To-do lists are like accessories – always take one thing off.

If your to-do list looks like your great Aunt Bertha, she of the seventeen bangle bracelets and enough gold chain to repave the Yellow Brick Road, you should probably take several things off. You never want your daily plan to make you want to crawl back into bed.

It’s taken me 33 years to learn how to plan my day for maximum effectiveness. And by “maximum effectiveness” I mean not “looking at my list, throwing up my hands in defeat, and hoping for a zombie apocalypse so I’ll never have to finish this day.” Which, to be fair, is essentially how I spent my first 32 years.

• Choose Three Main Goals For The Day

Three is a manageable number. When you’re day feels manageable, you don’t waste time yearning for the zombie apocalypse. For me, these three things tend to be plucked from meeting client deadlines or blocking out time for creative work that will drive my writing or business forward. This forms the skeleton of my day.

• Choose a Priority

Usually, of the important but not urgent variety. Exercise is a big priority for me, because I’m happier and more productive on the days I drag my tail to the gym.

• Niggly Things

Like paying bills and making doctor appointments and doing dishes and feeding any animals in my care. I tend to use these as breaks between the Three Main Things.

• Don’t Schedule Every Minute

Leave some space for the unexpected. Sometimes things take longer than you planned or someone sets something on fire. If there are no fires to put out, then you have some breathing room. If the unexpected does rear its dragon head, you still win at today.