Transform Your To-Do List Into a Success System: A Digital Writer's Guide to Getting Things Done

Feb 13, 2025

The Endless Juggling Act

Between managing client projects, answering endless emails, planning growth strategies, and creating content for social media—oh, and that newsletter you've been meaning to write—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

Your mind is pulled in a million directions, with so many tasks demanding your attention that you freeze, unsure where to start (and that’s before factoring in maintaining relationships, staying healthy, and having any personal time at all).

So naturally, you do what anyone would do:

“I’ll just write it all down. A to-do list will bring order to this chaos!”

You start writing furiously, checking off tasks with determination. But then something happens midway through your day.

Your list isn’t getting shorter—it’s growing.

For every task you complete, three more appear.

Before you know it, you’re staring at a list that’s longer than when you started, feeling like a failure and questioning whether you’re cut out for entrepreneurship. Overwhelm sets in, and soon, nothing gets done at all.

I know this feeling well because it was me just a year ago—transitioning to a new job, new demands, new “to-dos.”

But I quickly realized this wasn’t a “me” problem—it was about how I was handling task management and prioritization. As an entrepreneur and creator, I’ve learned a few strategies to navigate this busy life, and I’m ready to share them with you.

Let me walk you through my task management approach.

The List Is Just the Beginning

Let’s start by clearing something up.

That to-do list you keep adding to? It’s not the solution—it’s just the starting point.

Your to-do list only reflects the tasks floating around in your mind that need attention. It doesn’t tell you how to get them done, when to tackle them, or whether you actually have the time to complete them.

Most people’s to-do lists look something like this:

Answer client emails
Write newsletter
Onboard 2 clients
3 sales calls
Rewrite website landing page copy

At first glance, it doesn’t seem too overwhelming. But the truth is, there are countless hidden tasks within those items that aren't immediately visible.

For example, "Write newsletter" is just one bullet—but that one bullet alone represents a whole series of steps: choosing a topic, researching it, creating an outline, drafting the content, editing it, formatting it, and scheduling it for publication.

What seemed like a simple task is actually a multi-step project. And this pattern repeats itself across many of the items on your list.

Tasks vs. Projects: Know the Difference

This brings us to a crucial distinction: tasks versus projects.

A task is a single action item that can be completed in one sitting, like sending an email to a client or scheduling social media posts for the day.
A project, on the other hand, requires multiple steps and often spans several days or even weeks.

For instance, "Launch new service" is a project, while "Write service description page" is a task within that project.

"Create client onboarding system" is a project, but "Draft welcome email template" is a task within that project.

See the difference?

Why Your To-Do List Feels Impossible

Why do we feel so overwhelmed by our to-do lists? Several factors contribute to this stress.

Underestimating Time Commitments

We often make the mistake of underestimating how long tasks will actually take.

It’s easy to think a task will take 15 minutes when it might actually take an hour or more, which leads to unrealistic goals for the day. This overestimation can set us up for failure, as we’re left trying to rush through tasks or push them off to another day, adding more pressure and stress to our already full plates.

Mixing Projects and Tasks

Another common mistake is mixing projects with tasks on our to-do lists.

Tasks, like answering emails or making a phone call, can seem like quick wins. But when we add a large, complex project (e.g., launching a marketing campaign or writing a blog post) under the same list of things to do, it creates a false sense of manageability.

In reality, projects require multiple steps, and when combined with smaller tasks, it’s easy to lose sight of how big a project really is.

Ignoring Interruptions and Energy Fluctuations

We rarely account for the interruptions and natural fluctuations in our energy levels throughout the day.

The phone rings, an urgent email pops up, or a meeting runs over. These disruptions can derail our carefully laid plans, making it difficult to focus. Additionally, our energy and creativity naturally ebb and flow, meaning we may be more productive in the morning and less so in the afternoon.

Without factoring in these variables, we set ourselves up for frustration when things don’t go as planned.

Trying to Do Everything at Once

Finally, we often try to tackle everything on our list at once, which is both overwhelming and counterproductive.

Instead of focusing on one task at a time, we spread ourselves too thin and try to multitask, which leads to a decrease in efficiency and quality. We’re working against our own natural rhythms and strengths by pushing ourselves to do more than we can handle.

The key is to work in alignment with our energy levels and focus on one thing at a time to be more effective and less stressed.

Strategies for Task Management Success

There’s hope for managing your to-do list without feeling overwhelmed! Here are four strategies I’ve implemented that have made a huge difference for me:

Break Down Projects Into Actionable Steps

When you notice a large project disguised as a simple task on your list, take the time to break it down into manageable, actionable steps.

For example, "Launch new service" may seem like a single task, but in reality, it’s a multi-step project. Here's how you can break it down:

Research market rates
Define service packages
Write service descriptions
Create a pricing structure
Design the sales page
Set up the payment system
Draft launch emails
Plan promotional content

By breaking projects into smaller tasks, you make them feel less daunting and much more achievable.

Batch Tasks by Type

Grouping similar tasks together helps you maintain focus and reduces the mental load of constantly switching between different types of work.

For example, set aside one block of time for writing tasks—such as blog posts, newsletters, and social media captions—and another block for creating visual content, like filming, photography, or graphic design.

This reduces decision fatigue and keeps your workflow more streamlined.

Think in Weeks, Not Days

Weekly planning is crucial.

Rather than squeezing everything into daily lists, take a step back and plan your week as a whole. This approach allows you to batch similar tasks together, making your schedule more flexible and aligned with your energy levels.

It also gives you a clearer sense of what you're trying to accomplish over the long term, rather than just focusing on the daily grind.

Weekly planning doesn’t have to be complicated! Use a digital planner, or if you prefer pen and paper, a weekly planning sheet (like this one) will do the trick for planning ahead.

Match Tasks to Your Energy Levels

Pay attention to your natural energy rhythms throughout the day and schedule your tasks accordingly.

If you’re most creative and focused in the morning, tackle your content creation and writing tasks then. Reserve less mentally demanding tasks—like email management—for times when your energy dips, such as after lunch.

By aligning your tasks with your natural energy flow, you’ll get more done with less effort.

The Bottom Line

Remember, the goal isn't to cross everything off your list in record time—it's to create a sustainable system that helps you serve your clients well while growing your business and maintaining your sanity.

Your to-do list should be a tool that supports your success, not a source of stress that holds you back.

Have any questions about task management for your business or brand? Drop a comment or leave me a message below, would love to help!

Scrubs to Strategy

Discussion about this post