Checklist, Checklist, Checklist!

If you are anything like me, there is so much going on each day that it is hard to keep track of everything needed to be done and everything you are responsible for. Adding something else to the plate seems like it might overflow it. And then it happens, one of the happiest days of your life. And now, you are getting married. After a few weeks, the excitement wears off and panic sets in. Not only do you have to continue on your normal routine, but now you must try and plan a wedding. How can you handle this on top of everything else you are already doing?

One thing that always helps me when I have too many things to do is to make a checklist. As simple as it sounds, it is something that keeps me clear. This is not a checklist to make on your phone though. With technology, to-do lists and reminders become pointless things that can be turned off and forgotten or pushed back indefinitely. Actually taking the time to write down a checklist can in itself, be its own therapy. You might realize you do not have that much to do. It is a great way to spell out everything that needs to be done, daily, weekly, or monthly.

The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to break you checklist down daily. Although it seems like a lot of work to make a checklist first thing in the morning or the night before, by doing it each day, it will make your list seem more manageable, as you will only have a day’s worth of stuff rather than a week or a month.

One thing does get a little mundane is if you have the same five to ten tasks everyday that you put on your list. One way to help that is to make a month’s worth of copies and print them off and put them into a binder or staple them. That way, you always have those few things for everyday, and then you can add. This saves you hand cramps and saves your pen some ink.

The last reason I think lists are so handy is because the final element; crossing something off. Crossing something off means you are done with it and you have accomplished it. There is nothing like the satisfaction of crossing something off your list. If you don’t keep a list, completing something won’t seem as significant. Sometimes we just need to revel in the fact that we did something and accomplished something that day. It also gives you the mentality of going from “Look how much I have to do today” to “Wow, I got a lot done today.” There is nothing else like that feeling.

So the next time you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, remember to make a checklist. Nothing will help you through it or help you feel as accomplished.