to-do list tuesday

this to-do list is from one of my favorite bloggers, meredith (of penelope loves lists fame). she crafts honest and inspiring entries and hits the nail on the head every time. the topics are relatable and often have me saying, "oh yeah, i went through that--thanks for sharing and making me feel normal!"  you can tell meredith really loves filling the big shoes over at penelope--and she's created quite a lovely community of folks over there. so without further ado, here is meredith's to-do list with tips and all!

One thing that works: the highlight system. 

I list my 5 or so items for the day with highlight on those that absolutely HAVE to get done that day or are time-sensitive within the day. I focus on those first.

One thing that is a challenge: limiting myself to putting just 5 or so items on my list.

It's tough, there's always SO much to do. But, I find if I limit myself to the 5 or so most important items, I can focus on them and get them done, without getting distracted by the overwhelming weight of my overall task list. I wrote about this in more detail here.

to-do list tuesday

there are a couple of things on my to-do list that are always on there (things like "exercise" and "blog today" or "meditate"). you'd be surprised at how easily i can forget to do something if it isn't written down. but i've found a few links recently that make some items on my to-do list a little easier to tackle. 

meditation

for the past 6 months, i've tried meditating on a regular basis to no avail. to me, the benefits are apparent immediately but because it's self guided, i usually write it off. although i find that if i meditate exactly when it crosses my mind to do so (instead of putting it off til later in the day) it usually gets done. then a friend forwarded me this very helpful link for guided meditations. i find that the taped meditations offer a hint of accountability because of the pre-determined time length and the soothing voice leading the way.

yoga

almost 3 years ago, i ran my first marathon. the training was super intense and by the end of the marathon i was like, "i never have to do that again." i pretty much quit exercising and chilled out for a while. fast forward to now and you can find me sporadically attending classes at all about you wellness boot camp and still yoga (while rotating in a long run for good measure). unfortunately, when i get super busy with work, i hate leaving the house to exercise. i calculate the time it takes to look presentable, add up the minutes for the drive to and from the class and determine that i'm wasting time (even though exercise helps keep me sane). and then 2 weeks ago, my friend ric told me about yogaglo. for only $18/month, you can stream yoga classes into the comfort of your own home. yesterday, when i was at ric's house (borrowing her internet) she did a yoga class in her living room. the cool thing is, you can pick classes based on level, teacher, what part of the body you'd like to work on... and the classes are continually being updated so nothing gets stale. and while i don't think yogaglo will replace my yoga classes in silver lake, they're a great addition to my exercise routine.

image; pauldeveto

to-do list tuesday

ok. i'm super ashamed to admit it but as of yesterday, i had something on my to-do list for almost 8 months (yikes)! the check engine light (and 2 other ones that were always questionable) started randomly going on and off for the last year. it caused me concern initially but my mechanic said it was probably just a rogue sensor and he could reset it (but in the near future i should bring the car in and he'll take a look at it). so of course i went in for my car's routine maintenance a few months back and totally forgot to have him look at it. at the time, the light wasn't on and i plum forgot (damn).

fast forward to yesterday. my parents are coming into town this weekend (which entails me driving us around) and i didn't want the check engine light going on and off. so i made an appointment to take my scion xb in today. to make a really long story short, the cam shaft gear had malfunctioned (apparently the model of my car is known to do this). and it needed to be replaced (double damn). at the tune of $600--and that was just for the part and did not include labor (we're going straight to quadruple damn). anywhoodle, my uh-mazing mechanic (seriously love this guy) decides to call the dealership to see if my car is still under warranty for this part (which i totally didn't think to do--partly because it's almost 5 years old). turns out, it is! the kicker? it's a 60,000 mile warranty. wanna know what my odometer read this morning?! 59,943!!!!! um, yeah. basically if i had not taken my car in today, i would be $1,000 out of pocket. huge lesson learned. do not put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

to-do list tuesday

To-Do List

maureen and i met by happenstance. she uploaded some uh-mazing pics of her organized home to one of the flickr group pools i often frequent. from there i went to her blog, notes on a visual life (inspiration galore) and decided to follow her blog. turns out--we're from the same place in sc (well almost the same place). we decided to meet up for coffee in the big city of LA since we're both transplants and the rest is history. maureen graciously shared her to-do list with us, which will be history as soon as she crosses stuff off (i couldn't help myself)!

