If you were to dump your brain onto paper, you could easily have a 10-page, single-spaced, to-do list (scary, but true.)  The reality is that we are tracking bundles of "stuff" for multiple roles (mom, consultant, volunteer), multiple contexts (at home, at the office, on the road), and multiple people (yourself, your husband, each of your kids.)  Add in some hobbies or special interests and the task juggling is enough to make anyone's head explode.

Before you reach for the migraine meds, let's take a look at a framework for taming the to-do list beast.

What is an Action List?

In my Life Tracking post, I wrote that my Action List is on the front-lines.  It is with me daily, a noble, hard-working, foot soldier that saves me from travesties such as forgetting the dry cleaning or requesting the wrong research.  By compiling all of my day-to-day minutia, the Action List gives me valuable peace of mind. 

How do I Make an Action List?

To create your Action List, you must first do a comprehensive brain dump.  Basically, get everything currently residing in your head, on post-its, or in your email box, and write it down in one place. 

Next, put any items that are strictly date-focused on your Calendar.  Examples: 3pm dentist appointment on 11/17, vacation from 9/20-9/27, lunch with Mary Thursday at noon.

Once your Calendar has been updated, move anything that you'd like to do "someday" to a Forward List.  Examples: read Jan Karon books, study chemistry, take up knitting.

Projects are next.  Anything that is priority or time-specific and involves multiple steps goes on the Project List.  You keep this one in front of you daily, but these items are more process-intensive and need their own home.  Examples: prepare homeschooling materials, redecorate the living room, research article on brain development.

What you are left with is your Action List.  This is an overall picture of things you need to do in the very near future.

How do I Organize my Action List?

Sorting your Action List into contexts allows you to combine activities when appropriate.  Remember, our brain works best when we don't continually shift focus.  If we group like-tasks, we get more accomplished with less effort.  For instance, one common context category is Errands.  You save time, energy and money in gas if you can glance at the Errand section of your Action List and realize that you can combine a library run, mail drop, and prescription pick-up into one trip.  These tasks may not be connected by topic, but they are connected by their context.  By aggregating tasks in this way, you get the benefit of economies of scale.

Some of my context areas include: Errands, Phone Calls, Email, Other Computer Work, Scott (including his "honey-do" list), and Notepad (this is where I keep post ideas and article topics)

When do I Update my Action List?

I like to do an overall review of the week on Sunday evening.  I usually feel relatively relaxed then, and I like to get a bird's eye view of the week ahead.  I look at what didn't get done last week – there are always plenty of tasks in that category – and those tasks get moved forward.  Then, I look over my Calendar, Project List, Forward Lists and decide what needs to get done for the week.  (Moving in a week-long time-frame works best for me because of the constant interruptions that are an inherent part of motherhood:-)  Then, it is just a matter of checking my Action List each morning to determine what is on my agenda for the day.

When you are a mom, life is always a little bit crazy.  By taking a more methodical approach to daily planning, you can reduce stress and create a more peaceful environment, while making the most of your time.

My four-pronged approach includes my Calendar, Forward Lists, Project List, and Action List.  These four documents sum up my "life tracking" system.  In other words, it's how I keep track of my life and how I make sure my life stays on track.

The Calendar

I use this for appointments and any tasks that are date-specific.  The boys' soccer games, service calls, and article deadlines all go on my Calendar.

The Forward List

These are lists that I make when I dream a little dream.  If I come across something that I can't act on in the near future, I put it in the appropriate Forward List.  By keeping these items in a designated area, I don't lose them, but I don't have to think about them everyday either. Examples of Forward Lists include Books to Read, Article Ideas, Items to Purchase, Hobbies to Consider, and Curriculum to Review.

The Project List

I am a project lover.  I have many interests, and my iron is in many fires.  The Project List gives me a high-level view of all of the "big rocks" that I am currently working on.  Anything that is multi-task in nature, such as planning a trip to South Dakota, organizing the basement, or planting a garden, goes on the Project List.

The Action List

The Action List is the front-line of my planning system.  I regularly look over my Forward Lists & Project List and move next tasks from those lists to my Action List.  This is essentially what David Allen of Getting Things Done fame would call a "next action."  All of my next actions go on my Action List, along with any one-time tasks I need to accomplish.  Taking out the trash, calling Mom, and making a trip to the drug store are all appropriate activities for the Action List.  I also break up my Action List into contexts – often by where I need to do them.  By batching tasks in this manner, I can optimize my use of time.

As we know, any planning is better than no planning.  Better yet, though, is a plan you can use for life.  By breaking down your approach to daily planning into activity-specific lists, you will start to see some real progress toward your key goals.