Strengths-Based To-Do Lists
Observations on how to overcome ineffective to-do lists that make us feel horrible.
June 2026, written by Deb Payne
Do you ever wonder why you aren’t getting stuff done? If so, please read on and see if you identify with this…
My to-do lists are more like delusional wish lists. Lately, there has been an added elements to that, too:
My delusional wish lists are ruining my morale.
I write down tasks and then immediately feel the desire to flee far, far away. This impulse quite understandably curbs progress.
This time, however, I have a plan, and it’s based on strengths.
For me to even begin this plan, however, I had to spend time recognizing my strengths and weaknesses. Once I did that, I saw why certain tasks were remaining on my list for an embarrassing amount of time. I’ve illustrated this exercise below.
Example of a strengths-based to-do list exercise, based specifically on my attempts to create a blog section on this website:
First, I list my strengths:
Strengths:
I am resourceful.
I am creative.
I am a pretty good writer.
I am a hard worker.
I am an experienced therapist and coach.
I am thoroughly passionate, zealous, and often obsessive about the thought of.
Then, I listed my weaknesses:
Weaknesses:
I have technophobic tendencies.
I very often prefer to remain invisible and shudder at the notion of “putting myself out there.”
I have an ongoing narrative about how old I am and then I skillfully weave in illustrations of how this makes me incapable.
I am definitely not a graphic designer.
I can be pretty darned lazy and then I couch that in terms of “not knowing how to start” — a statement that then summarily lets me off the hook for just about anything.
I then looked at one of my (many) to-do lists through the lens of my strengths and weaknesses. The results were illuminating!
Below is a brief example of a couple of items on my to-do lists with comments I made after examining it via my strengths/weakness paradigm:
From Soul-Crushing to Doable To-Do’s:
1) Redo my entire website.
Weakness lens: I’m not great at technology and I need a nap! I’m old, washed-up, and vulnerable. AI is taking over the world. I can’t do this!
Strengths lens: I can figure this out. Everything is figureoutable, right? I mean…Okay…I’ll spend ten minutes on this and come back to it. Then I’ll spend another ten to fifteen minutes. Rinse & Repeat.
Why This Might Just Work
The example I used was a real one, and I’ve already talked myself through the steps of doing this blog. I’ve noticed that when I view to-do items as areas where I can use my strengths and remedy my weaknesses, I have less of a tendency to procrastinate. Instead of being intimidating, my lists become something that I’ve designed to help me complete things. The list is more neutral and simultaneously more powerful. It’s working!
How about you? Would an exercise like what I’ve done here help you in your progress?
Why This Might NOT Work
Part of the reason I became a therapist is because I saw plenty of intelligent, highly accomplished (although they wouldn’t think of themselves that way) people who were struggling through crushing self-doubt. Sometimes it takes a little more. As an EMDR therapist in UT and OK, I’d be happy to connect with you if you’d like to schedule a consultation and examine this further. Either way, happy realistic, strengths-based to-doing!