My biggest challenge when it comes to my to-do's would be initial motivation. I can be a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to tasks where I haven't done a particular thing before or there is some chance that I'm going to fail. Those are the tasks I'll be most likely to put off for a long time (i.e. going to the DMV to get my CA license and registration).

If the tasks are home based (cleaning, organizing, computer-y, etc...) I will put on a favorite podcast for some funny background noise (The Ricky Gervais podcast is a go to!) and I will just keep thinking, "Do it now!" Once I'm up and moving, I'll be unstoppable. Also, another trick for when I CAN'T get in the mood to clean or organize: go to YouTube and watch a segment from the British show "How Clean Is Your House." If you're like me, you'll be in a cleaning frenzy in NO TIME. This may sound silly but if you find something that can help to motivate you visually, put it somewhere in your space! I found a lovely print that actually says "Do it Now." I framed it and put it in my kitchen and it does work for me as a good reminder. But it's true that the longer you wait to tackle something, the more psychologically difficult it becomes.

I am a list maker through and through so I always have a To-Do list on hand. If I'm feeling super motivated and fancy, I will categorize items by importance through ink color. I think it's best to avoid an overly ambitious to-do list as you'll probably never complete it (or it will take ages) and you won't get that rewarding sense of completion which may inspire you to tackle more of your to-do baggage. I try to keep mine realistic. It's also a good idea to make your entries singular and precise rather than one entry that includes LOADS of steps and tasks. But, everyone is different and as my dad would say, "If everyone liked vanilla they wouldn't make chocolate." Find whatever works for you and knock it out of the park.

to-do list tuesday and 300th post!!

old notebook... dunzo!

fresh, new notebook (love)!

when i started my own biz, i decided to go digital when it comes to my calendar (it.was.not.easy and i went kicking.and.screaming). but when it comes to my to-do list, paper is where it's at for me. like i said, i use one notebook and rewrite my list (almost) daily. i also transfer any client notes and important memos to my phone, calendar or computer. and when the notebook has no pages left, it's time to get a new shiny one--which kinda feels like i get to start over (in a good way).

to-do list tuesday

no. paper. needed (found here).

to-do list tuesday

laure is the creative head over at "at home at home." it's a blog that showcases her many talents (writing, photography, culinary delights) mainly, making the home a wonderful place to be. today, she has graciously shared her to-do list in all its glory.

the deets
Working freelance in three different capacities: photographer, writer and stylist, my to-do lists tend to be entirely unrealistic or I give up on them and keep them in my head (bad idea). When I'm good, I review my week on sunday night so that I make sure I know of any appointments that are coming up and then I make a list of all the things I want to get done. I add these to my iCal as I think of them so that I see the week as a whole. On paper, I write out my daily to-do's at the start of each day and I add an A, B, or C for priority, this way I can see quickly which things need to get done first. It might sound confusing, but this system works great for me since I'm easily sucked into perfectionism. This keeps me moving onto things that are important.

Important vs. Urgent
I took a Franklin Covey time management workshop when I worked for a small company years ago and the best thing I learned was discerning between those things that are Important and those things that are Urgent. Especially working freelance it can be too easy to fill my day with busy work: rearranging my desk, organizing my emails, etc. all in the name of efficiency and not get to the important things like refining my website or taking time to reach out to new clients (because I can always do it later) or even the importance of a day off lollygagging with friends in the sun. So before I get bogged down in the minutiae of the day, I try to identify 3 things I can do in the day that will move me forward on what's important to me in my life. Today it's:

1) talking to grace about moving my blog over to wordpress and vamping it up in time for some press I know will be coming out in November.

2) scheduling a day to go to the Westside to take care of returns, seeing my dad (remember Important not Urgent), picking up some plants I have at his place (so that I can use them for a terrarium building party I want to throw) and picking up a slide scanner so I can archive my grandmother's slides. (this is a classic item that I seem to never have time to do even though I am largely the master of my own schedule).

3) make sure that EJ and I talk about summer schedule so that I know what trips we want to do and when we want to do them so that I can plan my work schedule and budget for the next 3 months. As long as this is unfinished, I keep putting a bunch of decisions on the backburner, which drives me nuts.

