Using the Science of Behavior to Complete Your To-Do List

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You’re busy and have a long to-do list. There’s a piece of mail that’s been sitting on your counter for weeks and you still haven’t touched it.

There’s a button that needs to be sewed back on your husband’s shirt but you still haven’t done it. 

That junk drawer that is overflowing… yeah, you know you need to tackle that baby but might as well save it for another day. 

And, ugh, swapping out the summer clothes for the fall clothes… you’ll get to it eventually. 

There are some tasks in my own life that I avoid, avoid, avoid. 

Going through that stack of mail. 

Organizing a kitchen cabinet. 

Clearing off the kitchen desk. 

Making that dentist appointment. 

Calling the insurance company. 

Figuring out how to use that speaker I got for Christmas. 

I don’t know about you, but some very small, simple, and silly things can just seem so dang aversive to me. 

Is it the amount of time I think it’ll take to accomplish the goal?

Is it the mental load of the task itself? (I mean, who wants to call the insurance company?)

Is it because I don’t know where to start?

Is it fear of the unknown?

What is it? 

I’m all about parenting smarter and not harder. Mothering smarter and not harder. Running my household smarter and not harder, but geez, that one piece of mail has been staring at me for weeks and it’s about time I do something about it. 

So mama, let me give you some behavioral strategies that you can use on yourself (instead of your kids) to get those silly, aversive tasks done for good. 

Behavioral Momentum

It’s simple. Get some momentum going. First complete a really simple, not aversive task. Maybe complete a few of these really easy tasks so you can taste that victory of being productive. Then, go for that piece of mail that has been collecting dust for weeks. This is a strategy that I use on myself and it works like a charm. 

First-Then Strategy

Instead of jumping into a few easy tasks first like the example above, this time you’re gonna go for that difficult task you’ve been putting off first thing. The goal here is to get that task over with BUT then follow it with something that is enjoyable, like watching your favorite TV show. 

First, make that doctor’s appointment and then I can scroll through Instagram while drinking my coffee. 

Obviously, you’ve got to stick to your guns on this one and follow through with what you’ve said, but this could be the strategy to finally get that aversive task done. 

Pairing

Did you know that you may be more likely to complete a task if you pair it with something you enjoy? I use this strategy daily! 

What helps me get up at 5:00 AM to start my exercises? Watching my favorite show, of course! I get to enjoy some peace and quiet AND my favorite TV show when doing my crunches or lifting my weights. It’s a treat for me. 

For you, it may be drinking coffee while you empty the dishwasher or listening to your favorite radio station while packing lunches. Or maybe it’s the smell of a candle while you’re folding laundry. 

Think about what tasks you don’t like to do and think about little things that you can enjoy. Can you pair any of the two together to help you accomplish some of those aversive tasks? Trust me, it makes those unpleasant tasks a bit more enjoyable. 

To-Do List

For those of you who are more visual, an actual to-do list written down on paper (or within an app) and visibly present can help you get those to-dos done. Of course, it goes without saying that you’ve got to be somewhat of a rule follower for this strategy to work. 

For me, my daily to-do list takes the load off, and I love crossing those tasks off that list. 

There’s no better feeling than having the entire list crossed off and those unpleasant tasks finally completed. 

I encourage you to give some of these strategies a try and see how it goes. You may find that your typical chores become much more enjoyable for you!

 

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