Before Your To-Do List by Carrie Greene

Often to-do lists end up becoming “one of these days I hope to get around to” lists. When this happens they become useless. There’s no way you’ll ever get through your list so why even bother? It’s OK to have a “one of these days” list but the list you look at regularly needs to include things that you are really going to act on.

Here are 10 questions to ask yourself BEFORE you put something new on your to-do list.

1. What’s the worst that would happen if this doesn’t get done?
2. When does this task need to be completed by?
3. Am I the best person to do this task? Am I doing someone else’s job? Is there someone else available, better suited or more qualified to do it?
4. Are there any decisions I need to make, materials I need to gather, information I need to get or conversations I need to have before I can make a decision as to whether or not to move forward on this task?
5. What do I hope to gain by doing this task?
6. What is really expected of me? Is it the same as what I expect from myself?
7. Who wants me to do this task? Do I want to do it or is someone else asking me to do it for them?
8. How far do I really need to take this task before it’s done enough?
9. What other task will I not be able to do if I spend my time doing this?
10. What would happen if I took it off my to-do list? What could I do instead?

© Carrie Greene, is an expert at helping entrepreneurs calm the overwhelm and turn it into profitable opportunities.

Work with Carrie to get organized, get places and get things done on time, figure out your priorities and get the projects that you start done.  Cross things off your to-do list, declutter, defeat procrastination and keep the motivation and momentum going for the long run.  Work with Carrie to carry through on the steps it takes to reach your goals.  For free resources, including Carrie’s 4-part ecourse to help you calm the overwhelm, create space and reclaim your freedom, please visit www.CarrieThru.com.

If you liked these writing tips, you may be interested in the Get a Plan! Guide® for Dealing with and Deflecting Distractions. It’s specially designed so you can accomplish your goals more smoothly (i.e., peacefully, productively, and predictably). You’ll learn ways to take stock of your distractions, along with 6 means to eliminate – or at the very least, minimize – those distractions. I promise that you will have a plan that you can implement starting today.