I have a few questions for you:

• Do you have a to-do list?

• Does your to-do list grow more than it shrinks?

• Do you have items on there that have been there for a while?

• Are there any items that should be thrown away, but you're an optimist?

• Does the fact that they sit there for ages, stress you out a little?

• And why do you think your list grows rather than shrinks?

• Is it because you're busy doing other things?

• Are those other things more important?

• Are you sure?

I know there are a lot of questions there. Looking at them may cause you more stress . I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you. I'll give you a gift, a piece of advice that will remove that anxiety and more. Are you ready?

Stop using a to-do list, you don't need it anymore!

Don't panic, I'm not telling you to stop noting-down things that need to get done, that's a great idea. I'm just suggesting that you put them somewhere else. But where? To answer that, we need a couple more questions, but this time I'll give you the answers too.

• When will all of those things get done? They'll get done when you have time.

• When will you have time? When you have space to get them done, when you have space in your diary.

So, here's a thought, why not put them in your diary? If they're really that important, cut out the middle man and remove the uncertainty of doing them as some point, do them at a specific point. Use your diary as your to-do list.

Research shows that if you're worried about getting a task done, your level of worry can be significantly reduced by simply planning to do it; by just putting it in your diary you'll worry far less AND you'll have scheduled in the time to do it. Double whammy!

If you're worried about getting a task done, your level of worry can be significantly reduced by simply planning to do it.

"That'll mean I'll spend a lot more time in my diary!", I hear you say. Well, that's true, but you'll be spending no more time in your diary than you would have been spending in your to-do list. Only this way, you won't be worrying about your growing to-do list because you will have planned them in to get done at some point.

Let's say you do this. How does it work. Well, simple, you think of something that you need to do. Go to your diary, find a space (it could be today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year even) and put it in there. You could add the word TODO in front of the title so that you can find them easily if you have a bit of spare time earlier then you expected.

What happens when you finally get to the moment where you've scheduled your to-do? You'll either do it because it's the most important thing to do, or you'll not. Either move it until later or delete if you really think it's a waste of time.

This will revolutionise your approach to tasks and time and here is why it works.

At the moment, if you have space in your diary, you'll think, great I have nothing to do. So, you'll fill it with stuff you would rather do. Very rarely will you look at your to-do list for things that can fill your empty space. However, if your to-do list it's already in your diary, you'll do it, almost without question. So, take advantage. Put your to-do list, in your diary. Then, if you do see space in your diary, it really is free and you can do with it whatever you like.

More soon...enjoy!