Ditch Your To-Do List and Do This Instead | Sam Corcos | The Tim Ferriss Show

Brought to you by AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement drinkag1.com/tim and Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business shopify.com/tim
Resources from this episode: tim.blog/2023/09/20/sam-corcos/
Sam Corcos is the CEO and Co-founder of Levels, an a16z-backed startup that shows you how food affects your health using continuous glucose monitors and other biosensors.
Levels: levelshealth.com/
Levels on KZbin: / levelshealth
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 900 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running.
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[@timferriss]

Brought to you by AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement drinkag1.com/tim and Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business shopify.com/tim

[@aaroncayc]

TIm I'm grateful to you for sharing this insightful clip but is there a way to to become productive by creating a focus zone in our mind on will [or on damand]?

[@angellight9500]

It's not just time. It's energy. Not all hours are equal because some hours you're very alert and some you're tired and get less done in that time slot.

[@leoceoliveira]

Exactly

[@kylasworldview1]

Damn straight! What about those of us healing from various traumas?

[@mikefromflorida8357]

Absolutely.

[@charliesakul2185]

There’s a good app called Rise that tells you when you’re energy will be peaking and dipping throughout the day. It’s a bit expensive though but it’s been pretty useful for me

[@tammyjoma]

I completely agree. It reminds me of the great book, 'The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal', by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.

[@tomcotter4299]

"The calendar is the to-do list." That's a very interesting point. It makes me think of how, when I was in college, I never felt particularly stressed about getting all of my work done, even though I didn't have an elaborate time-management system in place. However, once I entered the workforce, I began to feel much more stressed about getting all of my work done, even though it's not a particularly large amount of work. I always chalked this difference up to the fact that the stakes are higher in the workplace than they are in the classroom. If I forget to do an assignment, I get an average grade. If I forget to do my work, I get fired. Now, after listening to this, I think it was relatively easy to manage my school assignments because I simply followed the syllabus for each class--the calendar was the to-do list. The syllabus lists every assignment for the class and when each is due, and I had a pretty good sense of how long it would take me to read a chapter of the textbook or solve a problem set or write a paper. So I never needed a time-management system for school because I could just look at the syllabus, see when a task needed to be done by, estimate how long it would take, and block off some time to do it in my mind. Great insight!

[@jnyfknblz]

Schedule it..

[@andrewwagner5488]

Well said!

[@Thregh]

Yes, for me the same. School was in that sense easy. Clear expectations and a result of how good it went, from the exam. In work life, it’s much more unclear on how you are evaluated and the schedule for the activities.

[@WeaselWorks]

Whoa, great insight there! Great application of theory/method.

[@MTheory333]

I can’t imagine living a life where everyday is scheduled and structured like this. Why this endless chase for being the most productive person in the world. I love you Tim. I’ve been around since you wrote 4 hour work week but after waking up one morning losing my vision in one eye the way you see the world changes (ha see what I did there) I’m still about 75% blind in one eye and it makes my day to day life very difficult but I’ve never been at more peace than I am now. I don’t care about politics, religion, sports, pop culture, television, and really society as a whole and it’s unbelievably liberating. Again, no disrespect towards Tim and his guests but people jump off the rat wheel. Being more busy, and having more money won’t make your life more fulfilling. Your time and peace are the only thing of true value. Please don’t wait for life to teach you this the hard lesson such as it did me. Slow down and enjoy the ride. The ride is short.

[@OpenlyBritish]

What has caused your blindness?

[@vaxrvaxr]

Thank you. You're a voice of sanity.

[@sxsxpl]

Having a structure and wanting to be more productive with tools does not mean being on rat wheel or having not fulfilling life. Often it gives more freedom and joy. If it gives more stress for someone, then something is wrong in other place or these are not solutions for the particular case.

[@sdenniscrosby]

It takes a lot of good people working really hard all the time to provide a decent life for those who aren’t able to provide for themselves.

[@dabbyfps]

I got ADHD bro, if I dont structure my day like this I wont do anything that I really want to, even not work related things.

[@Levi_Allen]

Love this approach. It is shocking how wrong I can be with ADHD about how long things will take

[@marykeraemostert9401]

Relatable! I always feel the need to organise my life but then get lost in the organising process.

