Good Lists Mean Less Stress

Living a ‘green lifestyle’ is not just about decreasing energy consumption or putting less pollutants into the environment, it is also about living a better quality of life. Things such as: less stress; healthy eating; spending more time with family and friends are all part of living green.

As a self employed person that works from a home office, one of the regular challenges and stressors that I face is the self discipline to keep on task and get ALL my jobs done. On any day these tasks can range anywhere from negotiating contracts to taking the dogs for a walk. Regardless of the pleasure of the task, all need to get done and the only person cracking the whip to keep on task is myself.

This situation is often a source of stress for me as I feel the pressure to get things done, but at times feel overwhelmed at the mental list, and not too sure where to start.

I have started a new technique of list making that is beginning to show dividends. While I would love to take credit for it, the originator of the germ of the idea is a Jim Estill, who in addition to being a rather amazing individual, is also a specialist on Time Management. I am a frequent visitor to his website: CEO Blog - Time Leadership and always find an item of interest.

The idea is a modification of the To Do list. Rather then having one list, have two: Need to Do and Nice to Do. In the morning while the computer is warming up take a few minutes and list those tasks that NEED be done that day; for items that are not crucial, or can be dealt with tomorrow, put those under the NICE to do column.

Do not worry about prioritizing beyond the Need and Nice. The prioritizing tends to come almost naturally as you scan down the list and decide what is the next task to do. Also, allow yourself to blend the two lists. For example, after knocking off two perhaps less enjoyable tasks on the Need to list, jump to the Nice to list and pick something fun for a break.

Furthermore, do not stress about making the list complete in the morning. As the day progresses, and things come up, add them to the list. If you are really organized, have the lists for the next few days handy and fill those in as you go.

All going well, by the end of the day not only will you have more accomplished, but you would have done it all in a less stressful way! Now scratching off ‘blog entry’ on my need to do list….