Productivity // The Backwards To-Do List

Hey y’all!  As you probably have gathered, I’m a big fan of to-do lists ;)  They can be super helpful in getting things done.  But some days they can seem more like a curse than a blessing!  Am I right?!

Enter what I have christened the backwards to-do list.

The concept is simply to keep record of everything you accomplish in a day.  So, instead of creating a list at the beginning of the day and checking off boxes when you accomplish things, keep a notebook handy throughout the day and write down things as you do them.  At the end of the day, you will have a list of all things you accomplished.  This eliminates the looming list of empty check-boxes that agitates you during the day, but still gets you motivated to get things done.

Try challenging yourself each day to see how much stuff you can get done.  Try to beat your record.  Also, if you need extra motivation, having an accountability partner can be great!  At the end of each day, maybe you can text a friend and let her know what all you got accomplished.  I don’t know about you, but I would hate texting someone just to admit, “Um, well, I read a chapter of a book today… and, uh, I texted with my friends too.  But that’s pretty much it…” 

I would encourage you to try the backward to-do list method out sometime soon, especially if normal to-do lists don’t work for you.  Challenge yourself to be productive and creative in your time management!  Aim for a long, full list at the end of the day.  

Here are a couple ideas of things that you might would include on your list.  Everybody’s lists will look different, of course, so these are just examples.

- Practiced instrument

- Finished schoolwork

- Memorized 5 Bible verses

- Met with a friend for Bible study

- Baked cookies

- Cleaned living room

- Wrote a blog post

I plan on following this post up with another post sharing what all I personally got accomplished in a single day.  If you try out the backward to-do list soon, or would simply like the accountability, I’d love for you to leave a comment below and let me know what all YOU got accomplished in only one day!

What are your thoughts on traditional to-do lists?  Do you ever feel bogged down by them?

Have you ever tried what I call “the backwards to-do list”?

What do you think are some of the most productive things we can do as young ladies?