[@TedNemeth]

Levi Allen! I’m a huge fan. I’m a videographer / KZbin channel / filmmaker. Funny seeing you here. Loved ur new doc.

[@lorenbryand]

Same

[@Beccanator007]

I so have adhd. ;) I had to actually use a timer and track how long it takes to do annoying tasks and busy-body things- like work-related, business and admin- and then realized a lot of things were not as daunting as I thought- (unless I procrastinate until there’s a billion of them) but then when it comes to creative projects in the kitchen/garden or with organizing my closet or whatever- I have to set time limits* because I’ll get into hyper focus and just lose 3 hours. Gah! When it came to getting somewhere, my estimate was always about 50% less than it actually took. It wasn’t easy at first but I learned to double what I thought it would be and say that- to my surprise people found it completely reasonable! lol it’s really a thing- I hope this helps you find the way to figure out yours

[@chrishoppe2714]

same! just stared doing this and it helps so much

[@yellowsun7241]

Absolutely, the idea of "The calendar is the to-do list" is more effective for those with static schedules. For those involved in a dynamic environment with frequent changes, impromptu calls, and shifting priorities, to-do apps with integrated calendars are invaluable. They offer the flexibility to adjust tasks based on the ever-changing nature of meetings, ensuring tasks are not overshadowed by unpredictable schedules.

[@deltastarlight5111]

Do you have some suggestion of todoapps with integrated calendars that are good?

[@grootjebbink]

I like Todoist for that

[@NewenF]

I agree with @grootjebbink. Todoist is great@@deltastarlight5111

[@strandedinseattle9931]

Time blocking just doesn't work for me for this very reason, it's not flexible. To-Do lists work because I can already estimate in my head how long it may take and do things in order of importance without needing to mark somewhere that from 10:15-11:45 next month I will need to time block a task. With my ever changing schedule, I have no idea if I even have time for that task next month.

[@Pedro_Israel]

I totally agree with this. It dependes on the nature of your work. It's a super idea for some roles.

[@wagenna]

I have borderline personality disorder and simply using my calender as my to do list has decreased my anxiety levels so much. I have been doing this for half a year now and it is incredibly helpful and made me become way more productive while also dropping fewer balls. Great interview!

[@silvermediastudio]

"Personality disorder" is made up for 99% of the people diagnosed with it, to sell drugs and ongoing treatments that do nothing. Anxiety is the manifestation of your underdeveloped skills to deal with even the slightest challenges in modern life. It's a ready-made and packaged excuse. It's a combination of energy that you haven't created outlets for (like sports or other physically demanding activities), possibly poor diet and sleep, and a lack of activities that challenge you mentally in a relatively safe environment, such that your brain is able to fail and learn and grow to be a stronger, more resilient, self-reliant person.

[@user-dp1ri9kc6d]

This approach encourages the approach of being in motion... rather than taking action. Following what he describes may cause users to spend more time planning than actually getting the task done. I use a similar approach but not to the degree of putting everything in my calendar. MS Quick Steps is your friend. "Triage" your inbox and only perform the following actions. 1. Do it now (reply now) 2. Do later (Urgent) 3. Do later 4.Archive/Delete This quickly clears your triage inbox allowing you the time to then work on the Urgent (do it later) and other (do it later). If deem necessary you can schedule time in calendar with specific emails. The other thing we should consider (depending on job role) is our work day schedule should not be determined by what and how many emails we get. I usually start the day with initiatives I have and actions I need to take before looking at what others need from me. Each to their own...

[@dus10dnd]

Tim, you are at your best when you're being your natural self. I love it. Great job working through this with Sam!

[@rebecademiguel1995]

For years I’ve complained that to do lists don’t take time into account and are therefore very misleading if used to measure actual workload. This approach solves the issue in an understandable, easy to implement manner. All you need is consistency and, as it’s the case with habit forming, a few weeks of conscious changes. I’m doing it!

[@TheCloudFoot]

I like to mix them... create a list at first, then add the time to the items, then every 2 weeks (a "sprint") I drag items I want to do into place where I can do them. Feels great to check these items off in a timely manner instead of just having a never-ending, never-moving list!

