138: 3 Steps to Prioritize Your To-Do List and Reach Your Goals Faster

3 steps to prioritize your to-do list and reach your goals faster

Does your to-do list seem never ending? I get it.

Especially at this time of the year. In addition to the usual day-to-day stuff you’ve got holiday planning, and year end tasks, and planning for 2023, and it can all feel a bit overwhelming.

That’s why today I’m sharing 3 steps to prioritize that never ending to-do list so you know exactly where to focus your time and energy to achieve your goals.

Why I Love Lists

I gave my family typed instructions on my wedding day. I still maintain that this was a huge help to everyone (myself included). Everyone knew what they were responsible for.

I even had backups to double check that some of our groomsmen who I wasn’t so confident were reliable. What can I say, I love a good list.

Lists keep my brain organized. I actually have a pretty terrible memory for some things, and I get easily distracted. Lists are a lifesaver for keeping me on track.

And when I write everything down, whether it’s a list of tasks for my wedding day, or all the steps I need to record one of these episodes, or even all the things we need to get done before Christmas, it helps keep me on track.

It’s hard for our brains to keep all that information in our heads at once. If you’ve ever gone to the grocery store just to pick up 5 things, but reliably you forget one thing on your mental list, you know what I mean.

Your brain is amazing, but it has limits. One of those limits is how much information it can keep track of at once.

And when we overload that system, when we try to juggle 400 things at once, or we’re constantly multitasking, it burns our energy, and our productivity fast.

Why To-Do Lists Get Out Of Control

Even though lists can be a brain saving and productivity boosting strategy, I know that to-do list can seem out of control.

I spend a lot of time researching productivity and time management strategies that work, and I still get to work some days, sit down at my desk, stare at my to-do list, and think “oh my gosh how am I ever going to get this all done?!”

The most frustrating part? It can feel like a never ending cycle right?

I have a super productive day, I check off my whole to-do list. I’m celebrating with a caramel macchiato from starbucks (because I love to give myself rewards to keep my motivation and momentum up, and a fancy coffee is my favorite way to splurge when it’s -40 here in Calgary in the winter)...

…and then tomorrow my to-do list is full again!

And you’re right. As a high achieving professional with big career goals (who’s also trying to make time for family game nights, soccer practices, cooking healthy meals, and the occasional trip to the gym), that to-do list isn’t ever going to be totally checked off.

Time for a quick pep talk - that’s okay. It’s okay that your to-do list is never fully finished. Ever have one of those days where you do check things off and then you have no idea what to do with your extra time? Yeah me too.

The goal isn’t to check off everything every day. That’s impossible and not sustainable. The goal is to check the things off your to-do list that move the needle the most towards your goals.

To spend your day in PRODUCTIVE work, not BUSY work. The key to feeling in control of your to-do list, not rushing all day and feeling constantly behind, is becoming an expert at prioritizing.

3 Steps To Prioritize Your To-Do List

Here are 3 steps I use every day to prioritize my to-do list. To decide what needs to get done. What’s nice to get done. And what I can cut off there entirely.

Step 1 = Decide what’s truly urgent.

One of my first summer jobs when I was in university was working in a warehouse at a metals plant. Workers from around the plant would put in orders for parts they needed. I’d find the part in the warehouse. And have it ready when they came by the shop later in the day.

I’ll always remember one man. I still remember his name 20 years ago which means he was memorable, you already know my memory isn’t the best, but we’ll call him Bill.

On every single order Bill submitted he would mark it as urgent. One tiny screw or bolt. Urgent. I’d rush to get it for him, and he’d rush over from wherever he was working to pick it up. And then repeat the whole process an hour later.

I’m willing to bet since he did this at least 5 times a day the whole 4 months I was working there that not all those orders were truly urgent. And think of how inefficient that was! He’d have to stop what he was doing, put in the request, go pick it up, come back, and repeat this all day.

It would have made way more sense for him to put in one order a day rather than interrupting what he was doing a million times, but I’m sure in his mind he thought each part was truly urgent.

And we all act like Bill sometimes. You look at that massive to-do list and it all feels urgent right? It all feels like it has to get done right now. But that’s not actually true.

The first step in prioritizing that monster to-do list is getting crystal clear on what’s really urgent.

Is it due today or even tomorrow?

You have a big presentation this afternoon at work and still need to finish the slides - yeah that’s urgent. It gets to be priority.

Kid tells you last minute they need cookies baked for class tomorrow - yep I’d say that’s fair to bump to the top of the priority list.

But not everything on that list is going to be urgent. And if it is, you might have a problem saying no (taking on way too much so you’re behind all the time - if that’s the case, check out episode 107 of The Bold Life podcast).

