My Love/Hate Relationship with Tim Ferriss

/4 Comments/in , , /by

Timothy_FerrissTim Ferriss is considered to be one of the leading experts in productivity right now. His book ‘The Four Hour Workweek’ is immensely popular and I would recommend reading it.  I mean – who wouldn’t want a four hour workweek?

When I tell people I write this blog or about my book Listful Thinking —  they will often ask me what I think of him. While I often smile and tell people he’s great….the truth is, I have a sort of love/hate relationship with Tim Ferriss.

What I ‘Love’ About Tim Ferriss

There’s nothing wrong with him, in fact I agree with him on most things. These are just a few examples:

Go right to the source – Tim believes that if you want the best and most accurate information you should head to the best source. It’s how he made his decision for voting in the presidential election and I completely agree.  He asked people in the know what they thought about each candidate and decided from there.  No suffering from analysis paralysis for him.   Read more

News Anchor Tamsen Fadal Lives by Lists

/2 Comments/in , /by

Tamsen-1002Like me Tamsen Fadal works in the news business, so she knows the importance of a good list. She currently co-anchors the PIX11 News at 5, 6 and 10 in New York City. I used to work at PIX11 too, as a copyeditor/producer for the News at 10.

It’s always good to catch up with people there.  So I was excited to hear that Tamsen just released a new book called, “The New Single.”  And guess what she talks about in it?

Her love of list making!  So I asked her a few more questions about how she does it all.

Why do you call yourself a compulsive list producer?

There is no question about it. In fact, this interview was part of my Monday To Do List to make sure that I got it done. I love having a plan in place. It keeps me organized, efficient and it allows me to focus on the task at hand versus trying to do 10 different things and not accomplish any of them.

What do you make lists about?

I make lists about anything and everything.

  • Tasks I need to do.
  • Websites and apps I want to check out.
  • Foods I want to incorporate in my diet.
  • My workouts.
  • Long term goals and short term goals.
  • Pros and cons of a topic.

Read more

Meeting “Listful Thinkers” at Book Expo America

/2 Comments/in , , /by

BEA1Sometimes it’s important to look back in order to move ahead.  That happened to me last week when I attended my fourth Book Expo America conference.  I go every year for my day job as a senior health producer at Fox News.  I meet with publishers to talk about their new health, wellness and medical books that are coming out in the next year.

But this year I also attended as an author.  What a thrill!  I met with some list makers during two signings that my publisher set up.  One woman took out her huge binder to show me all her lists.  I couldn’t believe that she lugged it around with her everywhere, but she said she wouldn’t think of writing lists anywhere else.   Read more

3 Secrets To Skyrocketing Your Revenue

/1 Comment/in , , , , , /by

Time and money.  Those are the two things we all want more of in our lives.

I started this blog to help people get back their precious time.  Showing you how to do more in less time and get back to the stuff you really love doing – like hanging out with your family and going on vacation – has really been a privilege.

But how about making more money?

This is something I want to know about too!  I’ve become a sort of accidental entrepreneur with my book Listful Thinking being released.  I never realized that writing a book is like having a little business.  Now that I’ve gotten the entrepreneurial bug – I’m hooked and I’m excited to grow ListProducer.com into even more! Read more

The Unusual Hobbies of Successful People

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Sir_Richard_Branson_photo_by_Priory_StudiosSome people think you have to give up your hobbies to be productive – but that’s not the case. In fact, hobbies can help become even more productive, as I’ve written about before.

Did you know that many successful people have a hobby of some kind? I have a whole pinboard dedicated to celebrities who enjoy list making just like me. Other celebrities have some more unusual hobbies, here are some of my favorites:

Meryl Streep – She’s known for playing a wide variety of characters, but at home Meryl likes things a little more mundane. Rather than going out to fancy parties, she prefers to stay at home and knit. In an interview with The Record she explained – “I live a very unspectacular life. I love to sit on my chair in the living room and knit. Or I cook or read a book. I’m a very frugal person.” Knitting can be a very repetitive task, but that gives your mind a chance to wander and be more creative.

Stanley Kubrik – I’m always on the lookout for a good note pad, which is something Stanley and I have in common. Those who were closest to him often mentioned his love of stationery. He once apparently bought 100 bottles of brown ink because he heard they where going to discontinue the line. Collectors are often very organized people, they also understand the importance of research.

Sir Richard Branson – This famous entrepreneur is an avid list maker just like me. Many entrepreneurs like to unwind through exercise, but for most this is normally with a round of golf. Branson prefers a little more adventure and is often spotted kite-surfing. He enjoys it so much he has broken a couple of world records. Branson is the oldest person to kite-surf across the English channel in fact. Also in 2013, he organized the largest parade of kite-surfers to complete a one-mile course. Sports are a great hobby for keeping you healthy and helping you to understand the importance of perseverance.

What are some of your hobbies?