[@mukeshdhakal7667]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🗓️ Replace your long to-do list with scheduled calendar tasks. 00:28 🕒 Use your finite time wisely; your calendar is the real constraint. 01:38 🗓️ Aim for about 50% open space in your daily schedule. 02:44 📅 It's easier to pull tasks forward than deal with a cascading scheduling problem. 03:11 🏭 Slack in your schedule is essential for effective operations. 04:32 🚫 Skip the to-do list and schedule tasks directly in your calendar. 05:15 📧 Avoid using your email as a to-do list; schedule email tasks. 06:36 📅 Use your calendar to manage time-sensitive tasks and reduce stress. Made with HARPA AI

[@ronbarton7799]

Thanks for that. What prompts do you use for the Harper AI

[@rb.x]

Go away AI

[@yohanesliong4818]

Thank you

[@sjyoshiys]

❤❤

[@Chatoyancify]

Now all we need is a dropdown for each part that offers a brief synopsis for those of us who want a little extra.

[@michelmc378]

I have long supported and defended the use of "buffer" space in the calendar. There will 'always' be extra time needed for already scheduled time blocks 'or' a place to add unexpected meetings or obligations. This was an excellent conversation. I plan to watch/listen again.

[@LewisCapaldi-774]

I recently came into some inheritance money, and I'm at a bit of a crossroads. Any advice on how to best invest it?

[@roch5710]

That's fantastic, First off, have you considered your financial goals and risk tolerance?

[@JensenWhite]

Good point. Knowing what you want to achieve and how much risk you're comfortable with will guide your investment choices.

[@lysanderjones9338]

Also, what's your time horizon? Are you looking for short-term gains or thinking more long-term?

[@LewisCapaldi-774]

Well, I'm thinking more long-term. Maybe use it for retirement or something substantial down the road.

[@JensenWhite]

In that case, you might want to look into a diversified portfolio. Stocks for growth, bonds for stability, maybe even some real estate. It might also be worthwhile to consult with a financial advisor. They can help tailor a strategy that aligns with your goals.

[@timothyalmeida7555]

These clips are awesome! Even when I already listened to the full episode. Going over the main points.

[@al3xj]

Tim you inspired me long ago to measure my time in great detail, 24/7 - and this taught me how long stuff takes. This method menthioned here doesn't work for me - tasks need setup time, and need rescheduling - and have interconnections if involving many projects. This method only works for certain sized tasks - if tasks are bigger, and have dependencies, or involve other teams, it's hard to find the 'linked' task in the Calendar method. But agree a linear to-do list doens't work also - work must be scheduled

[@Heroesofshadow]

I've been doing something like this for awhile now! In my personal variant, I have a "review your action items from email and onenote" calendar block that I do on one day and then slide it over a day or two to trigger me to do it again on whatever cadence feels appropriate. Sometimes I slide and repeat the task daily, sometimes I move it 3/5/7 days out depending on the frequency of meetings I'm leading.

[@kdevine321]

What I struggle most with when I look at the things i have to do is that it is more of a differential calculus equation than a succinct task list where many things are interrelated and have varying outcomes depending on previous hard to define steps. There is no clear path to achieving any of them and spending time understanding which levers move the most is where most of my time goes. This also results in analysis paralysis.

[@carolinaandrade4114]

I absolutely love this. The calendar as a to-do list is not new for me, however marking an email as done and putting it in the calendar is going to be a challenge. I organize my e-mails in folders and sub-folders, and all undone tasks stay in the inbox until solved. Always worked for me but it can be overwhelming for some people. I also keep an overall status list, updating as necessary - Daily or weekly - depends on the deadlines. Usually is written in a email, updated and sent to the team or just for myself. The important message is: find what works for you and keep improving it so you can spend time in what really matter.

[@matthewdietzen6708]

I need to put it on paper, or it exists in fantasy land.

[@carolinaandrade4114]

@@matthewdietzen6708 I like to put it on paper when I have to memorize something, it’s very helpful!

[@Eddie_-_]

As you said, different systems works for different people. But sorting emails into folders is rarely the most efficient way. Just archive them all. Email clients has so good search functions today.

[@geoffwalsh2685]

I ditched the folders and subfolders a while ago. I just have done and delete folders now. Search means I can find anything from anyone in the done folder and delete what I don't need. I just found I got so much anxiety from the growing list of folders and subs and trying to decide what went where.

