5 Ways We Mess Up the Most Important Productivity Principle
No matter how old I get, there is something about the back to school season that makes me want to sharpen pencils, get a new [...]
10 Reasons Why I Love Evernote
When it comes to productivity, there is nothing more important than a TO DO list. It is the foundation of how we spend our time. And without it, the potential for dropping balls and being overwhelmed is too great. I am pretty picky when it comes to my TO DO list. I’ve tried many different systems over the years. Here's why I like Evernote best of all.
5 Ways to Fall in Love with Your To Do List Again
If you are like many people, you love your To Do list. Research shows nearly two-thirds of professionals rely on their lists but if you're not crossing things off the way you once used to, your romance may be slightly tarnished. There are five critical ingredients to help you fall in love with your To Do list once again...
3 Reasons Why We Need the Mother of All Lists
Canadians are great at so many things. We invented the zipper, we dominate in hockey and we make a pretty mean snowball. And I am [...]
Confessions of an Organizing Junkie
While I was packing away some of my winter gear I noticed a stack of neglected files in my front hall closet. Deep down, I [...]
Kids Write the Funniest To Do Lists
Productivity is not for the faint of heart. It requires discipline and hard work. But it’s all for a good reason. Our driving motivation boils [...]
How to Create the Perfect To Do List
The To Do List Backlash At a recent productivity workshop, I was telling everyone that the root of any good productivity system comes down to [...]
The Checklist: If it’s good enough for Van Halen, it’s good enough for me
I love when lessons are wrapped up in good stories, like in the book The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. One story described Van Halen’s concert contracts. These contracts clearly request a bowl of M&M’s “with all the brown candies removed, upon pain of forfeiture of the show, with full compensation to the band”. The story goes on to say that Van Halen actually followed through on this clause at least once. My first reaction to this was: “Wow – another example of a ridiculous rock star request”. But my reaction changed as I read more …
Partnering with your Assistant
One of the biggest benefits of working with an assistant is they can push us to plan ahead. What is the plan for today? Who do we need to follow-up with? What do we need to start working on? Yet many people struggle with how to partner with their assistant most effectively. Here are some more detailed suggestions.
Writing Things Down
Urban legend often speaks of a Harvard Business School study where a mere 3% of students wrote down their goals. Interestingly, ten years later, these [...]