Episode 22: Own Your Time by Throwing Away Your To-Do list with Lani Jackson
If you are a planner, a scheduler, a lover of order, you are going to LOVE today's episode. This episode will satiate your desire for tangible solutions. Big time.
Strategy & implementation coach for Mom entrepreneurs, Lani Jackson, is here to discuss the system she created that allowed her to ditch the on-going, never-ending to-do list that left her feeling defeated Every. Single. Day. Pure necessity drove her to develop a system that works for her to still get done what needs getting done but without the heavy pressure of that damn to-do list that just won't go away, no matter how hard she tried.
"Do I need to carry it around and look at it every day until it gets done?"
I can't believe I never looked at it like this before. Having an on-going list of things we need to do, things we need to remember is a huge contributing factor to that massive mental load we carry as moms. The mental load that I believe is more of a burn-out than the actual doing of the tasks. What if I could tackle my to-do's but without the stress of how much more there is still to do & how little time there is to do it & when am I going to fit it all in? Well, I could relax. I don't mean kick my heels up necessarily, but more my psyche could relax. In other words, it would support my calm.
"Decision fatigue is a real thing for moms. We are deciding SO many things. It's on us. There's a lot of pressure."
This is SO validating. Can we just take a quick second to recognize & appreciate every little decision we make? We are constantly deciding about meals, boundaries, cleaning, schedule, health. The list goes on & on. This is a key point Lani addresses. If we can reduce the decision making necessary in each moment, this is what allows for peace of mind. With an on-going list that continuously gets added to, we are constantly having to decide what to do. It's a total fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants approach that I know well. An approach that isn't really working because I too, feel the weight of my task list.
Instead, Lani is inviting us to a "system adjusted mindset" where we toss the traditional to-do list and systematically schedule our tasks. This sounded crazy daunting to me at first, but as she explained it, I realized it is by no means rigid. It's simply a proactive, intentional approach that I can absolutely see the validity of. An approach that removes a ton of moment-to-moment decisions allowing me to relax into the plan. And she uses Trello to keep it all together. I am SO in.
“It's time to shut down all the ‘mental tabs’ open in your brain and make room for creativity & freedom to breathe.”
Amen, sister.
Will it take planning, organization, time, energy? For sure. As with any system, it's work on the front end. But why not take the time, spend my energy on creating ease for myself?
I am worth it.
Lani Jackson
Lani Jackson is a mom to 6 kids (although it feels like 6,000 because of the number of cups she washes a week!) She is a strategy & implementation coach for mom entrepreneurs. Helping them double their income without doubling their to-do lists, by helping them get out of survival mode, release the mom guilt, and create a clear plan of action that will help them reach their dreams. Her passion is to help mom entrepreneurs reach their goals of 5k months and more WITHOUT fear, frustration, and overwhelm. She is also obsessed with pizza & dark chocolate and loves to cook... Let's just say she is a foodie at heart