Creating a To-Do List

I spent last year focusing on organizing our home and life. The difference between our home last January and this January, both in terms of physical organization and our scheduling, is huge. Not that we are ever truly done becoming organized!
I am trying something new this spring - I am mentoring a conference through our school's online discussion forum on organization. It is great to be able to continue to structure our home and school, as well as to encourage others to do the same.
As part of that I have been reading a book Organizing Your Day: Time Management Techniques That Will Work for You by Sandra Felton and Marsha Sims. They give lots of great advice about how to organize yourself by managing your day, whether at work or home. The most helpful tip I have gotten so far is to make a to-do list.
Yesterday I made my list and subdivided it in to categories. I did not completely follow the authors in this area, choosing instead to make ones that match my life. I have "Computer" which includes all emails, finances, research, etc. that I need to be on the computer for; "Home" which is everything else I need to do around the house, both work and fun; "Calls", which reminds me of the people and places I need to contact when I have a few moments; and "Errands", which lets me group together all the things I need to do while I am out of the house. I also added one more, "Anywhere" which reminds me of simple tasks, like reading my magazine or transferring birthdays from the old to new calendar, that can be done when I am waiting or otherwise killing time.
This list is not a one-day list. It is an ongoing list. I then choose my priority item or items to work on first and keep plugging away until they are done, then move to the next couple.
I strongly recommend to-do lists for everyone! I was amazed at how much I was able to get done in just one day! One of the biggest reasons for this change was that when I needed a break from a project, I could see what else I could work on for a change of pace instead of just wasting time. It also meant that as things come to mind, I can write them down and forget about them for now instead of trying to hold them in the back of my mind. What a difference that made - being able to fully concentrate on the task at hand!

I challenge you all - make a to do list and see what you can accomplish today!