Get Your Sh*t Together with the Shit List: A No-BS Guide to the Eisenhower Matrix

Let’s face it—life’s messy, and our to-do lists are worse. Between work tasks, personal errands, and remembering to text your mom back, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in a sea of sticky notes and broken promises. Enter: the Shit List, your new BFF for conquering chaos with the help of the Eisenhower Matrix.

Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of the Eisenhower Matrix. It’s not as fancy as it sounds—it’s just a method for sorting tasks into categories based on urgency and importance. And because life isn’t boring (and neither are you), we’ve spiced it up with some sassy categories: Easy Shit, Tough Shit, Extra Shit, and Annoying Shit. Let’s dive in.

Step 1: Dump All Your Sh*t

Before you start organizing, you need to brain-dump every little task cluttering up your brain. Big or small, write it all down on your Shit List. Think of it as clearing out your mental junk drawer.

Got it? Great. Now grab your pen and get ready to sort your chaos like a pro.

Step 2: Sort Your Sh*t

Easy Shit: Handle It Now

These are the quick, low-effort wins—things that take five minutes or less. They’re not earth-shattering, but they add up fast.

• Send that email.
• Send that text.
• Schedule that dentist appointment you’ve been avoiding for three years.

Knock these out first thing in the day. There’s nothing more satisfying than crossing off half your list before your second coffee.

Tough Shit: Prioritize Like a Boss

This is the important, can’t-wait kind of stuff—the tasks that move the needle but take some effort.

• Finish that big work project.
• Pay your bills before they pile up like regret.
• Work on your side hustle or passion project.

Block out time in your day to focus here. These tasks may feel overwhelming, but they’re the ones that will make you feel like an actual adult.

Extra Shit: Plan It Out

These are the things you’d like to do, but they’re not urgent or critical right now.

• Organize your closet (but hey, not today).
• Start researching your dream vacation.
• Finally learn how to fold a fitted sheet (or don’t—we won’t judge).

Keep these on your radar but don’t let them distract you from the important stuff.

Annoying Shit: Delegate or Ditch

This is the crap you hate doing, and it’s probably not worth your precious time.

• Filing paperwork? Delegate it.
• Cleaning out the garage? Rope someone else in.
• Going to the store when you can just order online? Skip the trip and save your sanity.

If it doesn’t absolutely need to be done by you, pass it off or reconsider why it’s on your list in the first place. Life’s too short for unnecessary suffering.

Step 3: Work the System

Now that your Shit List is sorted, it’s time to get to work. Start with Easy Shit to build momentum, tackle Tough Shit while your energy is high, and save Extra Shit for when you’re feeling ambitious. As for Annoying Shit, delegate or delete without guilt.

Step 4: Celebrate Your Wins

At the end of the day, take a look at everything you’ve crossed off your Shit List and give yourself a pat on the back. You’re not just surviving—you’re thriving, one sassy to-do list at a time.

Life might always be chaotic, but with the Shit List and the Eisenhower Matrix, you can turn that chaos into something (almost) manageable. So grab your favorite pen, channel your inner boss, and start sorting your sh*t today. You’ve got this!