How to Get More Done

My daily to-do list is about a mile long. I find that I become very frustrated when it doesn’t seem to shrink after a few hours, but I have to find a way to stop the frustration. Being frustrated doesn’t make it any easier for me to complete all the things that I have to do every day, so I have to find a better way to get stuff done. With kids, getting anything done is a challenge. With kids, a full-time career that I work from home, and an obsessive-compulsive need to have perfection around me in the form of cleanliness at all times (because kids are oh-so-clean) I really, really need to find a way to get stuff done. That’s why I follow these rules.

Rhyme it Up and Do the Worst First

I used to put off my least favorite activities until last until I realized that I dreaded them all day long. Now I get them out of the way first so that I don’t waste time thinking about them every single day. It’s so much more efficient and I’m so much more productive.

Ignore Your Phone

I find myself distracted by my phone on a regular basis. Incoming emails, social media messages, and the flirty text messages my husband and I send to each other throughout the day take my attention away from what I’m doing. When my girls are napping and I actually have time to be productive, I put my phone in my bedroom and shut the door so I can’t hear it. I can’t feel guilty about not answering emails and texts if I don’t know I have them.

Write it Down

I know that I feel better when I see a tangible reminder of the things I’ve already accomplished. It makes the list of things I still have to do seem less intimidating. Sometimes, I do the easiest things right away so that I see several things crossed off the list, which only inspires me to get more crossed off.