Make These Two Lists Everyday to Boost Productivity

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Do you ever sit down to write your daily to do’s and the list just goes on and on? It can be really discouraging. But, just because your list seems never ending, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible to finish all your tasks that day.

Ruth Carter, a lawyer I met in a virtual mastermind group for entrepreneurs called ShankMinds, was having just this problem.  So I suggested a creative solution to this problem.  I told her to make two list per day.  A before lunch list and an after lunch list.  

Now each morning she divides her page in two and splits her to do lists into things to do in the morning and things to do in the afternoon. She wrote about how much it helped her here. It may seem simple, but splitting your list into two can make your day seem much more manageable. Read more

These Excuses Are Keeping You From Getting More Done

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Let’s be honest.  We all hold ourselves back in some way or another.

When we start to fall into a bad habit, it’s so much easier to blame something or someone else than to get to the root of the problem. When it comes to poor productivity habits, I’ve heard all the excuses.

I’ve been over a few of them before, but there are so many I thought I’d go over a few that you might be telling yourself these days and help you get past them:

“I’d be more organized if I had more money”

This excuse differs from the others in the sense that it is – technically – true. If we all had the money to afford personal assistants of course we would be more organized!

But just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you have to give up on organization altogether. There are plenty of free apps to help you plan your day. If all else fails pen and paper is pretty cheap!

Fix: Stop focusing on what you don’t have and start thinking about what you do. Read more

What kind of List Maker are You?

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Since starting this blog and writing my book Listful Thinking — one of my favorite parts is meeting lots of people who love making lists. Even at my day job, working as a news producer, I encounter tons of fellow list makers who can’t wait to swap list tips!

Over time I’ve started to notice that list makers tend to fall into certain categories, all with their own styles of list making.

Check out the categories below to figure out what kind of a list maker you are:

Monkey List Maker

You might be this list maker if:

  1. You have a list for – literally – everything.
  2. All your lists have a place, like a notebook or in Evernote.
  3. You keep them in a certain order or they are color coded.

These list makers are just like me and for them lists are serious business! Monkey list makers are normally very organized, but they can fall into the trap of spending more time writing lists than crossing items off! To stop yourself from doing this make sure that every task has a deadline – even if it’s not urgent create a ‘fake’ deadline.

Monkeys are known for being very smart and efficient.  Though if you’re a monkey and you don’t set a deadline – you may never get around to doing that task. Read more

List For Writing A Book

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pencil-918449_640Since writing Listful Thinking I’ve spoken at several public events and book signings about my writing process. It’s come up at pretty much every event.  I suppose it’s because “write a book” is on so many people’s bucket lists.  People always want to hear my checklist for writing my book.

Well, first of all, you can’t just stick “write book” on your to-do lists along with “buy milk” and “pick up laundry.” That’s a sure way to know your off to a bad start. That’s because “write book” is way too big a feat for just one task on a to-do list.

But imagine you’ve set some time aside in your day and you’re determined to finally get your idea onto paper.

Now what?

Writing a book, like raising a child, is a case by case basis thing. What works for me might not work for you so feel free to adapt these tips based on what works for you. Read more

Four Boundaries Worth Setting Right Now

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private-20115_1280When it comes to list making and my general time management and organization I like rules.

I like things to be clear cut– black and white.

Rules save me time, because I’m not sitting there wondering whether to take the call, go to the meeting or have another glass of wine.  

I have a rule in place so it’s either happening or it isn’t.

I recently did an event for my book Listful Thinking with the National Association of Professional Organizers in New York City and a common theme struck a cord.  Boundaries.

I’m often asked about what I call my “rules” and I find that the idea tends to resonate with a lot of people, especially working mothers. Probably because these rules allow me to set these boundaries in both my personal and professional life.

It’s something a lot of people have trouble with. Read more