What it is
So what do I mean by a running to-do list? Simply that it doesn’t have an accomplish by date. Which is the dangerous kind of to-do list right? WRONG! A running to-do list should include all the things you want to do. Not necessarily things you need to do. Things that are non-negotiable need to be scheduled. It’s an important difference. A running to-do list is almost a catch all of ideas written somewhere so they aren’t just ideas.
This isn’t for a tasks such as… Put together the guest room, when you know you have out of town company staying in 3 months. This is for… sew a throw pillow for the couch. It’s ok if the throw pillow isn’t done. But your guests will mind if they don’t have a bed to sleep on!
Why it works
You won’t forget that project you wanted to do. Just add it to your running to do list. If you’re a planner then when you plan out your tasks for any given day or week refer to your running to do list and pick something. Or several somethings.
If you’ve been feeling a little stuck or like you’re constantly in maintenance mode then adding a few special projects can really make you feel like you’re moving forward. And that kind of energy is contagious. Once you start feeling like you’re moving you’ll want to keep moving.
And my favorite reason… You won’t have lost motivation. Ever get to the end of your to-do list for the day and finish early with energy to do something else? I mean it may not happen often but it does happen. And usually I end up cleaning something that doesn’t need cleaning or just giving up on doing anything else and I switch gears into relax mode. So much lost opportunity because I didn’t have anything to reference to when I had the energy.
Where to keep it
You’ll need to be able to access your list quickly and without much effort. I like to keep mine in my bullet journal but you might like a spot on the fridge or your phone. Wherever you want to keep it just be sure it’s safe.
It’s helpful if it’s someplace you’ll see without seeking it out too. If you pass by the list every day on your fridge you’re more likely to imagine how nice it’ll be to start having some of those things done and likely get around to them sooner.
The first thing I wrote down was to move my fishtanks and I actually did it two days after I wrote it down! Huge deal for me. Next is to tackle building a floating shelf in the kitchen. I’ll let y’all know how that goes. What’s the first thing you’ll put on your list? Let me know in the comments!
