This is where the ‘Master To Do List’ comes in.  It’s a simple way to finally take control of your overwhelm and get everything done.

I’ve decided to take control of life and free up my head, if you’re with me, read on to see how it works…..

What is a Master to Do List?

A  ‘Master to Do List’ is essentially what it says.  It’s a huge list of everything you ever have to do.  Not just a list of what you need to do today, but what you always have on your plate at some time or another.

How Will it Help?

Having a Master To Do List will help in so many ways:

• You will get everything out of your head to free up some thinking space.
• It will help you to accomplish more in less time.
• Reduce your worry and stress.
• Sleep will be easier at night knowing you have everything under control.
• It will stop you forgetting things.
  
• Helps you to prioritise your tasks and focus on one thing at a time.

Creating Your Own Master To Do List

Everybody’s Master to Do List will be different, so you need to create one that is unique to you and your life.

However you decide to create it, it needs to be accessible at all times so that you can use it and update it, whilst you’re out and about if you need to.

There are lots of ways to create a list.  Some people prefer to use their phone and some like to produce it digitally but whatever you choose, to start with I suggest you use a good old paper a pen.  You will have a mountain of things floating around in your head and this is the easiest and quickest way to get it down and out of your head to start with.  How you use it after that is then up to you.

Categories

To help you get started use categories. If you have a piece of paper for each category, you’re not going to run out of space if you add to it later.

Here are some category examples you might use, but yours may differ:

• Work
• School
• Home
• Finance
• Bills
• Car
• Friends
• Birthdays
• Christmas
• Groceries
• Holidays
• Events

This is a basic category list but make your own and if you find it easier you can add sub-categories.   For example, under home, you may list each room. Under Work, you may list side hustles and under Car, you may list tax, MOT, service, clean etc.  Do you get the idea?

To help you create your list, walk around your home whilst writing it.  This will trigger things that you will otherwise forget to add.

Set aside some time and get scribbling! Just list everything that comes to mind that you ever need to do. Don’t rush this part, it’s essential that you take some time.  It’s time that you’ll get back every day once it’s done. Just this in itself will feel like a huge weight has been lifted and your mind should feel a lot clearer.

By now you should have everything you ever need to do in life written down on paper (don’t worry if you’ve forgotten something, remember you can add to your Master To Do LIst at any time).

You can now easily work through the tasks without them swimming around in your head. 

Getting the Jobs Done

Now the hardest part is over and your mind weighs a little less it’s time to actually do what’s on your list.  Don’t panic, we’re not going to do all of it and lots of things on there should only need doing every now and again.

To get your jobs done, you now need a daily list.  Now, you may be thinking i’ve tried that method and it doesn’t work.  Lots of people have daily to do lists and still forget things.  That’s because they either:

1. Don’t have a Master To Do List to work from.
2. Miss things off their daily list.
3. Don’t keep their list with them.
4. Don’t stay consistent.

Sound familiar?

Your Daily List

This is how to use your Daily List:

• Each night, grab your Master To Do List and skim over each category.  Anything you need to do the following day, add it to your Daily List.
• Tick off your task on your Daily List as you complete them.
• Don’t think about any other tasks, just the ones to be done that day. Keep your mind clear of everything else because it’s on your list so don’t worry, it will be added on the day it needs doing.

If your Master To Do List is up to date then with this method you should never forget anything again.  You will be able to focus each day on the jobs that need doing that day without worrying about what needs doing the following day or later in the week.  You know that each day you will be writing down what needs doing off your Master To Do List which takes away the worry and stress and stops your head being filled with the million things that always need doing.

A Short Cut to the Master To Do List

Now, not everyone needs a short cut.  A short cut is actually not a good idea but, if you’re anything like me, then you want things to be done even quicker and easier.  If the above sounds too difficult, firstly give it a go, it’s well worth it to see if it works for you.  If not then here is a simpler method:

You still write down all of your categories on your master to do list but you don’t write anything under the categories.  Then each night you look at each category and write down anything you need to do the following day from each category.  This is much quicker, but it’s only really a memory jogger so there is every chance that you will forget something, because you are still just going by your memory, but at least it will guide you.

Other Master Lists

As well as a Master To Do List there are other master lists you can use in your life to make things easier:

Master Grocery List

• This one is a life saver.  How many times have you got to the supermarket and loaded up your trolley, only to find when you get back you’ve already got half the things in your cupboard.  Or, if you shop at different places, you go to a supermarket and whilst you’re there, you forget something that you can only get at that supermarket.This is where the master grocery list comes in.How it works:
• Write a list of all the grocery items you ever buy. Again you can categorise them.
• List them under the place you buy them from.
• Carry it with you all the time.
• Before you go shopping, check your cupboards and put an asterisk by anything you already have.
• Tip: Make your astrisk a different colour each time so you can use your shopping list over and over again.
• If you prefer you can make the list on your phone using your own method but you get the idea.

Using this saves so much time and money too!

Master School List

I’ve just added this one because my son forgot to put his epipen belt on this morning!

There are sometimes so many things to remember for school each morning and some days are different with PE, swimming and special events such as Children in Need, World Book Day or Non Uniform Day.  A Master School List lists all the things you ever need so you can scan down each morning and see if there’s anything from the list you need to remember.

This might look a little like this but remember yours will be personal to you.

• PE
• Swimming
• School Books
• Medication
• Is There an Event Today?
• Snack
• Drink
• Birthday/Christmas Cards
• Forms to Return

A quick scan the night before will help you to stay organised and don’t forget to get the kids involved too.  My son has a ‘school morning list’ to help him remember all the things he needs to do before we get out the door. I obviously need to check the list too.  Without it, he would be busy playing with his lego!

Hopefully from these lists you can start to see how much simpler life could become.

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