Lists To Make To Organize Your Life
Feel overwhelmed? Take some time to sit down and make these lists to organize your life!
I have found that physically writing a list helps me feel more in control of things. It motivates me to actually get things done and makes me more productive.
Writing lists is a simple but powerful way to organize your life and fight overwhelm. Creating lists instantly frees up valuable mental space and declutters your mind.
I like to write lists by hand in my planner, but I also keep some lists in Google Docs to make them easier to access and update. You can choose whichever method (physical or digital) that works best for you.
Here are the best lists to make to organize your life today!
1. Daily To-Do List
A daily to-do list is one of the best ways to get your life in order right now. Sometimes just writing down what you need to do will give you the push to get it down!
I use my planner for this and there’s nothing quite as satisfying as crossing items off once I’ve accomplished.
2. Weekly To-Do List
Another helpful to-do list you can make is an overview of the weekly tasks you need to complete. This is a good thing to do on Sunday before the start of a new week. It gives you a big-picture look at the most important things you want to accomplish during the week ahead and keeps you accountable.
3. Monthly Goals
Another great list to make? A list of your monthly goals! At the end of the month, I like to create this list for the month ahead.
Then you can use your daily and weekly to-do lists to schedule the actions you need to take to accomplish those goals.
4. Annual Goals
I’m a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions. I always sit down at the end of December and start planning out my goals for the year ahead. I usually set goals for myself related to money, career, travel, reading, and any other life areas I want to focus on.
I put this list at the beginning of my planner for the new year so I can refer back to it throughout the year.
5. Monthly Lookback
At the end of every month, you can make a list of which goals you achieved, which ones you made progress on, and which you didn’t get to. You can also reflect back on the past month and list other things you accomplished.
6. Grocery List
A grocery list is a simple yet effective list to make. You can have a full grocery shopping list that contains all of your usual staples, as well as a running list of items you need the next time you’re at the grocery store.
7. Running Shopping List
Similar to a grocery list, keep a running shopping list of things you need to buy the next time you’re out so you don’t forget, whether that’s home items, beauty products, or something else.
8. Life Admin To-Do List
Life admin is the invisible labor it takes to run your household and your life. Think of things like making and attending doctor’s appointments, doing laundry, paying your rent and utility bills, cleaning, doing your taxes, and so on.
Keep a list of these life admin tasks so you can stay on top of them and knock them out before they start piling up and overwhelming you!
9. Morning Routine
Having a morning routine is so helpful. It lets you start off your day in a positive way and can impact how the rest of your day goes too. Make a list of steps to your morning routine (it doesn’t have to be complicated!) so you make it into a habit.
10. Evening Routine
Similarly, you can make a list of steps to your evening routine. Like a morning routine, an evening routine has many benefits and helps you wind down at the end of the day.
11. Monthly Reset List
A monthly reset is a great way to reflect on the past month and prepare for the new month ahead. Make a list of all the things you want to do as part of your monthly reset.
This can include journaling about the past month and setting your goals for the upcoming month, taking care of home tasks like washing and changing your bedding and deep-cleaning your living space, and anything else you want to do to feel productive at the beginning of the new month.
12. Due Dates
If you’re a student, it’s a good idea to keep a running list of due dates for assignments so you can stay on top of things. Similarly, if you have a job, you can make a running list of deadlines at work to keep yourself on track.
13. Meal Planning
Meal planning at the beginning of the week is a great way to simplify your schedule and eliminate the uncertainty of what you’re going to eat.
You can also make a running list of your favorite easy-to-prepare meals that you can refer back to when you’re doing your weekly meal prep.
14. Recurring Expenses
What are your recurring, fixed expenses every month? These are things like rent, utilities (which might fluctuate slightly every month but are more or less fixed), your cellphone bill, health insurance, car insurance, car payment, any subscription services you have, and so on. Write them all down!
This gives you an idea of how much you have to spend each month on fixed expenses, and also allows you to see if there are any cuts you can make (like a subscription you rarely use.)
15. Monthly Budget
Another helpful financial list to make is a monthly budget. I like to make this list in Google Sheets because I find the format of a spreadsheet easier to work with for this. You should include your fixed monthly expenses, as well as variable categories like food, gas, personal spending, entertainment, travel, savings, and so on.
Your monthly budget should also include your income and ideally you want your expenses to be less than this so you’re not spending beyond your means!
16. Monthly Spending
Again, I keep track of this in a spreadsheet (the same one I use for my monthly budget.) In fact, I am just using a modified version of the “Monthly budget” spreadsheet template that you can find for free in Google Docs.
I’ve been tracking every single expenditure I make in a month since I was in college, and let me tell you, this is a game changer! It will help you get your spending in check, see how much money you’re actually spending, and make you reevaluate whether you really need to spend money on something if you have to list it out later.
17. Birthdays and Anniversaries
Make a list of birthdays and anniversaries for friends and family in your life. This way you will never forget when it’s someone’s special day!
18. Gifts to Buy
Another great list to have is a list of gifts to buy. This is good to make around the holidays when you’re planning to do a lot of shopping, but it’s also good to keep a running list and jot down specific gift ideas when you think of them.
