I stopped making to-do lists and got more done. Here’s why….

For several years I was obsessed with my to-do lists, which were colour-coded, prioritized, and absolutely huge! I honestly believed that if my to-do list was long and detailed, then I would be productive, but I was mistaken! My to-do list was actually a waste of time because I wasn’t using it as a tool to complete my daily tasks, but rather to make me feel as though I was being productive. Once I was able to figure this out after an entire week of burnout, it was quite clear to me that I was wasting 20-30 minutes each morning just playing with my to-do list (by either re-organizing, rewriting priorities, adding subtasks). This made me believe that I was being productive, but it really was just procrastination dressed up in a good way.

So I conducted an experiment! For two weeks I threw out my to-do list and instead would ask myself each day 1 question.

“What is the one thing you can do today that will make everything else easier or unnecessary?”

Before email, before anything…I did what I thought was most important first.

So what happened? I did fewer things each day, but the things I accomplished had more impact on my life than anything on my previous “task list.” My end-of-week review was no longer a graveyard of “task not completed” but rather an environment of real achievement. The “to-do” list is designed only to get you through completion. I now need a system that will give me maximum impact. I do not believe that lists on their own are not good for deep work or what I consider my high-value priorities. They belong to the noise of a task system.

I have changed my methodology, and, now, I use a single rule. One non-negotiable task each day, and 3 additional “supporting” tasks at the most. If the item does not fit on the “to-do” list, I will schedule it for another time or not at all.

What’s your relationship with your to-do list? Is it a tool or a comfort blanket?