7 Benefits of a Rockstar ToDo List

The most productive people in the world use ToDo lists.  Just like the way that holy people read the Bible and great athletes spend thousands of hours in the gym, knowledge workers perfect their use of ToDo lists.  Just see how Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps prepares for each and every race.  Simply amazing and utterly routinized. 

Every day.  Habits that pay off big time.

Seriously, everyday for productive people gets filled with some version (sometimes very simple) of a ToDo list.

Whether you’re a paper lover or a gadget geek (I’m both!), your ToDo list manager probably needs a checkup as Summer approaches. The value of comprehensive ToDo list is vast. Here are 7 benefits:

1. A ToDo list empties your head.
2. A ToDo list lets your fill your day with important tasks.
3. A ToDo list gives you confidence that you can get things done.
4. A ToDo list lets you focus in short bursts of time.
5. A ToDo list gives you permission to be fully present to those you love.
6. A ToDo list can be short or long.
7. A ToDo list conveys organization to those around you.

For follow up, spend some time with your ToDo list.  Get to know it once again if it's been a while  If you need to modify, change or (be honest...) find a ToDo list, that's ok.  Give yourself permission to fall in love with your ToDo list once and for all.

Rockstar status could be just around the corner...

9 Reasons why Mornings Set Your Day up for Success

Mornings are amazing.   

A few weeks ago my kids and I decided to camp out in our back yard in the tent.  

• Ghost stories- check.  
• Shadow figures on the tent walls- check.
• Book reading- check.

And so it went.  Just like your typical summer scene and it was great.  And then came the morning.  We didn't wake up. Rather, we were woken up by a literal gang of birds and related animals.  They were so loud that we just had to get up and get going with the day. 

While your day may not begin in a tent, it does have a gift called morning that can set your entire day up for success.   Erik Fisher from Beyond the Todo List podcast always asks his guests, "In an ideal world, how would you start your day?"  There's a lot of wisdom there since the morning is like the springboard to the rest of your day.

Use your morning well and things will go smoothly.

I think that mornings are critical in that they make the following possible:

1. Mornings allow for less resistance on your most important projects.
2. Mornings are the time when you have the most will power.
3. Mornings enable your senses to be most alert (e.g. the birds waking us up in the tent!).
4. Mornings have intrinsic beauty (e.g. dew on grass, sun on leaves, breeze in the air).
5. Mornings allow you to connect with other high-achievers.  Stop by Twitter at some point in the morning and you'll find Craig Jarrow, Gene Monterastelli, Fr. James Martin, John Saddington, Andy Traub and others who are trying to get a jump start on the day.  (It's like going to the gym except you don't sweat.)
6. Mornings help you appreciate quiet time more than any other part of the day (except maybe the dead of night).
7. Mornings help you appreciate your family members better; their faces are more clear in the morning and you have the chance to see their first hour of the day; if you have an infant you know how special it is to be with them the very first time they wake up… simply amazing!
8. Mornings enable you to get into work before others.
9. Mornings allow you to avoid some of the eventual noise that the day will bring.   

If you are a morning person then this post has already resonated.  If you aren't, then I challenge/invite you to try using your mornings more wisely for at least a week.  See how they work.  Find out if they make a difference in your day.  

Mornings don't come naturally to me.  If I stay up late the night before, they aren't nearly as effective as when I turn in at 10pm. The key is that I keep trying and making progress in my mornings so that the rest of the day is as maximized as possible. 

How do you begin your day? 

*photo courtesy of FDP 

Reclaim Your Productivity Rituals

This week, I'm aiming to reclaim some key rituals that I've missed from
my schedule. The result has been a feeling of living "by the seat of my
pants" and I've been fatigued and frustrated.  Little things start to
fall through the cracks and details get missed.  This week, I'll focus
in particular on the bookends of my day- mornings and evenings.

Here are some helpful articles that may help you to reclaim pockets of productivity in a daily schedule:

8 Rituals to Crank Up Your Productivity

Workplace Rituals Enhance Productivity

The Power of Ritual: Conquer Procrastination, Time Wasters and Laziness

Create a Morning Writing Ritual

For Students: Follow a Sunday Ritual




Photo by h.koppdelaney