How to Avoid Mind Clutter Using a To-Do List

Using a to-do list and prioritising the items on it, and then getting them done

in order of priority is a very effective way to avoid stress and mind clutter.

If you don’t write yourself any other handy lists, this is a very good place to

start. There is something so very satisfying about crossing a task off your

To Do list.

If your To Do list is very long, then you might need to examine your life a bit.

Do you really need to get all those things done in one day?

Or can some of them be left off, delayed slightly or delegated? Perhaps it’s time for you to be more realistic in

your expectations for yourself and possibly say no to a few requests.

Don’t beat yourself up and tell yourself you’re a failure just because you’re not Superman or Superwoman and can’t get everything in a massive list done

within a 24 hour period.

Even if you could get it all done, you won’t be able to sustain that sort of pressure for long – burnout and/or

depression are likely results of this sort of over-achievement.

The Greeks have a proverb that says that if you try to do more than three major tasks in one day, the gods will

kick you. It’s good advice!

But there’s more to making lists than just To Do lists.

Another very good list that will help you beat stress and make you feel better

about yourself is a gratitude list.

This sort of list will help you get some perspective on life and help you realise

that you’ve got plenty to be happy about.

You can write one big gratitude list in a single session where you try to list, say,

50 things that you’re grateful for.

These can be simple things, such as “sunny weather” or “great cup of coffee

for morning tea” or more significant things like “manage to close the deal

with that important client”.

Gratitude lists are especially helpful if you feel the years creeping up on you

and you start hankering to be a teenager again: make a list of all the

reasons why the age you are is better than being a teenager (come on, you

don’t really want to go back to the days of school uniforms, exams and acne,

do you?).

Gratitude lists look back, but other lists look forward. Make a list of your goals.

These can be from any area of life, such as career, family, travel or health. Don’t censor yourself – nobody’s going

to see this list except you!

For example, your list might include “learn how to knit,” “recycle more

instead of throwing out rubbish,” “write a novel”, “run a half marathon” or

“declutter my house”.

You don’t have to wait for January 1 to write these life goals. The end of winter

is often a good time – there’s something about the cold weather and the sense that spring is about to come

and give the world a fresh start that makes it suitable for new beginnings of

all kinds.

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