to do list – Michele Christensen

Have a practice in place for writing your to-do list (To Do List Tip #6)

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Keeping a to-do list isn’t just something to be done occasionally – solopreneurs have way too much to juggle to be haphazard about their workload. It’s important to have a regular practice of keeping your to-do list up to date.

Link mentioned in video: https://www.michelechristensen.com/daily

Summary here:

This tip is about having a regular practice of writing and maintaining your to do list. Your to do list should never be an afterthought.
There are lots of right ways to keep a to do list. The important thing is that you have a regular practice that works for you and that you follow your practice.
Your brain is not a good place to keep lists and minutiae. Keep your to do list somewhere other than your head, and free up your mind to do more of what you are great at.
By consistently recording your to do items in a reliable system, you’ll feel more on top of things and be better able to prioritize your work.
Takeaway: Have a practice for recording your to do list and follow it. Make sure it is something that works for you so it’s easy to stick with.
If you liked this to do list tip, you can download a free copy of my special report called “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Solopreneurs Make in Writing Their Daily To-Do List and How to Avoid Them” by clicking here.
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Solopreneurs have to manage their own schedule (To Do List Tip #5)

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As a solopreneur, you have a lot of freedom to decide when you work. In this video tip, I give some ideas for how to make use of that freedom so you can have a profitable business and an enjoyable life.

Link mentioned in video: https://www.michelechristensen.com/daily

Summary here:

This video tip is on how to create and manage your schedule as a solopreneur
Once you become a solopreneur, it’s important to realize that you have control over your schedule. Dump the traditional 8-5 and any other scheduling assumptions you have and create a schedule that works for you.
Idea 1 – Integrate your work and personal schedule. You can switch back and forth throughout the day so you can tend to both professional and personal matters.
Idea 2 – Work when you are at your best. Some examples: early in the morning or late at night.
Idea 3 – Save less demanding work for when you are not at your peak. It may serve as a reward for finishing the more demanding work of the day.
Takeaway: If you want to be a successful and happy solopreneur, throw away all your assumptions about how your schedule should work and create a schedule that works for you now.
If you liked this to do list tip, you can download a free copy of my special report called “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Solopreneurs Make in Writing Their Daily To-Do List and How to Avoid Them” by clicking here.
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Write a daily to do list just for today (To Do List Tip #4)

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In this video, I teach you the practice of writing a small to do list that is just for today. It’s inefficient to pick from hundreds or thousands of tasks every time you need to make a decision about what to work on. Instead, make a smaller to do list just for today. Link mentioned in video: michelechristensen.com/daily.

Summary here:

In this video I teach you why it is important to write a daily to do list just for today and how to do it.
If you have a solid habit of writing things down either electronically or on paper, you may end up with hundreds or even thousands of tasks on you to do list. There may be a mix of small tasks and huge projects.
Make it a daily habit to create a to do list just for today. Once per day, scan that huge list that holds all your tasks and select just a few for today based on what your day looks like.
You can write your to do list at night, as a way to wrap up the day and be ready to go in the morning, or in the morning as a way to start your day.
The real value in this practice is that is saves you looking through those hundreds or thousands of tasks every time during the day you need to move to the next task. Instead of picking from a big number, you can pick from a small number of tasks that are relevant to today.
You can feel more confidence that you are working on the right thing right now.
The takeaway: Set aside a few minutes every day to write a to do list that is just for today. You’ll work more efficiently and confidently throughout the day.
If you like this tip, go to michelechristensen.com/daily and get your free copy of my special report “The Five Biggest Mistakes Solopreneurs Make in Writing Their Daily To-Do List and How to Avoid Them.”
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How to get the things on your to do list done (To Do List Tip #3)

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After you’ve analyzed, prioritized and organized your to do list, it’s time to get some things done! Here’s a tip on how to tackle your to do list.

Summary here:

This is a tip for actually getting the things on your to do list done.
You already know you have to keep track of and prioritize the things you want to do. There are lots of good ways to do this.
Make sure to prioritize things that actually make you money!
One way to get your tasks done is to set an appointment with yourself dedicated solely to heads-down, uninterrupted time to crank out tasks.
Treat your task time like a “silo,” meaning it has defined walls and nothing else gets mixed in.
Takeaway: All the excellent prioritizing, tracking and analyzing you can do with your to-do list isn’t worth anything if you don’t actually do the tasks you need to.
If you like this tip, you’ll love my free report “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Solopreneurs Make in Writing Their Daily To-Do List and How to Avoid Them.” Grab your copy at www.michelechristensen.com/daily.
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How to handle tasks that tend to expand (To Do List Tip #2)

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Some tasks can take up as much time as you are willing to give them. This video tip is on how to handle those creeping tasks. Link mentioned in video: www.michelechristensen.com/daily

Summary here:

As a solopreneur, you have to be an excellent time manager and this means not letting your day get eaten up by tasks that take as long as you give them.
For example, it may take a lot of time to keep up with your social media posting and email, or it can take hours to write a script for a short video.
People who work on the internet seem especially vulnerable because so many expanding tasks are right in front of you.
Today’s tip is to put edges on expanding tasks so you will know when they are done.
Some examples you can use right away: Use a timer or checklist for social media, empty your inbox completely on a regular basis, and set a limit on how much time you’ll spend on your writing.
Bonus tip: Don’t use your email inbox as a place to store emails. It’s a holding place for emails you haven’t processed yet.
Takeaway: Keep an eye on tasks that tend to creep or expand and put some edges on them so you know when they are done.
If you like this tip, go to www.michelechristensen.com/daily and download my free report “5 Mistakes Solopreneurs Make in Writing Their Daily To Do List and How to Avoid Them.”
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How to handle your infinite to do list (To Do List Tip #1)

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As a one-person business, your to do list is literally infinite. There is an unlimited number of things you could be doing to build your business. This video teaches you how to know what to work on. Link mentioned in video: https://www.michelechristensen.com/daily

Summary here:

As a solopreneur, your to do list is infinite – there is literally always more you could be doing to build and promote your business.
It’s no surprise that so many solopreneurs feel overwhelmed!
Having a solid strategy for your business will help you know what to work on.
With a strategy, you know exactly how to find new prospects and convert them to clients.
You can confidently say yes or no to any opportunity depending on whether it fits into your strategy or not.
Takeaway: Don’t even try to do everything you hear about. Have a strategy so you know exactly what to work on.
If you liked this tip, go to www.michelechristensen.com/daily and get a copy of my free report “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Solopreneurs Make in Writing Their Daily To-Do List and How to Avoid Them.”
Please use the social sharing buttons below this video to share the video with your friends and colleagues who would find it valuable.