One minute or Less
I think I got this from Gretchen at the Happiness Project, but if there's ever a task on my list or a task that presents itself throughout the day that would take a minute or less to take care of, I DO IT NOW. I don't put it off. Surprisingly there are a lot of tasks that take almost no time and yet I want to procrastinate: waiting on sending that pitch until it's perfect, not reloading the stapler or the ink cartridges because it seems like a pain, etc., not stopping to drink water or take a step outside to take a break, etc.

to-do list tuesday

the always busy becky making burgers

this to-do list comes all the way from south carolina. my mom contributed her to-do list from a recent party (she's mad organized... i wonder where i get it from)

this to do list was created to help me stay focused in preparing for a party that i was giving at my home on may 22nd (saturday). i started out by assigning tasks to each day of the week leading up to my party. everything went pretty well until thursday. that's when the "grocery store" task went by the wayside due to unforeseen problems. as it turned out, my husband was unable to complete one of the tasks assigned to him... which was mowing the grass. so you know who had to re-organize her task list to include yet another duty. thursday was already a busy day, so the grocery store had to wait until friday. i had planned on cleaning the boat on friday, but re-assigned that to the hubby, since he bailed the previous day. friday became quite busy and i realized i wished i had made time for the grocery store the day before.

challenge; when preparing for the party, it seems that there are too many things that have to wait until the day before the party. for instance, you can't prepare the flower arrangements too far ahead because they won't look so fresh. also, some of the cooking just can't be done until the day before. same goes for house cleaning. if you clean too early, it will just get messed up and you'll have to do it all over again.

what works; it's important to study your to do list through-out the project. you'll find yourself adding/re-organizing the list as the days go by. when the list gets too messy, i just start a fresh one with the tasks that still remain. one thing is for sure, a to do list is a must for me.

to-do list tuesdays

ric's short but sweet to-do list style...

challenge; remembering to actually write a to-do list
what works; telling myself that if I accomplish half of what's on my to-do list, I can go shopping.

kid's to-do list

o.m.g. spotted this adorable to-do list written by a kiddo on huffington post (via tumblrisforlulz).

to-do list tuesday

this to do-list hails from one of my favorite bloggers, miss grace hsui--a previous editor for apartment therapy; los angeles (where we met). she recently left AT but lucky for us, didn't leave without penning a farewell message. currently, you can find her on the popular and witty blog, of course, of course. so you can imagine my delight when she offered up her to-do list and explanation(s).

My to-do lists had humble beginnings--usually scrawled on the back of envelopes or written on my right hand--but since then, I've graduated to not only putting my to-do list on proper note paper, but they even have a spot! On my fridge! Well, the side of it, since that's the only part that's magnetic. Anyway, I update my to-do lists about once a week, give or take, depending on how very productive I'm feeling. This week, I've nailed about 5 out of 9, which (for me) is not too shabby.

1.  Challenge:  You mean, besides actually doing all of these tasks within a reasonable time frame?  I'd say my biggest challenge is getting motivated to do certain tasks that I dread or don't think I have the time for.  I try to order my list so there's some connectivity; i.e., if I have to mop the kitchen floor, I'll put that after "Sanding down wood cutting board" That way, since I'm already in the kitchen, there's a better chance of both tasks being completed. The other big challenge is meeting Ryan Gosling or LL Cool J, although I came really, really close a few weekends ago--LL Cool J was signing autographs at Vroman's for his new book, but the line was too insane to rationalize marking that off my to-do list.

2.  Sure Thing: If I know I'm going to have a big task I'm dreading, I'll pad my to-do list with smaller, easier tasks. That way, when I get into the groove of crossing things off my list, I'm much less likely to hem and haw and put it off. It's sort of how I feel like when I'm exercising: If I'm really dragging my feet, I'll tell myself, "OK, just ten minutes, and then if I still don't feel like, at least I gave it a shot." Nine time out of ten, after the ten minute mark, I'm thinking, "Eh. Already started. Might as well finish a full workout and then I can eat some pie!"

