To Do Lists… Love ‘Em or Hate ‘Em?

To-do lists evoke a lot of emotions with most people. For some of us, we can’t live without them. Our world would disintegrate into little fragments and we would run screaming into the night if we didn’t have an accurate list to check off. Others can’t stand to be limited and held accountable by a LIST!! After all, I’ll bet Jesus never had a stone planner/journal or wrote a to-do papyrus.

Whichever category you fall into, the reality of having to keep track of everything you must do on a day-to-day basis can be pretty daunting in our day and time. If you’re like me, you’re super busy with multiple tasks that never seem to end. Not only that, but even if you’re a detail person (I’m not), it can get overwhelming when you consider family, work, church, and the myriad of other responsibilities constantly bombarding your mind.

Over the years, I have compiled some good reasons from many sources on why having a to-do list is a good thing. Here are a few of my favorites:

• It can help you take control of your time. You know about how much time something will take, and you can plan accordingly. This includes your Time Alone with God each day.

• It gives a one-glance look at everything you want to accomplish today and this week; both spiritual and otherwise.

• It helps to eliminate mind-clutter by keeping track of odds and ends. Once it’s recorded, you can simply follow the list.

• It improves your memory by recording everything. It’s a proven fact that when you write something down you remember it longer.

• It helps you to schedule time for breaks and rest. Yes, you do deserve breaks during the day, but you need to schedule them like you do your work. It's not “unspiritual” to relax. Jesus slept, needed to rest, and even retreated occasionally.

• It helps you prioritize the important things…getting the most important things done first, then moving on to less important things.

• Perhaps the most satisfying part of keeping a to-do list is that of crossing things off your list. That produces a great feeling of accomplishment. When you look at everything that you managed to accomplish in an hour, a half-day, or a full day; you will be amazed at how efficient you really are.

By using the Daily and Weekly Planners, Goal-Tracking, Habits-Tracker, and more, you can keep your life moving in the right direction and reduce the number of “hiccups” along the way. A tool like LifeJournal will not eliminate mistakes in your life, but it will help you reduce them significantly.

Does it take time? Absolutely! There’s an old saying that goes: You gotta spend money to make money. True story. I would add to that: You have to spend time organizing to save time in your day. That is also true.