Is your to-do list ruining your life? There is always something more we could be doing to reach our goals — or at least that’s what we’re taught to think. The reality is that pushing ourselves to the brink of burnout isn’t the best way to accomplish anything. How are these wise words from Bruce Lee? 

If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.

The truth is we all have way more to do than ever before, with much less time to do so.  

Here are 5 tips on how to get more done & have fun doing it… 

1. Clarify those intensions. Be clear on your commitments. If you’re like me, you have your career, your family, friends, hobbies and so much more, and I really have to ask myself: What is the one thing that needs to move today? What are the most important things in my life right now? This is where you get to be brutally honest with yourself and create a foundation of being able to create your day and life — and not just survive. You get more done by first committing to what’s incredibly important. 
2. Smarter to-do lists. This is the fun part. Create your new and improved list of items that must be done for the day and another list of what needs to be done for the week. Assign a length of time to each task — this is a skill you need to practice and hone. Instead of noting work on a new blog post, write spend 30 minutes on blog post. Even better, break items down in simple to manage steps. For example: Spend 15 minutes updating xyz and 15 minutes creating an Instagram post. The more specific you are the less work your brain has to do. 
3. Honour your own time. Once you determine approximate times for each task, prioritize which items need to happen today and assign actual times to each. For example: Spend 15 minutes updating xyz from 12:45 pm–1 pm and 15 minutes creating an Instagram post from 1 pm-1:15 pm. This is an exercise in honouring your day and what needs to get done. It also keeps you focused and stops you spending longer on tasks than you should. If your to-do list is still too long, ask this: What will move your life and work forward?  
4. Take Breaks. Equally as important is scheduling breaks for lunch and exercise, and not packing your day with back-to-back tasks. And this is where fun comes in! You can actually schedule time with your partner, friends, yourself. Your productivity only feels as good as the payoff you have by spending more time with loved ones and having time for hobbies.
5. Put your phone down. So many studies show that while our phones are our lives – address book, calendar, maps and so on… it can also be the biggest time sucker and become overwhelming. When you’re not overwhelmed, you can be present with what you’re doing. And when you’re present you can connect to the intention you create, which should be fun. Remember, the intention is the lens by which to see your day. When you create an intention you’re excited about, your day shifts. You’ll create the space you need to just be instead of do.