivity challenge here once it’s all been posted. Bookmark the page & set a daily reminder to go back & read a new post each day for some extra motivation, encouragement, & home business productivity tips.
Grab your free home biz quarterly planning guide:
Discover the core values and habits needed for home biz success, what everyday habits to avoid like a plague, and how a simple change in your plans can maximize your productivity.
P.S. – Did this inspire you or bring you value? Don’t forget to share &/or pin this post. I appreciate it sooooo much!
About the Author: I'm Misty, wife to a handsome fella & momma of two amazing kiddos that I am so blessed to be able to stay at home with. I did a lot of struggling in home biz quicksand before I started researching, learning from, and invterviewing top earners to learn their exact systems for getting customers and recruiting... and began sharing their secrets. I quickly got overwhelmed trying to #DOITALL and realized home biz success boils down to having solid systems and implementing consistently. Now I'm peeling back the curtain for you so you don't have to waste time & mental calories (like I did) trying to create success while also saving your sanity. Come join the conversation in our Free Life Ninjas Community.