For example, your mom mentions wanting to try cooking in an air fryer like the one you have? Perfect gift for Mother’s Day, her upcoming birthday, or Christmas!
19. Cleaning List
Make a list of the daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning tasks you need to do so you can follow a cleaning schedule and keep your living space neat and tidy.
20. Usernames and Passwords
I personally keep all my usernames and passwords stored digitally in Google Chrome, the web browser I use daily, but you might also want to make a list of the most important usernames and passwords you have to keep track of them.
Just make sure you keep this list secure where no one will find it! Ideally, this is a list you want to keep digitally where it’s more private, and not on paper somewhere.
21. Fitness Progress
If you’re on a fitness journey, keeping a list about your progress is a great way to stay motivated and feel good about all that you’ve accomplished so far.
22. Emails to Send
There’s nothing worse than knowing you need to send or reply to emails but procrastinating. That’s why making a list of emails to send is helpful!
23. Upcoming Events
What upcoming events do you have on your schedule? Make a list of them all, along with any notes for preparation (for example, buying a gift for your nephew’s birthday party or making a dish to bring to a Friendsgiving party.)
24. Positive Affirmations
Positive affirmations are a great tool for improving your mindset. Affirmations are simply short statements you can repeat to yourself, either verbally, mentally, or written down.
I like to have a list of my favorite affirmations written in my planner that I can refer back to whenever I need a positive reminder.
25. Dreams and Goals
I’ve already talked about setting more concrete monthly and annual goals, but you can also make a running list of more abstract dreams or goals.
Maybe these are things you don’t see yourself doing for several years or things that seem like a real stretch, but write them down anyway!
26. Journal Prompts
Journaling is a great way to get in tune with your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. (In a way, writing lists is similar to journaling!) If you need some inspiration for what to journal about, you can make a list of journal prompts to refer back to whenever the mood strikes. This way you’ll always have some inspiration for what to write about and reflect on.
27. Books You’ve Read
I’m a huge reader and you probably already know how many benefits there are to reading, especially if you read to replace your screen time! Keep a list of all the books you’ve read, along with any details like a short review or what you would rate the book out of five starts.
28. TBR List
TBR stands for “to be read” and this is a list of books you want to read. Whenever someone recommends a book or you come across a book that seems interesting, add it to your list.
That way, whenever you’re looking for a book to read next, you can refer back to this list and choose something that strikes your fancy.
29. Gratitude List
Regularly taking the time to reflect on what you’re grateful for is an amazing way to feel more positive about your life. Make a gratitude list of everything you’re thankful for right now, even if it’s something really small.
30. Self Care Ideas
Practicing self care is a great way to de-stress and regulate your mental health. Keep a running list of your favorite self care activities (like going for a walk in nature, reading a book with a mug of hot chocolate, doing a puzzle, coloring in a coloring book, calling a friend or family member on the phone, going out for ice cream, etc.) to refer back to when you need a pick-me-up.
31. Restaurants to Try
This is a great list to have because it will help you when you’re having one of those nights where you don’t know what you want for dinner! Keep a running list of new restaurants you hear about that you want to try, then you’ll always be able to pick one from the list!
32. Travel Destinations
I love to travel and I have several lists of the places I’ve been. I keep a list of countries I’ve traveled to, states I’ve traveled to, and cities I’ve traveled to. I also have a list of travel destinations I want to visit in the future.
33. Bucket List
A bucket list is a list of all the things you want to do before you die, AKA “kick the bucket.” This can be big and exciting things (like going skydiving or publishing a book or walking on the Great Wall of China) or smaller things you want to do (like go on a road trip or learn how to play the piano.) You could always add things to this list as you come up with more ideas.
34. Packing List
If you travel frequently, it’s helpful to have a standard packing list that contains all the essentials you know you’ll need to travel with.
For example, travel-sized toiletries, a portable cellphone charger, outlet adapters for traveling abroad, your travel neck pillow, and so on.
35. Accomplishments
Keeping a list of your accomplishments might seem a little vain or conceited, but it’s not at all! This can actually serve as a major confidence boost whenever you feel like you aren’t where you want to be yet.
Make a running list of all your accomplishments, whether they are professional or personal, so you can remind yourself you actually are achieving things all the time.
36. Memory Log
Whenever you experience something you don’t want to forget, write it down! You’ll be glad to have a memory log to look back on later, and jotting down memories in the form of a list is a great way to remember things without spending too much time writing.
37. Brain Dump
Finally, one last helpful list to make is a brain dump list. This is literally just a running list where you put ANYTHING that runs through your mind. An idea for a novel you want to write one day? A breakthrough you want to talk about with your therapist? An inspirational quote you heard that you don’t want to forget? Anything goes!
Lists to Organize Your Life
These are some of the best lists to organize your life that you can sit down and create today. Pick a few topics that resonate with you and spend 15 to 20 minutes making the lists today.
I guarantee you’ll feel better after making lists — it’s a great way to organize your mind and free up mental space, and it makes you more likely to be productive and take action!
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