Managing the To-Do's (& September's List)

My daily to-do lists used to have the tendency of being a bit overwhelming, making some people shiver at their mere appearance. But to get through them, I had to be determined and dig right into the lengthy lists that wrapped themselves around me, engulfing my every move, thought and action. During the day, I would work hard to check off those intimidating boxes and during the night or in between tasks, I found myself thinking of more things to add to that cursed list. That is how it was, however, until I gave birth to my daughter. Prior to that blessed event, the to-do's and their nasty lists took over my life. I worked hard to keep them at bay, but all of my hobbies and responsibilities required regular attention if I were to stay involved in them all.

Adding Fun Tasks To-Do's
Back then, I started by only listing the essential boring tasks that fostered income, keeping the electricity on, and food on the shelf. But my huge love of fun and entertainment were slowly getting pushed to the side. That's when I read a tip about adding your fun and regular daily stuff to your day's tasks. By each task having similar check boxes at their side, it gives your fun stuff the same importance as your other mandatory to-do's. So I added other things, like "take a shower," "go on a bike ride," and "practice drums." Once the fun and regular stuff were added, I was able to check off more and more boxes during the day, which in turn gave me a sense of accomplishment. And soon, I became addicted to seeing how many boxes I could get checked off in one day.

Okay, Adding Too Much Fun
Just like any other person (who doesn't have a maid, bookkeeper, or personal shopper), trying to maintain a household takes a lot of daily to-do's. But then, add some to-do's of an artist, musician, athlete, and entrepreneur: that's where your already-full day becomes so much fuller. I would rush from doing quick stretches in the morning, to walking the dogs, to having cereal, sitting down to work in my home office, sneak quick calls or emails to friends and family while eating a pre-made lunch, rush for a swim in the river (or snowshoe out back if it were winter), make some phone calls to prospective clients, do some more work, go on an after work mountain bike ride, then come home for band practice, eat dinner, watch some tv, work on a painting and sleep, only to repeat it the next day (just typing it all now makes me feel overwhelmed!). And just when I realized that I needed to cut a little bit out for the sake of having some "down" time and my sanity, I had my daughter.

Managing the Manageable Daily To-Do's
After I had my daughter, I cut all of my activities in half, (no, make that a quarter), which greatly reduced my to-do's. At first, it was against my will, but those little eyes and that great big smile made it all worth it. So now, instead of a 2 hour bike-ride with my hubbie and friends, I now ride 20 minutes by myself. Instead of 4 different fun activities for me each day, I now aim for one and try to integrate my daughter into it or do it when she naps. My overall to-do lists may still be many pages long, but they house my overall to-do's for the year, not day.

My daily lists are now more streamlined, thanks to some advice from a life coach. They're more practical for someone who has a lot on their plate but can't think of only themselves; you know, someone like a mom. I list my intent for the day (work some, play some), my actual have-to's for the day and only one aspect of a long-term goal (finish logo design, go on bike ride, play with daughter, call about hanging new art shows), and some things I want to have happen (bring me peaceful people in my life today, bring me a nice person that can help me get a lower APR on my credit cards, attract the perfect agent for my children's book). Then days later, I go back to that list and record the result. Oddly enough, I get more of my daily to-do's done because I have streamlined them per the day. This keeps my thoughts focused for the day versus letting my eyes wander to the hundreds of tasks on my overall yearly list that get me panicked and sidetracked.

Sample Monthly Business To-Do's:
In a separate note, blogger Modite asked people to submit their September to-do's to share and learn from another. Here is an example of what my slimmed-down monthly to-do list for my Art, Illustration and Design business now looks like (note: there is nothing for fun, for my household or for my daughter on here, simply business):

• Blog once a week with at least 4 Twitter and Facebook updates through the month
• Get 2 more design and marketing clients
• Start learning Flash (to make animations for my clients)
  
• Email client list regarding new designs, referral program, partnering with new web programmers, etc.
• Complete 2 large artworks for upcoming art show at Dragonfly Cuisine
  
• Submit press release and email blasts for late month art show at Full Circle Movement
  
• Create an illustration a week to accompany my blog posts
• Update recent illustrations my website
• Review my Google AdWords account

(I won't even add all of the other things that I'd want to put on the list! These are just the most practical for me to get done this month).

All in all, it's all a juggling act that takes a lot of practice and determination to get things accomplished. However, the pay off is worth it to me because despite the crazy dance of organizing madness in odd to-do list formats, I get to both have a roof over my head, do something I love for work, have a great hubbie and daughter AS WELL AS get to go enjoy the outdoors on a regular basis with my family.

Illustration above: To-Do, copyright Sara Zimmerman 2009