To Get Yourself Organized, Create a ‘Rainy Day List’

A simple and highly effective way of getting things done when you have zero desire to do them

There are a few items on my Things To Do list that never seem to get crossed off. I’m sure plenty of others have a similar problem; you want to feel organized and see your workload decrease. But when it comes to getting around to finishing these little tasks like organizing your desktop files or sorting the mail, it just doesn’t get done. Because if I’m being honest with myself here, when I have an opportunity to get extra things done, I’m too tired and would rather do nothing.

So, I tried something silly and new to help me get out of my way and — knock on wood, so far, it works. I started a Rainy Day List.

My Rainy Day is exactly what it sounds like; I keep a list of tasks that should be done but don’t need to be done by a certain deadline. Then, when it’s rainy outside and I am stuck inside and I am bored, I commit to crossing off one item on the rainy day list.

The best part is that you can adapt this to work in a million different ways. For example, if you fly a lot, create a Stuck On A Layover List, for example. Whenever you know that you will have some spare time on your hands, you can tackle one small thing.

And sure, those small things on your list might seem frivolous or like a waste of time, but if you thrive on getting things done and feeling organized then this is a quick and simple way to get your life organized once and for all.