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?

Comments

  1. This was such a wonderful blog post! I have been struggling with how to make my to-do lists manageable, and I am trying the "backwards to-do list" today, and it is working really well. Thank you so much for the ideas!! :)
    So far I accomplished practicing my instruments, finishing school for the day, doing my ASL class, reading 3 chapters in the Bible.

    I think the most productive things we can do as young ladies are reading and memorizing God's Word, spending time with our family, and encouraging others.

    Thanks for posting this!!

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    1. I'm super excited to hear that you are trying the backwards to-do list out! That is encouraging! Great job! So far today, I've accomplished: piano lessons (had to leave early for this due to snowy road conditions, so it took up a lot of my morning), music theory, making a tart for dessert tomorrow night (company is coming), my YouVersion daily devotionals, and science. Not as much as I was hoping to get done this morning, but I'm trying to keep the energy going and plan on getting more accomplished this afternoon! :)

      Those are wonderful things for young ladies to do, Anna! I agree wholeheartedly! Thank you for commenting!

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  2. I literally love this so much! :D Thank you for this, Grace!!

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  3. I never thought of doing a to do list this way. I'll have to try it! Thanks!

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    1. I hope it works well for you! Of course you're welcome. Thank you for commenting!

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  4. Oh my!!! I'm definitely going to have to try this! I actually have a rather competitive nature, so I'll enjoy the challenge of trying to get more done every day! Thanks so much for sharing!

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    1. You are very welcome, Grace! Your excitement about this is so encouraging <3 I'm actually more competitive than many would think, too, so this method works good for me :) I hope it works for you!

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  5. That's such a great idea! I want to try this!!

    Laura
    flowersinmybasket.blogspot.com

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    1. That's awesome, Laura! I hope it is helpful for you. Thank you for commenting!

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  6. Olivia Bell (aka Livy)January 29, 2018 at 8:57 PM

    This is a wonderful idea, I'm totally going to try this tomorrow! :D Hugs to you, Grace!

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    1. That's awesome, Livy! I hope you find this method really helpful and enjoyable!

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  7. I LOVED this post!! I try traditional to-do lists, and they help somewhat, but. Okay, so I tried the backwards to-do list and it. is. amazing!!! I got so much done yesterday and it was so much fun!! (thought about telling you what i got done, but there's so much you'd be really bored. unless you like details of other people's lives. like me. Ha!) I love this and can't wait to have more productive days using it :)

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    1. Wow Alyssa, that's GREAT!! Sounds like you had a really productive day! And no, I don't mind little details at all -- feel free to list em' off :) I'd love to hear what all you got accomplished!

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  8. This is a very good idea, and one I am going to try. I think .i have actually done this before. At the end of the day .i write down everything I did and then cross everything out to show its done. Lol.

    Love,
    Ashley
    snailmailblessings.etsy.com
    creatingpreciousmoments.blogspot.com

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    1. That's great, Ashley! Thanks for commenting!

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