[@JohnJBloomfield]

There was a plugin for outlook I used in the early 2000s that would take your to-do list and turn it into appointments on your calendar...it was great for making you realise it didn't all fit and choose what to bump. I think it was called timeline...was a long time ago.

[@savethecreators757]

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! This is the way! Great interview Tim and excellent teaching Sam!

[@trishaleroux7006]

Thanks for the share... I have been using this method for many years and last year, I taught it to a colleague. She has subsequently informed that her stress levels have gone down because she has better control over the tasks to get done. I also colour-code the various items according to which department the item belongs. This also helps when we have to draw up monthly reporting on time spent working for the various departments, yes, the managers ask for some strange information.

[@LinneaLindstrom]

Have been doing this for 3y now for work, even implemented it into my personal life and family schedule/ planning 👌

[@bishopbanner5253]

The fact that managers allow people to send tasks to their employees is the problem. Control the flow of information in and out of your department like a North Korean dictator. Destroy anyone publicly that tries to usurp your power by telling your employee to do something (or worse, disguises it as a favor) that isn't on the weekly plan you give your staff Monday morning. Never tell your staff that "the CEO or customer is angry because we are behind." They work for you and do not need to be concerned with pleasing anyone but you. Lastly, don't betray your staff's trust. If you are going to be the protector of your tribe, step out in front and block them from the stones of invading humanoids. There isn't a single business on the planet that can't plan for a week of work and just get it done because the behavior you reward is the behavior you receive. People are rewarding looking busy over getting it done.

[@dubak]

Sir, what is your role, what industry and how many people you lead?

[@billypuntove]

@@dubakgive them time. They’ll make something up 😂

[@jasonszesze9538]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🗓️ Effective Time Management - The common problem of people having long to-do lists and not enough time. - The importance of allocating tasks to your calendar based on estimated time. - Why having open space in your daily schedule is crucial. 03:11 📅 The Concept of Slack - The concept of slack in time management, inspired by manufacturing. - Why having slack in your schedule is essential for adaptability. - How to balance open space in your calendar while scheduling recurring tasks. 05:27 📧 Managing Email Effectively - Using your email as a to-do list and its drawbacks. - How to transform email tasks into scheduled calendar events. - The stress-relieving benefits of clear scheduling for email responses. Made with HARPA AI

[@Blubbha]

I ditched my to-do list. And most of the time I work with my calendars blocker. For me it's still most of the time the best way to get things done. Because you start to timebox tasks or projects.

[@NewenF]

As many others have mentioned, the "your calendar is your to-do list" is a nice mentality. But it falls apart if you're not good at estimating how long something will take.

[@HiddenExp]

Or when you can't keep doing the same task 2 hours in a row.

[@sakhti9962]

Or if there's a lot of variance in how much time it takes. Yay chronic conditions with low energy and brain fog days...

[@Thregh]

Just do it, you’ll learn.

[@empoweredmgr]

I’ve been working under this method for about 6 months and there really is no substitute for the clarity it provides. I wish I didn’t have to use a 3 tool stack to do it but at least it works!! Great insights here

[@VickAntony]

If you are using gmail you can actually create a task right from the email and it will add it to google tasks + google calendar with a direct link to the email

[@joeyharshaw3874]

What stack? Can’t you just use google?

[@empoweredmgr]

@@joeyharshaw3874 time tracking, project management and calendar. for sure can be done by just moving events on a calendar but that is distracting from the actual work. i prefer using tools that auto add tasks to calendars.

[@abclevxyz]

f@@joeyharshaw3874

[@KanesTrades]

Sounds about right to me. Whenever I try to calendar-schedule every minute of any given day, I'm lucky to get half done despite being actually productive the whole day (or at least being busy and feeling productive). This video has already reduced my stress as I thought I was just an undisciplined scatter brain ..well I'm probably still an undisciplined scatter brain just not as bad as I thought.

[@axel_r_]

This video is on my "To-Do list. I will be back

[@OCUBOX]

Calendar as the to *GET DONE* List, nice. There's also the option with most email providers to remind you to follow up on emails which can be useful, but with the calendar idea, that can be consolidated into just your calendar, so things are streamlined even more...Nice.

