Break Things Down. Don't put a huge project like "Write Great American Novel" in your Monday slot for next week. It's not going to happen, and it's going to nag at you every time you look at that list. So start small. Break things down. If it's something that might take a while or that you really don't want to do (Like go to work) break it into several goals for the day. As a student, I use this a lot- I don't put "College" on my list for the day, I break it down into individual classes, and even write down related tasks independently (like bringing in forms, spending time in the language lab, etc.) "Great American Novel" would probably fit best with your long term goals, and when you're ready to start, stick something related into a weekly slot to work on. (Like "Write Prologue" or "Start novel outline") Ease yourself into the big tasks. Rome wasn't built in a day, and unless you've got a lot of help and/or very little acreage, your dream garden probably won't be either. Stick with "Till Soil" and move on to "Plant Tomatoes."

Put Large Projects Near The End of The Week. I know it sounds weird, but I've found that if you put all the little things in their respective days, and then stick a bunch of larger projects that need to be done that week at the end of it (like "Write Essay for English") you can work on them and then feel good about yourself when you're crossing off Friday's work on Tuesday. Now that's freedom. Breaking these larger projects down also works, but it all depends on what you know you can sit down and do in one sitting.

Don't Give Up! Remember- the to-do list is just a tool. A powerful tool, but like any other tool, it won't be able to do it's job unless you give it your all. It takes 5-10 minutes to fill out the list, so you can do it during breakfast or while you're having your morning constitutional. Heck, I put mine together on Sunday night, usually while watching a movie!

So what are you waiting for? Put that list together, and start doing the stuff you need to do to free up the time you need to be you!