6 Ways To Enjoy Your To-Do

You get home from work to a pile of dishes. Or a pile of laundry. Or a pile kids if you've got those! Whatever may await you on the other side of the door feels intimidating, overwhelming, and exhausting. You’ve already had a long, hard day, and it feels like you're sinking under the weight of all your responsibilities.

It's easy to let life's many tasks pile up. Burnout and stress is at an all-time high. When Friday comes, it seems like there's nothing better to look forward to than an empty schedule on Saturday and Sunday, or to trudge through a long weekend of playing catch-up.

The bad news: The show goes on.

The good news: You can stay on top of things and actually enjoy working at home!

How?

1. Pray over your time.

Ask God to help you prioritize what He wants you to accomplish that day, and repent of any impatience or worry that you may be feeling because of anxiety and overwhelm. Trust in Him to help you catch up and stay up on the most important things!

James 5:16 — Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

2. Prioritize the Word.

Stay in your Word to ground your thoughts and adopt God's heart for your tasks. Even 10-15 minutes of daily reading and studying of God's Word can set your heart right, and help you set the right tone for your home and family. You can be a godly example of one who glorifies God even when you're busy.

3. Define your tasks.

One of the first steps to solving a problem is to understand what the problem is. Write down any important task that comes to mind; you can even try grouping your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks together. Any old piece of scrap paper will do, but you can download my free printable weekly to-do list for a more organized feel!

4. Try to complete one task a day, no matter how little.

If lists aren't really your thing, it's okay to jump right in! Take some time before or after work to focus on getting something done. You can put a timer on for 1 hour and get as much done as possible in that time-frame, or you can plan out which task(s) you'd like to complete for each day of the week. Download my free printable weekly chore chart to get started!

5. Stay calm when things don't go as planned.

As you've probably experienced, not everything will get done and go as you've perfectly planned in your head. Leave room for God to work and teach you joy, patience, and self-control in these situations (Galatians 5:22-23), and trust that He will accomplish what He wants in you. With a heart set on pleasing God, you can be flexible and easily adjust your next step when your timeline is disrupted. Remember that God is always in control, and He allows every moment for a reason!

6. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

You can allow others to be a blessing to you by letting them help you with some of your to-dos if possible. Recruit your family or text a friend. There is no shame in needing help, because we are all dependent on each other to a certain point. In Galatians 6:2, God commands us to bear each other's burdens because He knows that we can't always handle our whole lives alone.

I pray that this little guide helps you calm the tornado of your to-dos so that you can enjoy doing the tasks that God has given to you in this season of your life. If you already have some organizational tips and tricks up your sleeve, I'd love to hear about them!

Sources

The American Institute of Stress