As a mom, there are many things to do on our minds. There are doctor appointments to schedule, dentist visits to maintain, car oil to be changed, and play dates to set up. There are the house projects you need to do (figure out the leaking roof) and the ones you’re itching to do (finding a way to finally display all of the art your preschooler produces on a daily basis). There is a grocery list to make, menu plans to write out, friends to call and connect with, and overflowing toys to pare down.
Whew!
I am an avid list-maker by nature, so when the list of household tasks starts to pile up, you will quickly notice lists over every surface of our house (the hubby loves it, ha!). And although not everyone loves to deal with their task lists in quite the same way, in case it’s helpful, here are a couple of tips I’ve picked up along my list-making journey.
1. Make a Physical List
Our mind is typically the first place we organize our internal list of “tasks we must do.” But if the tasks always stay in our mind, it’s easy to let certain ones slip or be weighed down by the sheer number of things occupying our mental space. Especially if you’re not naturally bent towards making lists like me, it’s important to move the tasks out of our minds and onto something else- be it paper or some cool organizing app on your phone.
2. Organize Your Lists
Sometimes when I am working on task #1 of making a list, I end up with a list that contains close to a hundred tasks. Insanity! And if I leave them all on the list, every time I look at the list, I feel instantly stressed— knowing it will take months to get everything checked off. So if your task list is too long and causing you undue stress every time you pull it out, it’s time to “organize your lists,” so to speak. For me, I like to break the tasks into categories (household, personal, projects, travel, errands, to research, etc.). And if that doesn’t help enough, sometimes I create a “master list” (which contains all 100 tasks on my mind), and then use that to create a weekly task or an ‘upcoming tasks list.’ Meaning, I still write down the plethora of tasks so they’re out of my mind, but each week I write out a mini-task list using that master list; I try and prioritize what has to get done this week (or what I think I can reasonably accomplish in a week). If I’m feeling particularly detailed, I even try to map out tasks to do each day, making sure to limit myself to 1-2 tasks per day (because, time).
3. Physical vs. Digital
I’m a self-proclaimed paper-and-pencil kind of girl. Yes, I have an iPhone, but I still prefer to write my tasks down on paper and plop them onto the fridge. I love being able to physically cross things off, make notes as I go, and see the visual reminder. My husband is the opposite— he likes to keep all tasks digital, and seeing a to-do list taped to the fridge feels like added pressure (he much prefer it was hidden away on his device). Which way do you lean? And which way does your significant other prefer? It helped our household when I realized that posting a honey-do list on the fridge was not helpful 😉
4. Delegate & Let Go
Now study your task list one more time. What things can you delegate— to a spouse/significant other, family member, or friend? Not only is it good to get things off your plate, people actually feel valued and significant when they are asked to contribute. Consider it a win-win. And after you delegate, consider— what things can you just let go? In many seasons of mothering, there are things that we probably just need to surrender. We might not be able to clean as often as we want, or some projects might take longer than anticipated… or some might not happen at all! Consider asking someone else to weigh in on your list and help you see what things are weighing you down that might not have to. It might feel defeating to give up some things, but consider all that you’re doing in those spaces instead— raising children! It’s a worthwhile tradeoff.
What tips do you have for getting tasks out of your mind and onto lists (or into other spaces that work for you)? What have you found helpful? What have you found distracting? I would love to know!
