Set goals and list out your priorities for each day with my simple printable priorities to-do list!
The Never Ending To-Do List
I absolutely thrive on list-making, goal-setting, and definitive plans.
Having a mile-long to-do list, however, is definitely not my idea of fun.
With that said, if you are a list-making, planner mama, who dreads going to sleep with an unfinished to-do list, like myself, this one is totally for you!
Setting Priorities To-Do List Style
One day while attempting to tackle my daily routine of never-ending tasks, it totally hit me.
I wasn’t getting anything important accomplished.
I mean, sure, I was getting stuff done, I just wasn’t getting the right stuff done.
Each evening I was left with feelings of failure and overwhelm that would soon be followed with wishes and thoughts that I could hopefully do better tomorrow.
The cycle had to end.
As a busy work-from-home homeschool mom who struggles with time management, I knew something had to give.
My to-do list was never going to get shorter (or end) and, while I didn’t know it at the time, that’s actually ok!
I had to drop my unrealistic expectations of getting everything done each day and learn to focus on prioritizing my to-do list instead.
That’s when this priority to-do list came to life.
Printable Priorities To-Do List
I’m not going to lie, you guys, I totally made this to-do list printable for me.
I was feeling overwhelmed and overworked.
My list was so long that it got to a point where I couldn’t focus on a single task, and then when I finally would complete something I simply didn’t know what to tackle next.
Then, before I knew it, I was going to bed and I hadn’t spent any quality time with my children, my coffee mug was still half full, and I forgot to sneak in my daily prayer time.
I had had enough.
This is why I created the My Top 5 Priorities To-Do List.
I chose to apply a different approach than most typical printable to-do lists – focusing on 5 important areas of my life.
The idea is simple. Pick 5 categories that need the most attention + 5 tasks for each of those categories.
This method makes prioritizing your to-do list so much easier, you guys!
My Top 5 Categories
For my personal top 5, I chose God, family, home, work, and self.
I was struggling to prioritize and my daily work schedule was taking over.
I needed to re-prioritize everything!
First, I knew that I wanted to grow spiritually and spend more time in scripture and prayer each day.
Second, I wanted to take the house tasks I found myself constantly putting off while somehow managing to spend a little bit of quality time with each of my children every single day.
This was a challenge I needed to attack head-on.
Priorities To-Do List Category Breakdowns
While this to-do list was originally created for me, I made two simple versions to make it more versatile.
If you find yourself struggling with time management and managing your priorities in the 5 areas I mentioned, the printable I made for myself will be just what you need.
For the mom struggling in different areas, there is a blank version for you too!
With that said, below is a simple breakdown of my 5 categories, how I use each category, and other ideas for using yours!
Check them out, you guys!
Category 1: God
While I truly desire God to be first in my life, always, I definitely fail at this one a lot, you guys!
Since creating this list though, I’ve been able to put my focus on completing 1 task in the God box before doing anything else and it has been such a blessing!
I simply start my day with prayer and go from there.
That said, I also make a point to move around from box to box completing tasks from different categories instead of tackling the entire God box from the start.
I feel it’s incredibly important to space the items in this particular box out throughout my day instead of completing them all at once.
Not only does this help me stay focused on the right things, but it also gives me something to go back to when I’m feeling stuck.
For example, when I’m working on tackling something big, such as catching up on laundry, in the home category and that laundry pile begins to consume me, I simply take a moment in between loads and mark something off from the God column instead.
It keeps me grounded and helps me push forward.
Try adding a few of these ideas to your God box!
- Morning prayer time
- Morning devotion
- Devotion with children
- Afternoon scripture reading
- Evening family devotions
- Devotions with spouse
- Family prayer time
- Scripture memorization
- Evening prayer time
- Scripture or prayer journal
- Serving or volunteering
- Listening to worship music
- Reading hymns
Category 2: Family
To be completely honest, I never thought I would need to put moments with my family on a to-do list.
I mean, I homeschool and I’m literally around my children 24/7.
What more could they possibly need from me? How can I even possibly give them more of my time?
That said, I learned something huge from homeschooling my kids this year — quantity doesn’t always equal quality.
I spend a large portion of my time interacting with and teaching my children each day.
However, our one-on-one bonding time was seriously lacking.
When I created my top 5 to-do list, this was something I was determined to change!
