Top Tip for the New Year: To Do Lists

For some reason I feel an obligation to write a post about getting ready for the New Year. Im not quite sure why but it probably has something with the fact that I wrote it on my to-do list. Which brings me to the reason I'm writing today.

One of the most helpful tips you can teach your kids is how to use a to-do list. I love to-do lists because they are very helpful if you want to get to a high stress level quickly. They are also helpful if you like to wake up and see how much you did not get accomplished the day before.

No, seriously, those problems only happen to people who let to-do lists get out of hand. The mistake I notice those people make most often is that they forget who is in charge. Remember, you are in charge, not the list. If you find that your to-do list is not helping, then here's all you need to do: just mark items off whether you actually did them or not.

Sure, the toilet paper might continue to be dropped in the toilet since the holder is broken, the mess in the hallway where the dog got sick might get a little smelly, and your family might be setting a record for the longest continual time wearing the same pair of underwear, but you'll feel so invigorated knowing you checked everything off the list anyway. Your family can go another week without clean underwear. Besides you can teach them the principles of reduce (they can go without), reuse (wear them inside out), or recycle (it won't hurt your spouse to wear some of those sexy bikinis of yours you never seem to wear anymore). It's all about the teachable moments.

In the interest of making sure everyone understands to-do lists, I want to show you the most recent list I prepared for myself as I'm getting ready to start the New Year:

1. Watch exercise tapes while baking cookies. (I have a resolution to work on my multi-tasking ability.)
2. Figure out where I put my HOW TO BE ORGANIZED book. (The one where I learned about making to-do lists.)
3. Do the stupid, good-for-nothing, never-works, positive thinking affirmations.
4. Check bank balance to see if I have enough money to buy KEYS TO FINANCIAL SUCCESS.
5. Transfer reading of HOW TO BEAT PROCRASTINATION to next week's list.
6. Write next chapter of my TO-DO LISTS FOR DUMMIES book.

Wow that's a lot to do. I better go get my pen so I can start marking them off at random before I take my morning nap.