How is your to-do list looking at the moment?!
Many of us approach planning by writing a long list of everything we need to do and then mentally shout “go” at ourselves in the morning, expecting that everything will be ticked off by the end of the day. More often than not, there are still (lots of) items left by the evening and, instead of seeing this as normal, we can beat ourselves up for not finishing everything.
The problem is that it was never realistic to complete the list in the first place. For most of us, especially in research, this approach simply sets us up for overwhelm and self-criticism. A to-do list that never ends is not a sign that you’re failing; it’s a reflection of the open-ended nature of PhD work.
I encourage a more strategic and realistic approach. Research tasks rarely exist in isolation: one task often opens up several more and unexpected complexity is part of the process. In that sense, a persistent to-do list is a feature of research, not a personal failing.
It can be useful to ask yourself what is reasonable for today. This question can be particularly hard during a PhD, where progress isn’t always visible and there’s no clear finish line. It can help to think in terms of whether you are moving the project forward, rather than whether you are ticking off everything on a list. It’s also important to remember that thinking, reading, re-framing ideas, and even resting are all legitimate and necessary parts of research work, and need to be built into your planning.
Ideally, a to-do list should function as a memory aid rather than a moral scorecard. It’s there to hold information so your brain doesn’t have to, and to give you something to return to – not to create pressure or measure your worth. When a list becomes too full, it can feel overwhelming and make it harder to start at all, increasing anxiety rather than reducing it.
Keeping things manageable is often what allows work to happen in the first place. Some people use “must-do” lists, identifying just a small number of key priorities that, once completed, mean you can finish for the day. However you organise your to-do list, it’s really important to celebrate what you have achieved, rather than focusing on what you haven’t.
If you are interested in exploring these ideas further you might want to join us for this month’s PhD Book Club where we will be discussing Claudia Hammond’s Overwhelmed. You don’t have to have read the book to join us. We will be meeting 7.45-8.45 GMT on 26th February. Save your seat here.
You might also like to join us for the Neurodivergent Scholars’ Meeting on 5th March. There’s no agenda, just an opportunity to meet other PhD researchers and share experiences and resources in a supportive space. You can sign up here.
Finally, I’ll be running my PhD Perfectionism Re-set again in March, and registration is now open. This five-day programme is designed to help you get out of your own way and work towards completion with less pressure and self-criticism. You can find out more here
Wishing you a fabulous month!
Emma