1/ To-do’s, time-boxing, ABCDE, Pomodoro, Sprints, Etc. Etc. Etc. It seems like there are as many ways to “Get Things Done” as there are “Things to Get Done.” I’m burned out. It’s been refreshing to keep a simple system for once. Reminders and a Calendar. A thread. 👇🧵
2/ I’m not knocking these other systems. I just think that I can sometimes go too far with optimizing my productivity versus actually being productive.
3/ One small example that I got sucked in to a few years back was a statement along the lines of “The most successful people don’t use to-do lists”
4/ Then, inevitably, an article tied to that statement would go on to articulate how Bill Gates or Richard Branson, or “Some Other Executive” would NEVER use a to-do list. “Can you imagine?” “How utterly quaint and pedestrian.”
5/ The connotation is that if you want to have success like these people, you need to manage your day like they do! Boom! Success! You know what? So, I abandoned to-do apps for a while. Then I realized…
6/ I’m not any of those people and that’s okay. I have a full-time job, a family, a number of conflicting commitments, people making demands on my time, and a set number of productive hours in any given day.
7/ What I also DO NOT have is a personal assistant, administrative assistant, or a staff. The Executive MAY not use a to-do list, but I’m willing to bet that someone in that Executive’s staff IS. They just pre-filter it and let the Exec know what’s up.
8/ Me? I’ve got Apple Reminders with a little filtering and it lets me know what I should be doing. With a little planning ahead and light prioritizing, it works surprisingly well for me. And it alleviates the stress of not feeling in control.
9/ Now, my pomodoro is telling me it’s time to end this thread. I’ll take a 5 minute snack break and see what exciting new projects my next time-box has in store for me.