This 100-year-old trick can help you be more productive. With the Anti-To-List, it's sure to work.
If you want to achieve great things, you have to work smarter, not harder. We've all heard this advice many times.
However. Every successful person knows that it's not the time that counts, but the result in their hands at the end of the day. Just because someone is working around the clock doesn't mean they are more productive.
There are a huge number of apps and techniques that are supposed to help us be more productive. They are designed to help us get more out of the time we have.
In the end, however, almost all methods are based on a to-do list. But what if there was a technique that would really make your productivity soar? Then you could throw that annoying to-do list out the window :)
"But without my checklist and cell phone, how will I know what to do?" I can hear you countering now.
There's a reason most of us are addicted to our to-do lists. Theoretically, they are supposed to help us get as much done as possible with a clear and chronological flow.
The only problem is that in stressful situations, the structured to-do list often turns into a real monster. Suddenly there are notes without order and you don't know what you meant by them anymore. This then leads to you having even more stress. That doesn't make you more productive - the opposite is the case.
Table of contents
Introduce the Anti-To-Do List
Ok granted, the Ivy Lee method I'm about to introduce you to is also something of a to-do list.
But: Instead of writing down every little thing you need to do in the future, this is about setting priorities.
The best thing about the method is that it only takes a few minutes, saving you a lot of time.
By the way, this technique is not a new invention. It has been around for more than 100 years. It was made really famous by Charles Schwab, who in 1918 was one of the richest men in the world and head of a large steel company.
"Show me a way to get more done in a short time," Schwab told Lee, who was a well-known management consultant specializing in increasing productivity. "Just give me 15 minutes with each of your managers," Lee said. No sooner said than done.
"Pay me with a check for the amount this method is worth to you," Lee demanded.
After three months, Ivy Lee was 280,000 euros richer. And the same method still works today.
How to become more productive
During the 15 minutes with each business person, Lee explained the 5-step method that anyone can use to be more productive.
- At the end of the working day, write down the 6 most important things you need to do tomorrow. There can be no more than 6 tasks.
- Go through the items and prioritize them. This is not about doing the tasks you like the most right away and postponing others, but ranking them in order of importance.
- When you start working the next day, focus exclusively on the first task. Work on it until the task is done, and only then take care of point 2.
- Continue your list from item 1 to item 6 in this manner. At the end of the day, move everything that is undone to a new list of 6 items for the next day.
- Repeat this process every single day.
And that's all there is to it. It's so easy when you don't get distracted.
4 reasons why the anti to-do list works
You may wonder how a technique that is supposed to make you more productive works that is 100 years old.
- The technique is simple
- The anti to do list forces you to make tough decisions
- It takes the starting hurdle in the morning - you know immediately where to start
- You focus on a single task
Our conclusion:
Try not to get distracted. Do one task at a time. Even though we are always told that we can multi-task, don't do it. Our brains can only focus on one task at a time.
If you do everything on the side, mistakes happen more often. This leads to stress, which in turn affects productivity. And the vicious circle begins.
To browse further:
* Advertising & affiliate links: Our website is financed by advertising and affiliate links. As a partner of linked stores (e.g. Amazon) we earn from qualified sales.
Read more