Say Goodbye to To-Do lists and say Hello to Someday-Maybe-Later lists instead!
To-do lists are supposed to be helpful but sometimes they’re just overwhelming. Wicker and Wilde also know they can also be a source of anxiety when we fail to check something off. Life coach, Stacy S. Kim, Ph.D is suggesting that people switch to making a “someday-maybe-later” list instead. “Set aside or postpone tasks to help remove some of the immediate stressors so you can focus,” recommends Kim.
In David Allen’s book, “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” he compares these types of lists as a "parking lot," for all of the ideas and plans you have in your busy mind. Writing out tasks with a clear framework provides a sense of control. “It instills you with the power to prioritize, say no, delegate, and postpone,” Kim says.
You can create a “someday-maybe-later” list either on paper or with a digital outline tool.Create overarching and non-overlapping categories in order to capture tasks in every area of your life… (professional, personal, people, possessions). Create subcategories (work, side hustle, health, spiritual, family, friends, money, bills). Use tags for each task such as #now, #next, #waiting, #weekend, #whenever to help you prioritize. Review your tasks/goals once a week.
Creating a someday-maybe-later list helps you focus on what you can do within your control. And if you can’t? Do it later with no pressure attached.
