Boost ADHD Productivity and Reduce Stress: The Power of Labeling Your To-Do List
Have you ever looked at your to-do list, seen a bunch of items on it, and felt overwhelmed? I’m betting you have. Even if you do not write down your to-do list, I am sure the sheer number of things on your mental to-do list has overwhelmed you. This may have caused you to procrastinate or simply not do the things on your list. Procrastination and inaction do not reduce our stress levels. They do not solve the problem. What does, though? I would argue that the solution lies in labeling our tasks, so we know what they are. IN my mind, I see things as either “have to do” or “get to do.”
Have To Do
The things we have to do are the things we do not want to do but, nevertheless, have to do. They are oppressive. We feel obligated to do them. Nobody like the things we have to do, but we do them because of the consequences of not doing them (e.g. paying taxes). If we do not do them, the lights go out and the ice cream melts (+10 points if you caught the reference). Sometimes, though, we ignore them, and that causes problems (e.g. late fees). In short, we need to do the “have to do” things. But, they are no fun.
Get to Do
The “get to do” things are the tasks and activities we enjoy doing. We want to do them. There is no one forcing us to do them. We willingly choose to do them. For example, you might find yourself saying, “I’m so excited; I get to do X today.” This is not the attitude that goes along with the “have to do” things.
The Lesson
You may be wondering why I am differentiating between these two categories of tasks. The answer is simple: Sometimes, they are the same task. For example, I often find myself saying, “Ugh, I have to exercise,” when I could be saying, “I get to walk my dog and play pickleball today!” The lesson here is: It is about perspective. What you think about a task dictates how you feel about it. How you feel about it dictates your willingness to do the thing. So, I encourage you, the next time you make a to-do list, make a list of what you get to do and not what you have to do. Find what excites you about doing the task. You will be happier and more productive because of it.