[@ariekoprasethio]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 📅 *Shift to Calendar: Replace to-do lists with direct task allocation on your calendar, using realistic time estimates.* 01:25 ⏳ *Maintain Open Space: Keep 50% open in your schedule for flexibility, refining estimates over time.* 04:46 📧 *Skip To-Do List: Schedule tasks immediately instead of maintaining a to-do list, reducing stress and ensuring dedicated time slots.* 06:36 🔄 *Close the Loop: Communicate promptly about task allocations to maintain transparency and avoid disruptions.*

[@ryancovel]

Highly suggest Oliver Burkeman’s 4000 weeks which covers exactly this and much more on how to frame time management

[@brettlaw4346]

You could double the amount of time each thing would be expected to take in order to build in the necessary flex space. Although, Parkinson's law would suggest trying to spec an internal deliverable within 10-20% of the allotted time and deciding if that is good enough or if it needs rework. So, you don't have to spend 3.5 hours on a memo, and if you do, it won't be disproportionately allocated to formatting and editing, rather than completeness and conciseness.

[@bishopbanner5253]

love Parkinson's law. "Work expands to the time allotted." Which is why I never start early or expect someone else to.

[@GeniusUnleashed]

Doesn't compute for me. Todoist is amazing because if I don't do a task it just automatically rolls over to the next day or I can drag it to a different day in Upcoming view. Calendars are for blocks of time that can't be pushed off. Having that separate in my head gives me permission to not care if I don't get to a task. But if something from my calendar doesn't get done, it means I'm probably not getting paid that week. It's also a lot less stressful because seeing calendar totally packed gets overwhelming.

[@Eddie_-_]

Agree. I don’t understand how anyone can use the calendar As the todo list. Most busy people have very dynamic days. Priorities are constantly changing. Very confusing to have the calendar as the center piece. Time blocking is fine and efficient, but it need a task management in the background.

[@louiseyvette2261]

This usually how I do it

[@awlhunt]

I just love taking advice from people who set the agenda for the organisations they run, rather than those who have to deal with the consequences of those decisions…whilst this approach looks good, it still seems like we’re listening to the wrong person. 🙄

[@periteu]

La idea clave del video es que el uso del calendario para anotar las tareas, en contraste a una lista de tareas, puede ayudar a mejorar el manejo de tiempo, priorización efectivo y reducción de estrés.

[@RobertPlank]

I really liked the advice on finding a balance between things I have planned and surprises that pop up. Setting aside certain times for checking emails, instead of just going through them as they come, was a smart tip. I never thought about adding some extra time in my plan for things I didn't expect, but now I see how helpful that can be. Thanks for sharing these straightforward steps-- they've inspired me to change the way I organize my day!

[@joygypsiestv9883]

Excellent and very helpful! Thanks!

[@joaodfbravo]

On possible problem with this approach: even with 50% slack time, if things come up often and you are not great at blocking time, it seems you will have to spend a lot of time just shifting everything that you have blocked from that point forward, which is awful if you block 2/3 weeks in advance due to many ongoing tasks

[@janetstauffer9138]

Agreed

[@christophermeyer3115]

wow you would think these bros are like super uptight and uncool because they're so organized and professional but the way they just chillax in the cross legged sitting pose is so vibed out!!! you can tell these guys are cool as it gets!

[@itsallaboutthestory8936]

Interesting approach! I have tried SO MANY ways to track projects, to do lists, calendar planning. When I get BUSY BUSY.. all of these go right out the window and it is literally which fire to put out first. I am extremely organized BUT sometimes I get paralysis by analysis and I don't know how to get out of that phase. I usually move my emails that require work to be completed to a calendar entry, but for "adminstrative" work that is where they are NEVER ending and if I had to add them in as a recurring block, there would not be a single space that shows as "nothing to do" ... that would be REALLY stressful. The idea sounds great, but not sure how it would help me.

[@catstickler]

Love this. I started using a tool called SkedPal, and it's changed how I approach work. Every task is organized by project, and it allows you to prioritize projects and create time maps for different types of work. (For ex: My creative time is between 9pm - 1am, so SkedPal only schedules writing tasks during these hours.) What I love is that I tell it when it needs to get done by, how long it'll take, which time map it needs to fall inside -- and then it puts it on the calendar for me automatically. It tells me how much slack there is before the deadline so I know if I can push off one task in favor of another. There's even an alert that lets me know when it's humanly impossible to do what I've scheduled (which has happened). It's helping me see what's actually reasonable during the day but also get better at estimating how long something takes. I'm an affiliate, but I'd still 1000% recommend even if I weren't. It's only month 1 of using it, but I'm hitting deadlines and actually doing the Important But Not Urgent tasks that always seemed to get pushed aside before.

