As a super organised person, I have a list for absolutely everything! What’s on my list? Tasks that I need to complete for my business, reminders and things I need to do in my personal and family life, my goals, tasks that I’ve to complete on behalf of my clients and reminders for projects I’m working on - everything is written down! My list is my best friend! And, as a business owner, it should be yours too.

I’ve used them forever, so I know that they keep me on track and help me to be highly productive. They give my brain space to think, and by popping everything I need to do onto paper, I can actually relax when I turn off my laptop.

Do you use lists to help grow your business? Here are a few reasons why you might want to start!

1. Getting organised with lists

Probably the most important reason for compiling a to-do list is getting organised. Everything begins to feel much more manageable when you organise your tasks into a list. When you’ve got it all laid out in front of you, and can see where you still need to do the work it gives you focus to get things done. 

My lists are all colour coordinated and I get so much satisfaction crossing things off! And when you start keeping a list and can cross items off your to-do list, you'll feel an enormous sense of accomplishment and will be able to see how much progress you’re making on a project. 

I know that some of my clients haven’t realised how much they’re actually juggling until they’ve written a list. Acknowledging on paper that you’re making progress should help motivate you to continue moving forward, where having all the tasks whirling around in your head leaves you overwhelmed and leads to procrastination.

By sitting down and writing a list of all your tasks and making a plan, you’ll be getting yourself ahead of the game. Planning is the key to efficiency! Trust me: I’m the organisational Queen!

2. Practical productivity

Ticking things off your list enables you to be more productive because it gives you focus. It stops you getting distracted. It’s so easy nowadays to find ourselves easily diverted off track by various things: notifications, the washing, scrolling…! But I bet there’s been countless times when you’ve been trying to do something but while doing that task, you’re thinking about what you should be doing next! And I know there’ll be moments where anxiety sets in that you’ve forgotten something essential. 

This is why I keep my lists! Knowing you can quickly glance at your to-dos, means you’re able to concentrate on the task at hand. You can actually start to enjoy being in the present moment! When you’re mentally distracted all the time, there’s no chance of being efficient, so by writing a list you’ll improve your productivity.

Another win is that lists and plans allow you to see what’s important. So many of my clients waste precious time on the minor things when they ought to be focusing on more important tasks. Recording all your tasks in a to-do list means that you can start prioritising. It will help you focus your attention on the most significant task at hand! Goodbye procrastination!

3. Motivating yourself

I’ve heard clients say that they find lists demotivating, but when I’ve looked at their lists I know exactly why. They’ve been writing things like “Get more clients” or “write my book” - which are pretty terrifying as tasks!! The key to making a motivational list is breaking bigger tasks into bitesize chunks, like: “write an article on LinkedIn” that’ll show off your expertise to potential clients or “write the opening paragraph of my book”. That way it’s friendlier and much more achievable (and then you can tick it off! Yay!). So list the steps you need to take to reach a goal and then tick them off as you go. 

One way you can keep motivated and not get overwhelmed is by keeping your list to 10 items. I know, I know - you’ve got way more than that to do! I’m not saying don’t write them all down. Make a sort of “Master” longer list of EVERYTHING. Almost like a brain dump list, but then each day, pick 10 things off it and write them on a separate list that you keep to hand. By having a shorter list with manageable tasks on it, you’re less likely to freak out.

Another tip is to put some easy wins on the list at the beginning. I’m talking super simple. Like “Put on the washing” or “walk the dog”. Ticking these off will make you feel like you’re on top of it all! You’ll feel motivated to continue crossing off your to-dos all day long! You’re setting yourself up for a glorious day of getting stuff done. Go you!

4. Space to think

So, I touched on this earlier, but by making lists, I am giving my brain a rest. I write down all the things I need to get done and then I can relax instead of stressing about things. 

In a world where we’re constantly being thrown from one project into another, without a pause for breath, it’s important that we give ourselves time to be creative.

By creating lists and giving ourselves plans, writing all our tasks down, we’re able to stop that constant brain chatter and just be. When we want to rest, we actually can! Because we’ve allowed ourselves the space to do so. And when you’re an entrepreneur, it’s vital to find time to be creative, right? You need the head space to come up with new ideas, make mind maps of content, to create the amazing things you love to do!

Another thing I know can be helpful, is that when you’re making your list, for every task on the list, it’s useful to include as much info as you might need to get it done. For example, if one of the tasks on your list involves switching energy suppliers, it’d be a good idea to scribble phone numbers next to that task. Doing this will mean there’s no need to scramble round in the drawers searching for it later on. And that’ll give you more time and space!

5. Lists can boost your memory

It’s so easy to forget things these days because we have a ridiculous amount of things to actually keep on top of. Think about it. Did your parents have to check umpteen email addresses or messaging systems? No! They simply received telephone calls or letters (or telegrams...or pigeons…). Nor did they have the range of decisions to make that we do in terms of where to buy things, adding to our to-dos. Simple times! They had it much easier! No wonder there’s been a rise in mental health problems, eh? 

Keeping a to-do list improves your memory by giving you permission to forget. No human is capable of remembering every little thing all day, everyday. Did you know that the average person can only hold 7 pieces of information for about 30 seconds? Lists are useful as an external memory aid. In fact, writing to-do lists is a bit like having an external hard drive for your brain. Without some kind of external memory aid, we are bound to constantly forget stuff because of the way our short-term memories function. To-do lists allow you to keep track of everything you’ve got to do.

And another bonus is that keeping a to-do list actually strengthens your power to remember! Cool, eh? Apparently, whenever you look at your list, it cements that info in your short-term memory, which means you’re less likely to forget that trip to see your Nana or a visit to the dentist! So keep your memory muscles flexed with lists and fish oil. Oh and also Sudoku and crosswords…

I hope you can see why I’m a stickler for lists!

I honestly don’t know what I’d do without them and I highly recommend giving it a go. It’s not for everyone, but when people say they’ve tried and not managed to keep on top of things, it’s usually because their list is vague and unmanageable.

Keeping a to-do list helps you get laser focused on your goals and break them down into easy to manage steps.

So, what are you waiting for?! Start making your master list today. Then use that to create a daily task list. It won’t be long before you start seeing results! You’ll be less stressed, more organised and you won’t believe how much time you’ve now got on your hands to focus on growing your business!

Let me know how you get on. If you’re finding getting organised a challenge, let’s have a virtual cuppa. We can chat about how I might be able to help you! Let’s talk.