THE DOS AND DON'TS OF TO DO LISTS

/the intricacies of your thoughts will create galaxies in your head/ 

"that moment/feeling when..."

THE DOS AND DON'TS OF TO DO LISTS

we all know that moment when... you love to make to-do lists but never actually accomplish all of the goals listed. to-do lists are great, in theory; they give the satisfaction of feeling organised and help get your thoughts and tasks in order. however, gathering the motivation to complete the tasks put down is a whole different obstacle in itself. so, without further ado, your official guide to to-do lists for maximum success and productivity rates! :) 

DOs:

• let's be real - setting realistic goals is basically the key to a successful and effective to-do list. don't bite off more than you can chew. if you set too many tasks to do, it'll leave you feeling overwhelmed and diminish the clarity of the list as well. also, too many tasks = less chance of completing them all, which is quite discouraging as the end aim of a to-do list is to check off all your tasks! 

• be old fashioned - when it comes down to to-do lists, the ol' pen and paper definitely trumps the digital age in all aspects. it is so much better to pen down your goals on paper instead of typing them into your notes on your phone or laptop. here's why: first, if you write it down on paper it can look as wild and wacky as you fancy which channels your creativity and gives it that extra pizzazz that, let's be honest, tedious to-do lists sometimes need. also, there's nothing like that feeling when you're able to put a crisp, accomplished tick next to a job well done, compared to the casual placing on the emoji tick on a digital to-list which doesn't really celebrate the feat you've achieved ((side note: always acknowledge your achievements! :) whether to be just finishing off that little bit of maths HW or climbing Mount Everest)) also, a digital to-do list just seems more detached and impersonal than a paper one, like letters and emails. bottom line: pen & paper are the way to go. 

• crystal clear - don't fluff around! writing a to-do list isn't the same as writing an english essay; convoluted, eloquent language and sentences won't be of any use so don't bother making it fancy, direct and straight-to-the-point is how your to-do list should be. another important tip: if you're aiming to finish a long assignment or task which needs to be done in parts over a few days, write down a general amount of the task you want to finish as a to-do instead of just writing down the task as one to-do which is ineffective because it really depends on your productivity how much of the task you end up getting done ;). 

• in the moment - to-do lists are all about getting things done, usually and ideally over the course of a day. aim to finish what you can in a day and don't plan too far ahead as it just jumbles everything up and in the long run, isn't effective in maximising tasks done. if you're thinking about a long-term to-do list type of thing, you should create more of a planner or schedule as to-do lists are best short and sweet! *insert food analogy here* ;)

DON'Ts (that haven't already been inadvertently covered in the DOs):

• productivity - to-do lists don't  magically mean your tasks get completed without your effort and hard work. if you aren't productive and motivated to actually finish the work, it won't get done (in any universe). 'nuff said. 

• don't let it go off (like food) - if you reach a point where your to-do list is stressing you out because of all the things you need to do more than motivating you to actually do them, it's time to let the list go. the purpose of to-do lists isn't to stress you out or become that nagging worry or annoyance that's always telling you to "do your work!" and to "not waste time!" ((cough cough that may or may not have been inspired by the universal struggle of nagging parentals)) but is to motivate and spur you on to finish all your tasks because of it's day-to-day nature that makes large tasks seem small. milk is great and healthy to drink (although, sadly, I've never had a fondness for it) but when it goes off, drinking it will cause more harm than good- the same applies for to-do lists! ;)

so there you have it! a few easy tips on how to reap the most benefits out of your to-do list ;) hopefully this helped shed some insight into the supposed foolproof success of to-do lists and you now feel ready to tackle your own. stay motivated! :)