Stop Letting Your List Make You Feel Guilty

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Over the years I’ve spoken to a wide variety of people about their lists, some who always cross every item off their lists and some struggling to make lists at all. But there is one thing we all seem to have in common when it comes to lists – guilt over not getting it all done.

Even when it’s a small item I haven’t crossed off my list I feel compelled to find some reason why. I couldn’t get milk because I left a meeting late or I didn’t go for a run because it was too cold this morning.

The excuses we make always find something else other than ourselves at fault.

It’s not because we are necessarily trying to shift the blame, but because our brains like stories. We understand concepts and ideas better when they are presented in narrative form. So when we miss an item on our list we want to have a ‘story’ as to why it’s still there.

These stories can sometimes have positive effects on our lives, just by believing you’re a more lucky or more confident person you can make it so. But the stories we tell ourselves can also hold us back. We might avoid trying something new or taking on a difficult challenge because we believe we aren’t good enough or smart enough.

Once you release that it’s mostly in your head you can start to break out of these negative behaviour patterns. Read more

New Way of Making Lists That Entrepreneurs Will Love

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Three months ago I took the plunge, I quit my day job and started working for myself full time media training and coaching experts, authors and entrepreneurs and producing videos and podcasts with them. I’ve had a  great time since I left Fox News — I spoke at the PRSA Tri-State Conference for PR professionals, been interviewed by Peter Shankman about listmaking and started a radio show (more on that later!)

But since I’ve made the crossover to becoming self employed, I’ve had to make a few adjustments. My productivity style that had worked so well for me before just wasn’t quite fitting in with my new lifestyle.

The key to productivity is all about finding what works for you, and as our lives change, so must our lists! Read more

Holiday Lists to Make Right Now to Keep Your Sanity

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When it comes to preparing for the holidays I’m a firm believer that it’s never too early to start. Usually I start in August. This year though, I’ve been feeling more disorganized than usual. I’ve realized that when I was working at Fox News  I had settled into a pretty good routine. Now that I’m out on my own I’ve been struggling to find that balance again. When you work a job with a set finish time it’s much easier to check out mentally and compartmentalize your tasks.  As I get my footing as an entrepreneur it’s not as easy because I find myself doing everything all the time!

Luckily for me there’s still time to get organized – all I need is a list. If you’re in the same boat as me it’s fine, but we need to get started. Here’s a list of all the things to consider before the end of the year:

Presents Lists – This is the most obvious list to start with and maybe the one that requires the most thought. This year I’m taking a more essentialist approach to gifts. Instead of going overboard I’m thinking about what the people I care about could really use this year. In the new Bad Mom’s Christmas movie Mila Kunis’s character jokes how she’s bought so many unnecessary presents this year, going so far as to buy her barista a scented candle. We laugh – but who hasn’t gone overboard on gift shopping at least once? Look over your list and have a good think about who really belongs there! I like to keep ideas in my Evernote notebook throughout the year for times just like this when I can’t think of what to get. In that folder I keep ideas that I’ve found and notes on what people have told me through the year that they would like or need. Read more

Checkli Helps You Discover a World of Lists

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I can be a bit of a list-making purest, I still handwrite lots of my lists in a notebook. But I also love using apps and technology to be more productive. I found a new list-making app that I’m really into these days. It’s called  Checkli.

Checkli allows you to make lists and share them with friends, family and the public at large. It’s design is pretty simple and easy to use. You can alter the settings for every list you post, so you can keep your personal lists to yourself.

The main draw of Checkli, for me, is just how many checklists it has built in already. The search function is also very good so you can easily find more niche lists. So you can find lists like “Pre-Wedding Beauty Prep” for instance. Ok so that isn’t a list you’d need everyday but when you do need it you want all the information you can.

Here are some of the interesting and unusual lists you can find on Checkli:

  • The World’s Coolest Airports – Finland, The Maldives & Singapore all make the list!
  • Aesthetic Poetry Books
  • Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy – deli meats, soft cheese and raw sprouts are all no-nos.
  • Fall/Winter Clean-Eating Shopping Lists
  • Self-Care Practices to Explore – including some of my favorites like daily affirmations and gratitude journaling.

There is also a pro version of Checkli for businesses or individuals who want to use the app to promote themselves. A dog grooming company for example, might have some great puppy related checklists, Checkli pro allows them to add some branding to all the lists they make and expand their client base!

Checkli is a relatively new app so I’m excited to see what the future holds for it. If you download the app make sure to add me and let me know what you think!

Talking Lists With Peter Shankman

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Anyone who’s a follower of productivity and organizational tools knows that the productivity world has it’s own celebrities, like Marie Kondo and Julie Morgenstern (who wrote the foreword for my book Listful Thinking btw). The entrepreneurial world is not that different, there are the big hitters like Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey. There are a select few that are known in both worlds and overlap! One of whom is Peter Shankman.

I’ve written about Peter before on the blog  on how to be productive when you have ADHD, which is a personal issue that he has overcome. I quickly discovered that many of the tools he suggest are similar to some of my classic productivity tips. They’re just extra effective for people with ADHD.

As a a public relations and marketing expert Peter has also been an inspiration to me as an entrepreneur.  It’s why I joined his online mastermind group Shankminds, which has been especially helpful since I left my day job as a TV producer to branch out on my own.

He recently wrote a book called “Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain,” and I’m quoted in it! Yay!

Check out this on-camera interview Peter and I did together talking about lists and his new book!

In the video I discuss:

  • How to use lists to stay organized
  • Finding what works for you so you can stay productive