Weekly Planning With God: Why Your To-Do List Isn't Working
How to stop reacting to everything and start planning with purpose
Have you ever looked at your to do list at the end of the day and thought, “How did I do so much and still feel like I got nothing done?”
I've had those weeks ( or maybe a times months) and it can feel really disheartening.
The list was full. Things were crossed off. I was showing up, getting things done, doing what needed to be done.
And yet, I still felt behind.
Because somewhere along the way, my to do list had stopped being a helpful tool and had quietly become another source of pressure.
It wasn't helping me focus on what mattered. It was just reminding me of everything I hadn't finished.
And maybe you've felt this too.
You open your planner hoping to feel organised, but instead you feel overwhelmed before the day has even started.
You add another task because you don't want to forget it, then another, and another, until your list becomes less of a plan and more of a running commentary on everything you are responsible for.... ARGGHHH!
But if I am honest with you
I'm still a fan of a good to do list. Truly.
There's nothing like the satisfaction of crossing things off that bad boy on a daily basis!
The problem isn't the list itself. A clear list can bring so much peace. It can get things out of your head, help you focus, and give you direction for the week ahead.
The problem is how most of us are using it: somewhere between a helpful tool and a source of daily guilt, the to do list stopped serving us and started running us.
A list that doesn't work for you isn't a planning problem. It's a design problem. And design can be changed.
Because your list should reflect what actually matters in this season, not just everything shouting for your attention.
It should leave room for your priorities, your people, your rest, and most importantly, the things God is inviting you to carry right now.
That is where weekly planning with God changes things.
Before I write my list, I want to ask a different question:
“What actually matters this week?”
Not “How can I fit everything in?”
Not “How do I become more productive?”
But “What has God actually placed in front of me right now?”
In this post, we’ll look at five reasons your to do list might be working against you and what to do instead.
Because the goal isn't to do everything.
It's to do the right things with clarity, intention, and peace.
And if you want a simple way to start bringing your week to God before the list takes over, you can grab the
FREE Weekly Rhythm Reset HERE.
A practical starting point to help you pray, prioritise, and create a rhythm for your week before life starts deciding for you.
Like I said I'm still a fan, it's not the concept that's the problem, it's how most of us use it.
Here are five reasons yours might be working against you, and what to do instead.
1. It's Overwhelmingly Long
The never-ending list creates a particular kind of dread. The fix isn't a shorter list — it's a clearer one. Before the week starts, identify three to five things that would make this week a success. Those go at the top. Everything else is context, not commitment.
2. It Has No Flexibility
If you're carrying responsibility for other people — a household, a family, a team — life is spectacularly unpredictable. Build the buffer in intentionally. A list with margin feels completely different from one without it, even with the same total tasks.
3. It's Too Detailed
When every micro-task has its own line, you can't see the wood for the trees. Group similar tasks. Write the outcome you're working toward rather than every step to get there.
4. It Doesn't Reflect What You Actually Value
Look at your list — where is anything that actually matters to you? Time with God, time for yourself, the thing that fills you back up? These deserve a place as non-negotiables, not extras.
Your to-do list is a reflection of your priorities — whether you meant it to be or not.
5. It's Not Realistic
We plan optimistically, as if every hour is equal and nothing will take longer than expected. Be ruthlessly honest about capacity — what can you actually do today, with this energy, with these commitments already in place?
So, The Question Worth Asking Before You Write the List
Before I write the list, I bring it to God. What does this week actually need from me? What am I putting on this list because I feel I shoul, and what belongs there because it's genuinely mine to carry? That's what weekly planning with God actually looks like, in practice.
→ Get the FREE Reset starter Guide.
Bring your week to God before you plan it.
Pray.
Brain dump.
Identify your top 3.
It's not about doing everything. It's about doing the right things, and knowing what they are before the week decides for you.