Tag Archive for: list making

Famous Musician Loves Lists As Much As Us

Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows at EMC World...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Do you remember Counting Crows? I loved them, and I was super excited when they came to perform at my college years and years ago. So you can imagine my delight when I found out the lead singer, Adam Duritz, is a huge listmaker.

In an interview with USA Today he said,

I have to have lists. I have lists in my phone, lists for all kinds of stuff. Lists of movies I want to see, lists of books I want to read. And I have a list of things I need to pack on a tour.”

Adam’s packing method involves one master list which he deletes items from as he packs them.  The article notes that lists are an essential part of Adam’s life, as he says, “I’ll walk out there barefoot and in my underwear if I’m not careful. But I have the list, so I don’t do that.”

Smart man!  Who is your favorite celebrity list maker?

The Most Productive 15 Minutes of Your Work Day

How-to-Never-Feel-Stressed-at-Work-Again-722x406For those of you who work a typical 9 to 5 job, looking at the clock and seeing it’s 4:45pm can be quite a relief. Only a quarter of an hour and you’re out of there!  Yay!

For others it can be quite stressful – only 15 minutes to get everything done!

But would you believe the way you spend those final 15 minutes could completely change what happens the next day?

Every day, when I’m nearly finished with work I create a “roadmap” for the following day.  I’ve stolen the idea from my time as a live news producer.  We always have a rundown to keep us on track during a live show.  Your work day should run the same way. Read more

Checklist to Finish What You Started

finishI have loads of advice about how to get started with a big project on this blog. But what about finishing a task? Most people assume that when you’re in that final stretch it will all fall into place. However, sometimes finishing can be just as difficult! Especially if you’ve put all your motivation into getting started.

Here’s a checklist to help you finish what you started!

1. Stop asking for advice – My friend Terri wrote about this recently, she calls it an addiction to advice. When you’re addicted you become so wrapped up in getting all the best possible advice from the best people that you never get around to actually doing it. Sometimes you just have to get on with it! Plus once your project has started to take shape you will find yourself getting more specific feedback. Read more

Listful Thinking Wisdom on the Inspired Conversations Podcast

54602Recently I chatted with Amy on Inspired Conversations with Amy Schuber. Amy’s show is dedicated to interviewing today’s most influential thought leaders, and people she believes are making a difference through their impactful work.

So I was very glad to be invited onto her show. We talked about my book, Listful Thinking, and I gave her some advice on how to make lists work for any situation. She told me a little bit about her own lists, and how she likes to categorize them.

I also share some of my top tips like always writing a list the night before and the importance of finding your own productivity style. It’s a half -hour podcast so it’s perfect to listen to on your commute!

 

Tricks To Remember Something Before You Forget It

remember-1-1210334-mYou are only as good as your list. So if your list is missing a few items, you’re in trouble!

Lists are there to jog your memory, so how can you remember something if you didn’t write it down? Sometimes we can be talking to friends and then we have an “Aha” moment, and we remember a task we’ve forgotten. Often it’s completely unrelated to the topic being discussed.

Below are some tips to help you have more “aha” moments!

Put Up Post-It Notes – Is there a task you’re supposed to do regularly, but still manage to forget? Stick a Post-It note in places you often see but won’t ignore.  Make it a place that is kind of in your way so you don’t just overlook it.  Sure the bathroom mirror is a fine place but you might just use the other side of the mirror.  Instead put it on a door handle or  in the cutlery draw so you have to physically move it to use that item. Plus the bonus is the more you remind yourself the harder it is to avoid that task. Read more