Creating a To Do List

So you have a home based business and want to get organized, huh? Forget the fancy day planners, electronic organizers and web 2.0 applications. All you need is a simple piece of paper each day to keep your business on track.

Every evening, I sit down with my business partner/hubby and discuss what needs to be accomplished the next day. We write the list in two columns, "Home" and "Business", and those items that need to get done immediately go to the top of the list, while those that don't go to the bottom.

Here's a sample planning sheet you are welcome to use. Just click the image below to download it:

To use it, jot the day on the left and the date on the right for easy reference. Then note all items that must get done. Everything that is absolutely a 'must do' for that day should go in the top red area. Those items that really should be done but don't have to be done go in yellow. The rest goes in green. This will help you prioritize the things you have to accomplish.

It's really important to schedule light. The total amount of time that the items in the red areas should take is about half a day. That enables you to deal with issues that arise during the day, and will encourage success when you consistently complete all your red tasks.

Always try to add a few fun to-do's as well! Schedule a chapter of a new mystery book, a twenty minute bubble bath or even your favorite TV show. Not everything on your to do list has to be a task, and adding some leisure activities trains your mind into thinking that list items may be for work or play.

Any appointments can be jotted down at the bottom of the page for easy reference. This doesn't replace your weekly or monthly scheduling, but it is a great way to remind yourself about daily events and plan around them.

The left margin is a little bigger than the right - perfect for hole punching for storage in a binder. Keep your used sheets! Not only does it help that day, but it serves as a great reminder for your business activities.

Need more space, or want to write down some daily issues? Use the back side for general notes.

By the way, please don't ask me to switch 'Home' and 'Business'. As much as I love my business, my family, friends and personal 'home' life always comes first. Putting it in two columns with 'Home' first is a subconscious way of reinforcing that when we get stressed about projects that need to be accomplished.

Susan Scheid
Web Programmer
EBiz Gal