Making Lists More Motivating

May 1, 2023 / Tools for Writers, Uncategorized / 12 COMMENTS


by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig 

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed that I’m a huge fan of lists. Here is a smattering of the list posts I’ve written: Lists and Layers, Tips for Better To-Do Lists, and Using Lists to Write.

I use lists in a variety of ways to get my drafting, editing, and brainstorming done. They also help me fit writing into small spaces of time on extremely busy days.

But sometimes, looking at a list can be overwhelming. And, to me, that’s just a bad list. Lists are meant to not only provide a plan for working through tasks, they’re also supposed to be motivating. If looking at your list is making you want to procrastinate, that’s a sign your list needs some revision.

Instead of writing “work on my book,” for instance, break the task down like this:

Open my document

Spend five minutes orienting myself to where I am in the story

Spend five minutes listing bullet points for the direction of the next scene

Write for seven minutes

How is this more motivating?  It gives you bite-sized tasks that you can quickly cross off your to-do list. If you have a particularly full day, you can knock things off the list at different points in your day while still making progress on your list.

Do you have a lot on your to-do list? How do you stay motivated when facing a big task?

A Tip for Making a List More Manageable: Share on X

Image by 11066063 from Pixabay

  1. I put every little thing on my daily list so I can cross it off. If I forget to add something and then do it, I'll write it on the list and cross it off immediately. LOL

  2. I'm not a natural list maker – although I'm surrounded by list-makers!
    The only 2 lists I use are my Uploading Tasks list and my General To Do list.
    I use the first every time I have a new release so I don't forget anything.
    The second I use when I'm feeling overwhelmed. It helps to put down all the things and then subdivide them into smaller tasks.

  3. I think one of the great things about lists and about a routine like yours is that those things break down the task of writing into pieces that are a lot less daunting. At the same time, you're getting things done. You are making progress.

  4. What I've found is that if I put something down on a list, it gets done. There's something of a commitment in writing an item on a piece of paper.

  5. I also love lists. I love the idea of breaking them down into smaller tasks. Part of my procrastination is that overwhelming feeling from such big things on my lists!

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