Forget to-do lists! Bill Gates and Elon Musk swear by this productivity method
Jay Shetty was a monk-turned-life coach – as such he is a bestselling author, social media star and podcast maker. Thousands of people come to his live shows. And: Shetty doesn’t like to-do lists.
Contents
- 1 Successful people don’t use to-do lists
- 2 Task completed after time window expires
- 3 Evaluate and improve task management
- 4 Timeboxing: Complete the task in the scheduled time
- 5 Timeboxing as the most useful productivity hack
- 6 Alternative to the to-do list: The “Done” list
- 7 Not-to-do list: The “art of not giving a shit”
Successful people don’t use to-do lists
The coach is not alone in this. “Most successful and productive people don’t use to-do lists at all. They organize their tasks based on schedules,” Shetty said on a recent episode of his podcast On Purpose.
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Instead of to-do lists, Shetty recommends so-called timeboxing. With this time management method, you write your tasks like on a calendar – and give them a specific time frame for completion.
On Monday, around 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., it could be the turn to deal with the e-mails that have accumulated over the weekend and on Monday morning. In this hour only this one task is completed.
After the specified time window has expired, in this case one hour, the task should be completed. If this is not the case, you assign it another timebox.
It is important not to allow yourself to be distracted during this time, for example by incoming calls or social media activities. Experience has shown that work is usually completed within the suggested time.
It is best to evaluate regularly at the beginning whether the planned time was sufficient for the respective task. Over time, the set time frames are more and more appropriate.
For example, Shetty organizes all his tasks for the respective week in such timeboxes. Unlike to-do lists, the focus is not on getting things done, but on setting aside a certain amount of time for the task—and using it.
This should ensure that you don’t sit too long on a task. Another advantage of timeboxing compared to the to-do list: Instead of endless tasks that can kill you, the working day is precisely timed.
The timeboxing method uses a simple trick. People usually complete tasks in the time allotted. Without a time frame, the work usually takes longer.
Parkinson’s law states just that: “work expands in proportion to the time available for its completion”. This means that if we take more time for a task, it will take longer to complete it.
“I just open my calendar every day and see what I have to do next,” quotes CNBC Shatty. “I don’t have to think about what’s next.”
In a ranking of the 100 most useful productivity hacks by tech firm Filtered, timeboxing comes out on top. With the method, one is less stressed and can look forward to a lot of success, according to Filtered.
Bill Gates and Elon Musk are also among those who use timeboxing as a method to be more productive.
Another alternative to the to-do list is a “done” list, which psychologist and author Rachel Turow recommends. This is where you write all the things you have done. These could be so small, for example, to take the vitamins.
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Instead of looking at an endless list of tasks, a “done” list makes you feel like you’re checking off a task and celebrating what’s already been accomplished.
The not-to-do list can serve more as a supplement to the to-do list. t3n colleague Andreas Weck has dealt with the “art of not giving a shit”. Here he explains what the not-to-do list can do and gives examples of what goes on it.
