If you are someone who creates a to-do list without considering your long-term goals, you may start feeling as though you are spinning your wheels. You will be going through the motions of “doing something” which will make the process of not getting anywhere that much more frustrating.

To-do lists are a good idea but, you need to make sure they are in-line with your goals. Consider taking a top-down approach to your tasks rather than bottom-up. Start with your long-term goals. Where do you see yourself in a few years from now? If you cannot answer that question, you need to do some soul-searching. Take the time to figure out what you want to accomplish at a high-level. Then, you can use that to break down into granular tasks. Finally, you use the mid-level tasks to help define the to-do list that you use daily.

People put off setting long-term goals because the time frame seems so far in the future. How can you be expected to know what is going to happen five to ten years from now? Try to choose the shorter-term time frames. You can measure what happens two weeks from now as it is going to happen soon.

Another problem with longer-term goals is one of commitment. People seem to think that when they declare a long-term goal, it becomes chiseled in stone, and they are required to commit to it. Hey, this is your list. Circumstances change, and It is ok to adjust your goals.

Once you have set your goals and have broken them down into sub-tasks, creating your to-do lists will follow easily, and they will get you closer to accomplishing your goals.

The post How Are Your To-Do Lists Working for You? appeared first on Calm and Natural.

We also have routines in our society. In some ways, laws can be considered routines. You know that you are not supposed to run a red light and that can be thought of as a routine. When you come to a red light, you stop.

You set up routines for your kids in the form of chores. You know that certain tasks need to get done each week. Many parents tie kids’ allowances on these chores. When the kids finish their chores, they receive their allowances.

When you pay bills, you tend to have a routine for this. Some people like to:

• Pay bill upon receipt
• Pay on a certain day of month
• Pay automatically by their bank or brokerage.

There is only one right answer for how to do this. Whatever works for you. However, the method you choose will be routine.

Compare this to people who do not have routines to manage their lives. They tend to handle tasks when the mood strikes them. These people are usually late with their bills and have messy environments. Some of these people will say that this way of life works for them. However, for most people this is chaos. It is something that can easily be avoided by setting up routines for the tasks you need to complete.

Remember we all need to break up our routines on occasion. You may use weekends to do activities that you don’t get to do during the work week. Also, many families use vacations to help break up their routines.

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If you are feeling in a rut, think about going on a vacation. This can be a great way to change the ordinary. You might even meet new people that introduce you to new opportunities. 

Another way to shake things up is to join a club that you would not normally join. Have you always wanted to learn a certain craft or hobby? Find and join a local club where you can learn all about that craft or even take lessons. Are you musical?  Can you play an instrument?  Maybe you could try out with the group as a singer.  No matter what the activity, try something that is different from what you normally do.

If your life is a bit unstructured, and that is not working for you, try to introduce some routine into your life. This could be as simple as creating a to-do list. However, if you tend to be a person who has not had much routine, you may want to find someone who can hold you accountable to the routine.

Many people find having a mix of routine and spontaneity works best for them. Doing something spontaneous helps to break up the routine before the people get into a rut. Getting back to those routines after taking a break will restore structure in their lives. This is not necessarily the way everyone will work best. But, it is something to try. Give yourself some time before deciding it as not working.

Only you can decide whether you need to include a routine or if you have too much routine in your life. You also are the only one who can determine if you need to do a mix of routine and acting spontaneously.

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