Daily goals, plans, or priorities can actually backfire and sometimes even cause an increased feeling of dissatisfaction, a sense of overwhelm, and even overall anxiety.
Sometimes, daily goals or daily to-do lists can make you work harder in a single day in order to get them all done.
My to-do list, though, always seems to be a mile long, and no matter how many things I knock off the list, it seems to get longer and longer! I could literally work on things all day and still feel overwhelmed by how much is left to do.
The thing that is helping right now is actually lengthening my timelines.
The kids are busy, work is busy, and life in general is just busy! Without sacrificing hours of sleep or actually spending quality time with family, I have decided to try a new plan or new way to think about my goals or to do lists.
The new plan is NOT about each day!
The plan is NOT about each week! Sometimes, the weeks fly by faster than I can blink right now.
The new plan is all about the month ahead!
Each month seems long and makes me feel like I can actually make progress.
Focusing on the month gives me freedom to find fun with the family, focus on my work, and feel productive with projects and chores. It allows me to make real progress. Having monthly goals or tasks is way easier to focus on.
This new plan will help you too!
Categorize your priorities – I have divided mine into categories like home, kids, me, and work – you can customize this to what works for you.
At the beginning of the month, pick 3 priorities for each category (even just one for each category will create some sense of productivity and momentum). As you go through the month, whenever you can make some time, focus on those priorities.
At the end of the month, it feels better knowing you are gaining some momentum on the task list. Life can feel like you are taking no steps forward and continuing to fumble backward or even like you stagnate and get stuck!
Before you feel too stuck, try the monthly goals. You can even use your paper calendar or a note on the fridge to help remind you of what your goals are or what you need to focus on for the month.
Believe it or not, shrinking your list and extending your timeline can actually make you more productive. It allows you freedom and flexibility.
Try it out over the summer. See if it helps you move some of your priorities to a check marked, done list! Tackle some of those daunting tasks that never seem to make it to the top of the list. No matter how small those priorities are, at least they are getting done. With a daily list, they may just never make it to the real top of the list before bedtime calls you, and then the daily grind starts again the next day. When you are living in survivor mode or doing only the bare minimum, it can be hard to get started on extra tasks. Focusing on just a few goals through the month gives you some momentum that can carry through to give you the enthusiasm to keep trudging on.
Get a few things done this summer and feel better about tackling some of that list!
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