[@julestennisuniverse]

I use motion which is the same. Automatic cal are fantastic.

[@TevoSaks]

Yea, this method has made me quite productive. Been using it for few years. Color coding do differentiate style of work. So now I am able to pull of 12h days of stuff because some "work" is actually recharging. I do feel like I need to build custom tool to automate planning, right now I have a hourly weekly task to go over adjust next 2 weeks of activities and meetings. And often I need to readjust stuff. Outlook currently requires a lot of manual changes. In addition I do hourly work for different networks or contracts so would be nice if it automatically includes that also in calendar. But yeah calendar planning is very helpful skill to have

[@yohanesliong4818]

Thank you

[@semsomify]

It took me 9 years of a chaotic calendar and so many lost hours to come up with a time management system aligned with what you're saying; now I'm much more productive, things are getting done, and I'm happy

[@janetstauffer9138]

I don’t disagree. Some of the to-do list needs to be off loaded to a calendar

[@TySutherland]

This is theory of constraints from Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt's book "The Goal".

[@mattmorrell3]

I was looking in the comments for this! Absolutely

[@darrinbranson1357]

This was very helpful. Thank you.

[@janinebean4276]

This is awesome, I definitely need to do this. I don't use the estimate time feature in ClickUp Enough, and I have ADHD so I need to get better at estimating. I love the idea of giving extra slack and slowly getting better at estimating until you know better.

[@knoworiginality]

A different way to look at todo lists. I think i might try to keep progressively less time open in my calendar as the date approaches to allow for drop-ins based on how things typically go. Great ideas and alternative peespective.

[@yusrikarim5511]

I really am loving this approach. I have been doing my own little research on how to get my life together. Always overwhelmed in all--in-one platforms, different apps for different thing. "the calendar is your to do list" is spot on. Since everything is always dated and timed, might as well fully utilise what provides us date and time. Let's see how this goes for me. Hope works for other wanderers such as myself. Cheers!

[@endlessness80]

That 50% declaration made a whole legion of bosses cringe. But 4 hours of quality work is way better than 8 hours of mediocre work.

[@TheTZmedia]

I don't disagree with "4 hours of quality work is way better than 8 hours of mediocre work," but way I understood the 50% point was not that it was about working for only 4 hours. Rather, if you plan your work in such a way that you only fill 4 hours of your calendar, then those "4 hours" of planned work will probably take you 8 hours. And, when it doesn't take you 8 hours, then you can start pulling tasks forward.

[@user-sr5kj6ej9z]

Yeah it's cuz the dumb managers are usually the most insecure people. They want to feel like they're in control, and leads to mandating bad policies like "you must attend every team meeting". Trust me. Managers have the worst insecurities loool

[@spillledcarryout]

So helpful to skip to do and treat email like an inbox for calendaring.

[@ariekoprasethio]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 📅 *Schedule tasks on your calendar with realistic time estimates, avoiding reliance on to-do lists.* 01:51 🕰️ *Aim for 50% open space in your daily schedule to accommodate unexpected events. Refine and reduce this over time as you improve estimating task durations.* 03:24 🔄 *Having slack in your schedule is crucial to prevent issues. Start with 50% open space and adjust as needed for effective operation.* 05:00 📧 *Treat emails as tasks, estimate time, and schedule dedicated blocks in your calendar to respond.* 06:36 🗓️ *Immediately schedule new tasks on your calendar to ensure clarity, reduce stress, and avoid missed deadlines.*

[@KarolisRudelis]

This is simple yet exactly what I needed

[@alysiamiles4939]

you may have just saved my life!!!! thank you.

[@WeaselWorks]

This was a breath of fresh air. Well said, well cut. Thank you very much.

