The pace of the world in general tends to be busy, busy, busy. I know for myself, that I can catch myself often speeding up, so it’s a constant reminding myself to slow down and smell the roses and reassess my to do list, for starters. At the top of my planner for a few weeks now is the reminder to do: less. less. less. And to focus on the priorities and what matters most for me. I’ve been a geeky minimalist bullet journal planner for a few years now (if you have no clue what I’m talking about, I was there too. It’s a simple planning method that’s had a positive impact on my life and mental health). Today on the blog, I’m sharing with you three to do list mistakes that can be made. Something to think about.

Obsessing over getting more done.

The first to do list mistake is obsessing over getting more done and adding on more to do list tasks. Learning time management and all the skills, tricks, hacks is awesome. And I highly recommend if that’s an interest of yours to learn, but for me. Learning these skills is not about helping me to DO MORE. It’s about being able to focus better on what I’ve got: my limit on time and doing what is placed before me well and better. And being able to weed out the stuff that I don’t want there ie. toooo much Netflix binging. Aimless scrolling. Endless hours of organization for no purpose really at all. Overthinking. In fact, this article shares about minimal to do lists and the benefits that it has too.

Comparing.

Comparing to others is a second to do list mistake. Looking at the relative productivity and to do list crosser-outer from someone else can sometimes lead to dissatisfaction of your own life and to do list. Everyone’s journey and “productivity” is different. And that can differ greatly during the many different days and seasons of life. There is something to be said about having inspiration from others though, but I’m talking more about feeling overwhelmed and comparing in a way that makes you feel like you have to up your speed or change your ways – not out of a place on inspiration, in that case.

Not filling your to do list with the right things (for you).

As mentioned, the first to go at the top of my weekly to do list is: less. less. less. And it encourages me to reflect every time I am tempted to write something down. What drives my to do list a lot lately is looking towards my values and goals and asking myself if that to do list task is in alignment before I write it down. Obviously things like grocery lists need to be priority as a basic need, but this is for the “other” to do list stuff. If you’re new to discovering your values, my blog on discovering them may be helpful to you too.

So here’s to LESS. And MORE of what is needed in our lives!

PS if this is a struggle for you, you may like what my mail list is receiving for their freebie Friday. The simple guide to finding more time and an attached worksheet. If you’re not on it yet, you can email me your email at simplehomemom@gmail.com and I can email you that directly.

Hi, I’m Kelly! I’m a mother of four children - three boys, one toddler girl - and our family lives on the beautiful east coast of Canada. I’m a past elementary teacher, turned stay at home, work at home mom eight years ago after I had my second child. I’ve found that the busier I’ve become and as my children age, that it’s become even more important to figure out what is most important to me and us as a family. Living a simpler lifestyle has helped us in so many ways in our home life - from better routines to faster tidying up times. It has been through my children that I have been inspired to learn how to effectively manage my time and to simplify in all areas of my home and life. I enjoy helping busy moms simplify home life by teaching flexible planning methods and skills. Enjoyed this blog and think it would be helpful to others? I'd love if you shared it. Thank you!