No longer will my children go to bed feeling like they hadn’t spent any quality time with their mother (you know, the one who was teaching them lessons all day, haha).
Seriously though.
Try adding a few of these simple ideas to your family box!
- Read with a child
- Do a 15-minute activity with a child
- Play a family game
- Have an in-depth conversation
- Hug your kids & spouse
- Go for a salk as a family
- Read together as a family
- Play make-believe with a child
- Sit and do nothing but snuggle
Category 3: Home
Ok, I have a confession to make.
Before homeschooling entered the picture, my children were enrolled in a private school and I spent nearly 8 hours each day homemaking.
My house was spotless, the laundry was folded and put away, the errands were always taken care of, and dinner was promptly on the table each night.
Life was simple and almost even (dare I say it?) easy, you guys!
That said, once we started homeschooling everything changed.
After trying to do it all every single day and experiencing major burnout, homemaking quickly got placed on the back burner first.
Then, around the time I started getting a handle on things again, I added working from home to the mix.
The end result? Housework got placed on the back burner, yet again!
This is why it’s incredibly crucial that I include home in my top 5!
Realistically, I have way more than 5 tasks to complete in our home each day.
However, choosing to place my focus on 5 main tasks instead is the true secret to getting things done, you guys.
Not only does marking those 5 things off my list give me a feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day, but it’s also a huge motivator to keep going!
Seriously though.
No single person can tackle all the things and wear all the hats and it’s important to know that putting our focus on 5 important tasks (instead of 20) truly is enough!
That said, there is rarely a day that I don’t complete more in this category and that’s ok too!
Try keeping things simple and adding a few of these forgotten tasks to your home box!
- Wash one load of laundry
- Sweep the floors
- Clean the kitchen
- Organize 1 thing
- Fill a box for the thrift store
- Clean out a closet
- Clean the bathrooms
- Vacuum the floors
- Clean out car
- Dust
- Get rid of old toys
Category 4: Self
While many people consider self-care to be a controversial topic, I truly feel like self-care is essential to homeschool moms!
It’s incredibly difficult to continue filling other people’s cups when yours is always completely empty.
With that said, self-care can be any number of simple things and definitely does not need to be expensive or elaborate.
While others may not agree, my definition of self-care is literally anything that includes taking care of yourself in some manner.
It may be something other people take for granted because it’s already a part of their daily routine (like taking a shower or drinking coffee in one setting) or it could be something totally extra that anyone would consider self-care (such as treating ourselves to a spa day).
Either way, this box was essential for me because I often forget to take care of myself while taking care of others.
Consider adding a few of these everyday ideas to your self-care box!
- Journal
- Color
- Take a shower
- Paint nails
- Fix hair & makeup
- Coffee, tea, or wine
- Read (a non-kid book)
- Eat chocolate (or a veggie)
- Take vitamins
- Go to the store alone
- Doodle or draw
- Sit alone in the car
Category 5: Work
This will always be a part of my priorities to-do list — but not for the reason you might think.
If there is one thing I have discovered about myself since I started blogging and writing full-time, it’s that I’m a workaholic.
So, if I’m completely honest, I simply needed a visual reminder to place other important tasks before work tasks.
Then, once I’ve completed the tasks in every other box, I can consider adding more to my workload.
That said, work is essential to life.
It’s not always welcomed or beautiful, but it’s completely necessary.
While I tend to enjoy my work, I definitely don’t like the amount of time I spend devoted to it sometimes.
This is why I have 3 other important priorities placed above work on my priorities to-do list!
Something must be done in each of those categories before I sit down at my desk for the day.
That said, not everyone has the flexibility of working from home or making their own schedule as I do which is why I won’t be including a list of ideas to try.
However, I still view this as a very important part of my priorities to-do list!
Including work tasks allow me to end my day feeling accomplished in my work while knowing I kept my priorities.
It’s so good, you guys!
My 5 Free Printable Priorities To-Do List
Finally, the reason you are here!
While I originally created the my 5 printable priorities to-do list for myself, I’m sure excited to share it with you guys!
That said, I created 2 simple versions
Version #1 is in color and includes the personalized categories I made for myself (God, family, home, self, and work).
The secondary version comes in black and white and is 100% customizable as you handwrite in the different categories you need to prioritize!
Ready to get your hands on these printable to-do lists?
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