Today is the day to...

Do that thing that's been on your to-do list for three weeks now and still remains undone.

I admit, I am addicted to lists.But considering how prevalent lists are on popular Digg submissions, I'm not alone. In my planner, I list everything I need to do for the day. Even mundane activities like laundry get listed. Not only does this get the item out of my brain and recorded onto something more stable, it also gives me a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. I can look at my list of to-do items all proudly checked off and smile with a sense of accomplishment.

But....

There are those items that become rewritten day after day in my planner. Lately, those have been "get a job" (more later on why listing that as a to-do is a bad item) and "bleach bathtub." They go undone because, well honestly, they're not fun. Who wants to write cover letters all day or scrub mildew out of tight crevices?

But every time I see them reappear on my daily to-do list, I feel a sense of discontent with myself. Maybe you've felt it too. You're looking at this one thing you still haven't done and it's weighing over your head because you're going to have to tackle it sooner or later. And you're upset that you haven't buckled down and done it already.

Well, here's what I've found so far in tackling these dreaded "to-do"s.

1. Create Manageable Pieces
Don't list longterm and/or multipart projects as one item. For example, I am building a solar-powered dehydrator with my boyfriend. It would be foolish for me to write "build solar-powered dehydrator" on my planner and expect it to get checked off anytime soon. Instead, I would need to start by writing "Break apart bookshelf for the wood" on day one. When I had finished that, I would need to write "Paint plywood sheet black for airflow box" and so forth.

This is why I prefer to use a planner with a monthly view that has a space for listing parts of longterm projects. (I have found that Blue Sky July-June Weekly/Monthly planners are ideal for this and include large lined boxes for each day on the weekly calender pages. Available at Target for $7.99)

So, for my "get a job" to-do, I need to break this impossible doable task into manageable pieces. For example, step one could be "update resume with latest job and contact info." Step two would be "search for writing and reporting jobs using three job search websites." Next step, which would be a daily task, would be " apply to three jobs with corresponding cover letters." Much more concrete than "get job" and much more likely to get done.

2. Eliminate Obstacles
Figure out why you haven't done more short-term tasks such as "bleach bathtub" and "hang bird feeder." Sometimes, it's just an icky job, and for that, you're going to need to bribe yourself with a reward. For something like the bird feeder, you may need someone else to help you hang it. Instead of wasting time writing "hang bird feeder," go find someone to help you.

3. Plan for Later
You may not have time to do that to do item right now, and sometimes, that's okay. Just take it in stride and list it on your monthly planner page as a "WIGATI" (When I Get Around To It) item. No need to list it on your daily pages if it's just going to take up space and make you feel bad.

These are just thoughts from my own experiences. I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you do to make sure your to-do lists get finished.

{photo by Great Beyond}