If You’re Constantly Rewriting Your To-Do List, Read This First

Here’s how it usually goes:

You sit down, planner open, coffee steaming, vibe set.
You write the list. Oh, what a beautiful list.
It’s productive. It’s powerful. It’s color-coded.
You feel like Beyoncé. With stickers.

Fast-forward 48 hours...
Half the list is undone.
You rewrite it. Again.
This time with even prettier pens.

Lovely, can we pause the cycle for a second?

Because chances are, the issue isn’t your list.
It’s that your life—and the vision it’s built on—might need an update.

The Rewriting Habit Isn’t Just About Time Management

Let’s clear something up.

You’re not lazy. You’re not scattered. You’re not doomed to live in "almost done" mode forever.

But you are stuck in a pattern.
And most of the time? That pattern looks like this:

• Feel behind → Rewrite the list
• Feel motivated → Overcommit
• Feel overwhelmed → Procrastinate
• Feel guilty → Rewrite the list again

Rinse, repeat, burnout.

But why do we do it?

Three Sneaky Reasons We Keep Rewriting the Same List

1. We’re Using the List to Feel "In Control" (Not to Get Clear)

Let’s be honest—it feels good to make the list.
We get a little dopamine hit.
We feel organized.
We’re doing something.

But clarity isn’t the same as control.
And sometimes, the list is a buffer…
...between what we think we want to do and what we’re actually called to do.

2. We’re Trying to Win at a Life That’s No Longer Ours

We carry goals from three years ago like they still fit.
But your current self? She’s done with hustle culture. She wants alignment, not adrenaline.

Yet your planner is still full of goals from a past version of you.
So of course your soul rebels.

3. We’re Confusing Activity With Alignment

Rewriting a to-do list feels like we’re doing something.
But if the things on the list aren’t tied to your actual mission, values, or season?

You’re not being productive.
You’re just being very busy while slightly annoyed and weirdly tired.

So What’s the Solution? Rewrite the Life, Not Just the List

I know. It sounds big. Maybe even dramatic.

But you don’t have to blow it all up.
You just have to start noticing when you’re defaulting to productivity theatre instead of purpose-driven planning.

Here’s how to recalibrate in real life (without burning sage or quitting your job on a Tuesday).

A Mini Reset for the Chronic List Rewriter

Step 1 – Ask: "Is This Task Still For Me?"

Not just “is it due?”

Ask:

• Who assigned this task—me, my ego, or someone else's expectation?
• Does this move me toward the life I say I want?
• Is this a "yes" in my body or just a "should" in my brain?

Write it down. Pray about it.
Discern what needs to stay—and what needs to be lovingly sent to the trash bin of your old identity.

Step 2 – Sort the List by Clarity, Not Chaos

Here’s a simple way to rethink your list using the Clarity Method (think of it as a compass for your growth):

Now ask:

“Which of these stages am I really in right now?”
Then only do tasks that match that season.

You wouldn’t wear snow boots in July.
So stop assigning yourself launch tasks when you’re still in recovery.

Step 3 – Cut the List by 50% and See What Happens

Radical thought: What if you only did the things that actually matter?

Delete half the list. Keep only what’s:

• Purpose-driven
• Emotionally peaceful
• Financially smart
• Spiritually aligned

Don’t worry, the world won’t collapse.
But you? You might finally exhale.

Your Planner Isn’t the Problem (But It Might Need an Upgrade)

Here’s the tough love part:

If your planner keeps making you feel behind, broken, or boxed in… it’s time to let it go.

You need something that supports you as a whole woman—not just a task machine.

Something that says:

• Yes to flexibility
• Yes to slow mornings
• Yes to dreaming again

Something like... (drumroll please) the Surprisingly Successful Planner.

It’s cheeky. It’s clear. It’s totally okay with you changing your mind mid-month.

Final Thoughts – You’re Not Failing. You’re Evolving.

Lovely, let me say it plain:

You’re not stuck because you’re lazy.
You’re stuck because you’re growing.

Your soul knows when the vision has expired.
Your heart knows when the pace is punishing.
Your spirit knows when the list is lying.

So instead of rewriting your week for the 7th time... how about rewriting your approach?

What if you gave yourself permission to plan from peace?

What if you stopped living on default and started designing on purpose?

And what if this was the week you stopped just crossing things off the list...
...and started creating a life that feels like truth?