The 2 lists method: the secret to superhuman productivity, 35 hard truths and more
4 new ideas on better living
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I’m Thomas. My goal is to help you master the best of what great thinkers, top performers, psychologists, philosophers and behavioural scientists have already figured out. All courses and books at Perennial Learner.
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Now onto today’s post.
The 2 Lists Method: The Secret to Superhuman Productivity
How much work can you really get done in a single day?
A to-do list is an invaluable productivity tool.
“I’ve always made lists of things I want to achieve — it helps me track my progress. But to-do lists are only useful if you do the things on your list,” Richard Branson once said.
Todo lists are a form of note-taking that require you to focus your mind and plan ahead. They come in very handy when you don’t have a lot of time to get something done but nonetheless need to get it done.
It helps you stay on top of your workload, organize your day and plan ahead.
But let’s face it, creating a to-do list can be kind of a drag.
Plus, the list keeps growing and gets longer than necessary; in the end, we get overwhelmed and stressed about too many things undone.
A single to-do list perpetuates the feeling of unfinished work.
Whether you’re a student, a parent, or a professional, everyone has a million things going on all the time. We don’t always have time for all of them.
So many things on a single list, so little time!
Luckily, there is a better way to use a to-do list to get more done without the distress and the overwhelming feeling that you are unproductive.
Believe it or not, a to-do list can make you more productive if you use it right.
Create a “master” and “daily” to-do lists
If you are feeling sluggish, unproductive and carrying around a bunch of tasks, start using 2 to-do lists: a “master to-do list” and a “daily to-do list”.
Allow me to explain.
Many of us have become overburdened with our daily tasks: what if you have a master list for everything you WANT to do and a daily list for what you NEED to do in a single day.
“Subtracting from your list of priorities is as important as adding to it,” says Frank Sonnenberg.
You will never have time for everything; no matter how productive or efficient you are, you will have a growing list of tasks.
So, instead of maintaining a single to-do list, start a new daily to-do list.
Here’s how you can put the 2 lists method to work:
Move at most 5 things you HAVE or NEED to get done in a single workday to the daily list and focus on checking those off for the day: nothing more.
You can always add more to the daily list once they’ve been done.
The tasks on your daily list are the only thing that deserves your focus for the day — they are your high-priority or daily highlights.
Get them done and end the day with a blank daily to-do list.
At the end of your workday, you can add more to your master list of things to do but, most importantly, identify what you want to achieve the next day and move them to the daily list.
The key to being more productive isn’t necessarily getting less overwhelmed but rather creating a system for managing your tasks.
When you separate your tasks, you’ll be able to manage your time better, stay organized and get more done with less stress.
The key is to plan ahead and define your high-priority tasks for the next day.
“Make a rule for yourself to never do anything that isn’t on your list. If a new task or project comes up, write it down on your list and set a priority for it before you start work on it,” says Brain Tracy.
Being productive is hard. But, it doesn’t have to be.
You don’t have to scramble to get unimportant things done when you have a list of your most important tasks for the day.
Managing a busy work schedule and a never-ending list of tasks is challenging for almost every modern worker.
It’s hard to find time for everything, from juggling personal and professional commitments to staying on top of everything and everything.
Try the 2 to-do lists method.
It’s an easier way to keep track of everything going on in your life.
It helps you prioritise tasks that matter most, keeps you focused, saves you time and filters out the noise to get better work done; instead of reacting to urgent but unimportant demands on your time.
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4 Ideas on Better Living
Oliver Burkeman (author of 4000 Weeks) on getting things done
“The problem with trying to make time for everything that feels important—or just for enough of what feels important—is that you definitely never will. The reason isn’t that you haven’t yet discovered the right time management tricks or supplied sufficient effort, or that you need to start getting up earlier, or that you’re generally useless. It’s that the underlying assumption is unwarranted: there’s no reason to believe you’ll ever feel ‘on top of things,’ or make time for everything that matters, simply by getting more done.”
Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Big Magic) on the secret to time management
“You should know by this point in your life what time of day you’re ‘good' — like what time of day is your brain at its best. Because the reality is we all get, maybe, two good hours a day where we actually feel awake and alert.
“And the big, important question is: Who currently gets that time from you. The best time from your brain every day—who or what currently gets that? And would you be willing to take it back so that it’s yours and then give the world the ‘second-rate' version of you (which is the other 22 hours of the day)…”
Mihir Patel on growth without goals
“Expectations lead to disappointments. Don't expect. Trust the process. The means and the end are the same. When the process itself is the goal, magical things happen. Growth without goals is the ultimate goal. Have a life don’t have a career! Goals have an endpoint. System and process don’t. Growth or progress which is structured and habitual, but adaptable and not pre-determined through the setting of rigid long-term goals. Scores and achievements are traps! Let the process take care of itself.”
Emily Dela Cruz on a question worth asking
Consider this: ‘Is this worth your energy?’ It’s my go-to question for pulling myself and others out of spiral states, especially during a gripe or worry session. This simple inquiry usually prompts myself and others to pause and reflect on what truly matters.
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Thanks for reading!
Until next week,
Thomas
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