Often times, we arrive to work Monday morning bright-eyed and caffeinated, ready to plow through whatever comes our way. Yet, the majority of the time, we end the day exhausted and without having accomplished anything, and we can’t figure out why. This is because we have nothing to show for our hard work and completed tasks. But, when we finish our days having crossed off 4 items on our to-do list, suddenly we not only feel accomplished, but we feel organized and productive.

A to-do list provides guidance throughout the day and prevents us from being easily derailed by every email and distraction. Every time we can cross out and eliminate a task completed, there is a sense of accomplishment that acts as a motivator for us to complete the next task. A to-do list does not have to be an elaborately worded and thought out list on beautiful Kate Spade stationary (although it certainly can be). A to-do list can be as simple as scribbles on Post Its, voice notes on your phone, or task items in your calendar. Either way, a to-do list will undoubtedly keep us on task, and make our Mondays, as well as the rest of the week, productive.