3.  Make An Appointment: A tried-and-true trick for me to getting stuff done is to turn it into an appointment. It's really easy for me to get caught up in work and push things off (sometimes for days...or weeks). Like the time when I kept pushing off sending out my car registration to the DMV, and then my tags expired; which then landed me in line at the DMV on a Friday afternoon, cursing myself for not taking the 5 minutes it would have been to just send out my damn registration in the mail.  Since then, I have learned my lesson: When I'm really busy but know I have certain things that need attention, I'll set aside an hour during my day to, as my dad would say, "button shit up."  This includes anything from hitting up Target (it goes without saying how easy it is to shop at Target on a Tuesday afternoon, then say, Saturday morning) to sorting and shredding a pile of junk mail that has been sitting in a box by the trash can for a few weeks.

to-do list tuesday

this week, we're rockin to-do list tuesday with one of my favorite peeps, miss dyana valentine (of dyana valentine.com). she is a super star when it comes to helping others get things done and today, she shares with us, one of her to-do lists.

I created this the day after an amaaaazing workshop by Brooks Palmer (of Clutter Busting). I had been to a clutterbusting workshop in January this year and come home to donate BOTH of my couches, a variety of small furniture, 4 bags of clothes and 6 boxes of books. Then, just a week ago, he came to LA again and after THAT clutterbusting workshop, I went even deeper into the recesses of my clutter and got rid of even more stuff--including 18 years (you read that right) of photographs (I labeled and kept the negatives); more books, more clothes, collectibles that I didn't want any more, and more clothes! I am slowly but surely getting to the place where my home feels like a "sanctuary."

1. Challenge: Keeping a list of to-do's (well, really shame-styled "shoulds") in my head and not on paper.
2. Sure Thing: The thing that always works is keeping my to do list taped to my front door (I see it several times/day and I feel SO good when I cross something off), and keeping each task on the list to 15-30 minutes in scope--even when that means breaking something down into 3-5 tasks.
3. Accountability: I usually make a public announcement--even if only to one other person (or on your blog!)--of what I want to FEEEL after doing an activity. I also tie my to-do's to a bigger goal--you can see that my list has "NEXT on Freedom!" at the bottom. That is the WHY of this current list. If you have to-do's that don't resonate with a larger goal--scrap them!

to-do list tuesday

the first time i shared my to-do list was back in june (as you can see, the format is pretty much the same). you would think a professional organizer might have better handwriting--apparently not so. the to-do list is ever changing and if i spent extra time making it perfect, i'd never get a thing done. 

this to-do list gets updated once/day (usually when i'm waiting--in the car, on the phone, etc.)

on the next page one will find a long-term bneato to-do list. when i have room on the daily to-do list, items from this list migrate on over.

bneato boot camp to-do checklist (things i always bring to boot camp--the list rarely changes so i keep a copy in the back of my notebook).

long term items (biz and personal) that i don't want to forget about but don't need to see everyday. this list stays on the last page of my notebook. on occasion, i'll check in with it and see what i can move over to the daily to-do list. if items are still here once my notebook is used up, i'll consider taking items off--for good!

things that help me accomplish my to-do's

• instead of prioritizing items by writing them in order, i'll star items that i need/want to get done that day. usually, i just want to write items on paper as they come to me (and i don't want to get bogged down or worried about writing things down in the correct order). starring items helps visually locate the important to-do's of the day in an instant
• always cross items off (if i have a highlighter handy, i'll use that instead). crossing tasks off makes me feel accomplished--and gives me the motivation to keep going.
• get the big things done first. it's so easy to procrastinate and then rationalize your tasks--essentially leaving them to get done the next day (or never). i find that these tasks end up being a big distraction through out the day/week until i get them done.  save yourself a whole lot of headache by getting it done-asap!

new series!

starting today (tune in later) we're adding a new series to the Bneato Blog called to-do list tuesdays. it will join our other fun and popular series, mac mondays and flickr fridays. not sure i can explain my obsession with alliteration but just go with me folks:) to-do list tuesdays will indulge your inner nosy-nancy and give you a sneak peek into the lives of others. some will be purely fun, while most will be great examples, showing us why to-do lists rock. turn your to-do list into a "to-did" list and join us on tuesdays starting in may.

ps; if you have a to-do list you'd like to share, contact us

image; apartment therapy