Look at that to-do list and ask yourself is anything really urgent? If the answer is yes, then it probably needs to go on today’s priority list.

Step #2 in prioritizing your to-do list = Eliminate the shoulds

Get that to-do list out again and ask yourself how many things are only on there because you feel like you “should” be doing them?

I notice that when I’m extra overwhelmed, stretched thin, and feeling behind I tend to have a lot of these “shoulds” on my list.

Which seems counter intuitive I know - if I’m overwhelmed, shouldn’t my brain stop taking on extra work? Nope. Not how our brains work.

When we’re stressed out and overwhelmed, it’s even harder for us to say no as high achievers. Because our brains have developed default responses (including perfectionism and people pleasing) that make us want to say yes to everything.

The end result? A lot of busy work on that to-do list that’s draining your time, energy, and focus.

For example as I record this episode I’m getting ready to open the doors to my coaching program Time Warrior Academy at the end of December. Time Warrior Academy is the neuroscience based productivity system for busy female executives who want to achieve their biggest professional goals without missing another soccer game or sacrificing their most important relationships.

To get a program like this set up there are a lot of tasks on my project plan and to-do list. The things that I need to get done before the doors open including updating the lesson plans and program resources, getting the sales page and all the tech involved running properly, and planning the 3 day free Jumpstart Your Productivity for 2023 challenge I’m planning to run between christmas and new years to promote the program.

PS If you’re interested in joining that challenge you can head to www.drnicolebyers.com/challenge to sign up now.

Those are the must do things. The tasks I need to get done to make this program successful for my students going into the new year.

But inevitably once I start working on those tasks I get distracted by all the shiny objects, all the “shoulds” that crowd my to-do list and zap my time.

Like I should make a bunch of really cool social media posts, or I should spend the next hour making sure these images on my website line up just right…

And the shoulds don’t just happen at work - I get shoulds on my to-do list at home too. Like I should research some more plant based meals for my family. I should organize that pantry that’s a disaster. I should plan some craft projects for Allison for the weekend so she’s not bored while i”m working…

But the shoulds don't usually take us closer to our goals. Yes, having my website looking perfect is nice, but it’s not going to be make or break for the success of my program. Yes it would be nice to have crafts planned for the weekend, but my 5-year-old has a million toys she can play with to keep herself occupied for an hour.

Cross off anything on your to-do list that’s only there because you feel like you should be doing it.

Step #3 = Identify which tasks move the needle the most towards your current goal.

These are the tasks that are highest priority on your to-do list. The ones that actually take you closer to your goals.

That big project you have on the go at work…which tasks on that list are going to get you to that goal the fastest? Probably not obsessing over the font on a presentation right?

If you’re not sure which tasks will move you closest to your goals, they’re probably the ones that feel a bit scary. The ones where you aren’t quite sure where to start. Or you worry about making a wrong choice or messing up.

Our brains like to stay comfortable. So they often do the busy work first. The easy tasks you know you can check off fast. But those arn’t usually the tasks that help you achieve your goals. Find the tasks on your list that make your brain try and resist. The ones that feel a bit daunting. Those are probably the key tasks to make priority.

How To Join My Free Productivity Challenge

Want the tools you need to jumpstart your productivity in 2023? If you’re a high achiever with big goals for the new year, you know that one of the keys to reaching those goals is having the time you need in your day. December 27-29 I’m running a free 3-day challenge - 5 Secrets to Skyrocket Your Productivity in 2023. In this challenge I’ll show you neuroscience based strategies to get your brain focused, and stay on track, and boost your productivity so you can reach those goals faster. Head to www.drnicolebyers.com/challenge to learn more.

Episode Takeaways

Okay let’s do a quick recap of what you learned today. To-do lists are great, until they become an overwhelming monster. The keys to prioritizing that never ending to-do list? Decide what’s truly urgent. Eliminate the shoulds. And prioritize productive work over busy work. With these tools in your toolbelt you’ll feel confident tackling that to-do list every day.

Show Highlights

[01:48] - Lists keep my brain organized and keep me on track.

[02:38] - Our brains have limits and we can overload them.

[03:43] - A to-do list will never be fully checked off. That’s okay!

[04:40] - Step 1 in prioritizing your to-do list is: Decide what’s truly urgent.

[06:06] - It all feels urgent, but some tasks are more time sensitive.

[07:08] - Step 2: Eliminate the “shoulds”.

[08:02] - Time Warrior Academy is opening in December. I’ve had to prioritize my to-do list to get this off the ground.

[09:31] - “Shoulds” don’t get us closer to our goals.

[10:03] - Step 3: Identify which tasks move the needle most toward your goals.

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