Don't Forget - Write it Down! Ever have one of those days, in which you were so overwhelmed by the amount of tasks and projects you had to do that you ended up accomplishing none or just a couple of them? Sometimes just the thought of that endless list in your mind can take our complete focus away from any one task at hand, so that while we begin the day's rat race, we never cross over the finish line. Creating a simple to-do list does not take more time. It saves time. One woman, who refused to partake in list-making had often wondered why she could not complete any major or minor tasks during her busy day. Consider her daily scenario at home: Margaret wakes up and sees a pile of laundry. She starts the laundry. Then, she remembers she had to pick up cat food. So she gets in the car and drives to the pet food store. When she arrives back at home, the mail had come, so she decides to go through her mail. The phone rings while she was sorting through the bills, so she puts the mail down on the kitchen counter. It was her daughter on the phone asking her to pick her up from school at 3:00 that day. When she gets off the phone, she decides to do a little dusting. And then she remembers she had to pick up the dry cleaning. And this is how her day continued... not following any kind of list and just randomly doing tasks here and there. In doing so, and not writing anything down, she had forgotten to pick up her daughter at 3:00. Her daughter had to call back and she frantically rushed to the school to pick her up. At the end of the day, the laundry was still sitting in the washing machine. Her mail still sitting on the counter. Her dusting only half done. Plus, she never picked up the clothes from the dry cleaner. We are all busy and it's easy to forget even the most routine projects if we don't write them down. Just be careful not to write too many things down, or you'll be back at square one with feeling overwhelmed and un-motivated. If your daily to-do list always seems to have tasks that were not completed, cut your list in half by prioritizing just those items that must get done now and saving other items for a to-do list on another day. If you do not keep a daily to-do list...start! It's the only way you'll be sure you won't neglect important things to do. It's one of the most basic techniques for organizing your life. I often marvel at how many details my children can remember...whether recalling a past event or simply re-telling a story. The truth is that children's minds are a clean slate. They simply don't have as much stored in their memory. And children's minds are such sponges at early ages, whereby their brains are constantly channeling and reaching new memory capabilities. This is the reason, studies indicate, that children should study foreign language or take up a musical instrument before they reach the age of 12, when their brains begin to stop channeling. They are easier to comprehend, while developing that part of the brain, when focused on at a younger age. But as adults, no matter how good we think our memory is, it's never a good idea to rely solely on memory in our everyday life. Consider these statistics from scientist, Hermann Ebbinghaus: We only hear 25% initially. Jot down notes to yourself in a tickler file for ideas to implement from books and magazines you read...create a to-do list every evening for errands and tasks you want to do the following day...type up a master list of future goals and post it where you will be reminded of them everyday...write your thoughts in a blank journal to uplift and enhance your mood...update reference notes in your files...keep daily notes for discussion items at home or work...save directions to semi-frequently traveled destinations in a separate file...log in important dates and special occasions on your calendar...keep a master address list of friends and family, such as a holiday card contact file...record phone numbers you use regularly in a rolodex file...write down all appointments in your day planner...and write letters to loved ones, often! So, write things down to make things happen. Writing things down allows you to see the big picture, and to approach your day in a systemized manner that ends with you accomplishing many things and feeling productive. Taking just a few minutes to write things down everyday can save you hours of time! Lisa Lelas is a professional organizer, bestselling author and nationally renown speaker. She has appeared on Oprah Winfrey, Today show and more. She is the network affiliate organizing reporter for local ABC, CBS and NBC stations in Connecticut and the creator/host of SIMPLY ORGANIZED on community cable-TV. Lisa is a member of NAPO and NSA. http://www.LifeStylingwithLisa.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Lelas | |
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