How to write a to do list for maximum productivity

Last Updated on February 19, 2025

As a busy mum, your days are filled with a wide variety of tasks, and one of the best ways to keep on top of them all is to write a to do list.

If you’d like to start writing a to do list to maximise your productivity, and to ensure that you don’t forget important things, here’s everything you need to know about to do lists, and how to write a list that works.

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Benefits of to do lists

Here are some of the benefits of writing a to do list.

• You focus your time on what needs to get done
• You can prioritise your most important tasks
• Large tasks can be broken down into smaller tasks, helping you to overcome mum burnout
• You feel a sense of accomplishment when tasks are completed
• You have a visual record of everything you’ve accomplished

How to write a to do list

Here are some fantastic steps to take when writing a to do list.

Remove distractions

Before writing a to do list, remove any distractions, like turning phone notifications or the TV off, so you can focus on writing a list, and getting in the headspace you need to work through it.

Decide where to write your list

You can write a list digitally on an app like Todoist, Trello, Google Keep, or your phone’s notebook.

You can also write a list using a paper planner, using a bullet journal, a to do list notepad, or a daily planner, or you may even combine digital and paper tools for your list.

If the place you choose to write your list doesn’t work well for you, try different places until you find something that works.

Do a brain dump

The first step when writing a to do list is to do a brain dump.

A brain dump is when you write down everything that’s in your brain, which could be household chores to do, kid’s activities to book, work projects, personal goal setting ideas, anything you need to get out of your brain, that needs to be done.

Any time you think of something you need to do, add it to your brain dump.

Here’s a complete guide on how to do a brain dump if you’d like to find out more.

Prioritise your top 3 tasks

To ensure that you get your most important things done, choose 3-5 tasks from your brain dump, and write them on your to do list.

Once done, choose the top three tasks that must get done, and do them first, this ensures you’re focussing your time on what’s important.

Be clear

When writing your tasks on your to do list, be very clear about what the task involves.

For example, instead of writing morning routine, write down the tasks in your morning routine you want to get done.

Instead of writing keep the house tidy, write down what you need to do to keep it tidy, for example, mop downstairs, rotate toys, do 2 loads of laundry.

Break large tasks down

Having a large task on your to do list can be overwhelming, so break it into small tasks that you can work on over several days.

Doing this makes big tasks less overwhelming, and more achievable.

Tackle one task at a time

The best way to tick things off your to do list is to focus on one task at a time, and only move onto another task once you’ve fully completed the one before.

Time blocking is a great way to focus on one task at a time, because you allocate an amount of time to a task, and only move onto the next task once the time period is finished.

Be flexible

Just because you write a list, doesn’t mean that you’ll get everything done on it.

Sometimes tasks take longer than planned, or unexpected tasks arise that take priority.

Accepting that you may have to move tasks to other days is part of being productive.

Move on if needed

If there’s a task you’re struggling with, leave it and come back to it later in the day when you have a fresh mind to tackle it.

Review your list

At the end of the day review your to do list and tick off what you finished, and move any tasks you didn’t finish to another day when you have more time.

You can also remove tasks that are no longer important.

Celebrate small wins

Celebrating what you’ve achieved, no matter how small, is a great way to give yourself the motivation you need to tackle tomorrows to do list.

Writing a to do list – a recap

Writing a to do list so you can focus on getting your most important tasks done, is a great way to maximise productivity, and not forget to work on what’s important.

Some steps that you can take to write a to do list include:

• Remove distractions
• Decide if you’ll write your to do list digitally, on paper, or a combination of both
• Do a brain dump by writing down everything in your head
• Write 3-5 tasks from your brain onto your to do list, then prioritise the top 3
• Be specific about your tasks, detail exactly what the task involves
• Break large tasks into smaller tasks and spread them over several days
• Tackle one task at a time
• Review your to do list at the end of the day, tick off tasks that were done, and move uncompleted tasks to another day
• Celebrate the things you’ve achieved

I hope you’ve found some helpful to do list making tips here that will help you to become productive, and finally start working on things that are important to you and your family.

How do you juggle all of your tasks?

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