The last tip showed you how to draft a Weekly Template that gives just the right amount of structure to enable you to move more easily through your week without leaving you feeling excessively controlled or boxed-in. This tip shows you how to make your Master To Do List work with your Weekly Template in an ADD-friendly way.

Keep in mind that your Weekly Template is designed to help you think about your time in chunks of related activities. So if you have set aside Wednesday evenings as your “Finances” chunk, then on Wednesday evening you will go to the “Finances” category in your Master To Do list to see what you need to work on during that block of time. (Review the Master To Do List for assistance.) When thoughts of “I’m not in the mood” start to derail you, use the 5-minute Rule to get you going.

As you are learning to blend your template and to-do’s, focus first on tasks that are short and fairly easy for you (e.g., pay bills due in the next two weeks). As chunking your time becomes more natural, begin to incorporate more challenging tasks (e.g., research life insurance).

Most challenging tasks are best tackled in small bits. Here’s an example of how purchasing life insurance could be broken down into small tasks:

1. Designate a single place (folder or plastic project box – available at Office Max - see photo at top of page) where all life insurance information you gather will be kept. Deciding this is a five-to-ten minute task that can easily be done during your “Finances” time block. Make sure to choose a spot where your file or project box is not likely to get overlooked or lost.
2. Calculate how much life insurance you need. Here’s a link to a web-based calculator that can help: www.ipipeline.com/iquote/e-needs.htm.
3. Identify no more than three companies to which you will apply (websites such as www.Insure.com and www.Zanderins.com provide ratings of insurance carriers.)
   
4. Complete one or more applications during your Finances time block. Since applications are quite similar, it may be fairly easy to do three at one sitting.
   
5. The insurance companies will contact you to set up appointments for physicals, and they will take it from there since the companies are motivated to close the deal!

You can use similar approaches to break down other multi-step tasks. The main focus for now is learning to think about time in terms of chunks that can be devoted to moving you gradually toward your goals.

Don’t be discouraged if you forget to do what you planned. Accepting that you will occasionally forget – sometimes for weeks, even months – will enable you to forgive yourself and move on.