[@barneybrudenell8838]

I find, with dynamic work, that a combo of calendar and to do lists works best. E.g. you have a broad theme in your calendar like ‘work tasks’ or ‘meetings’ or ‘correspondence’ and then you have a separate bullet point list for each of those themes. You then simply tackle the bullet points as a matter of priority. As an easy-to-understand example, take going to the gym. “Gym”, would be in the calendar, and then there would be a list of exercise’s within that theme that you would tick off. This gives you more flexibility I find and prevents you from constantly having to calculate how long particular, sometimes granular, tasks are going to take, which if they are novel, is basically impossible.

[@komuna5984]

I completely agree with you! This is the best approach in my opinion.

[@tothemoon8465]

You can also learn how to say no to tasks. Saves you a couple of years.

[@industryrule-4080]

I don’t see how this works for someone working in a corporate environment, especially remotely, where meetings are happening all day long. Throw in raising school age children who have activities.

[@ARESABI]

This was really helpful. Thanks!

[@kriskay6]

Love this, this is my life

[@kristine6996]

Life is not about Quantity but about Quality. Quality of life contains Truth, positivity and heartfelt honesty in a safe environment.

[@JonDaiello]

I've recently started to do this with certain types of work. It's super helpful and really helps you stay grounded in what you realistically have time for.

[@geneg3776]

Things will always pop up on most days whether it is external or internal. Good approach with the 50% as it's attainable and less stress on a day to day basis.👍

[@janetstauffer9138]

Yes! Perhaps that’s the best takeaway!

[@johnroekoek12345]

Try this: Put on one task a day And let everything else be spontaneous (except appointments)

[@tethron.]

Ok this was super helpful and great questions re-subscribed

[@Colourbeast1]

Populating a calendar takes so much time and defeats the object. Just write out your tasks as simply as possible. Chase subject X Upload document B to sharepoint Sign off documnet z As simple as you possibly can! I see the to-do list as a reminder only. The execution of completing the items on the to-do list is dependent on how efficiently you can do your job. I see so much inefficiency in people each and every day.

[@accentontheoff]

Okay this has opened my mind.

[@Theworldisatlarge]

Email is a death trap.

[@AlNewkirk]

Interesting. The problem is that this only works if you’re a “boss” (i.e. a leader of some kind). The rest of the world won’t accept that you spent your entire day responding to 16 emails (8hrs/30m), no matter how legitimate it is.

[@tinkabreytenbach-sima8218]

Great advice!

[@alex952]

That methodology works for some cases, but what if your tasks involve dependencies with other tasks of yours or other people's? What if you can't quantify the amount of time until you receive other piece of information? How do you track urgency of a task? I do block my calendar for certain things, but there's a lot of stuff that is just not schedule-able (if that's a word)

[@henzoovhdl]

Yeah. I do this since 2008

[@aobaprod9918]

Exactly!

[@MrSaemichlaus]

Outlook has a function to save an email as a task and you can assign a deadlinew with reminders to it.

[@Thregh]

The advantage of this is taking responsibility for yourself. If you only have a todo list, it’s easy to say, I will do this other thing instead, and you don’t know when to start. You let yourself down. In the calendar, you assert your integrity, and put yourself first, before others. Otherwise someone else will tell you what to do, and when. Some people even have a “don’t interrupt, I’m thinking” activity in their calendar or at their space. That’s living with integrity for sure.

[@jennifergeorge5432]

In Todoist an email can become a task. Then by the use of durations and linking to Google calendar the result is very similar to what is suggested here.

[@LBD86]

Or as we like to say in our house, "if it's not on the calendar, it doesn't exist". We evolved from a paper calendar hanging up in the kitchen to digital calendars as our family matured and had their own schedules. Families, running efficiently, are just small businesses! ;)

[@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx9618]

What a thoroughly disgusting concept.

[@auzziebridger]

Dated a girl in college whose dad treated her like an employee relative to budgeting, scheduling, etc. She went on to resent him. Enjoy your small business!

[@MrRajkumarcrescent]

It really helped me in planning things and now my stress has reduced 😅...Thank you so much 🎉

[@_cocoalabs]

"The calendar is the todo list" - This is the way.

[@LincolnsNewsreel]

i have been doing this email to schedule trick, and I use a scheduled send to forward myself those emails on the right day so i have the details at hand without looking for them. I will incorporate the addition of slack time and stop feeling yucky because I am forwarding items to and infinite number of tomorrows. time is finite. Being realistic about that is necessary.

[@tomdanielsofficial]

I wonder what you'd be doing if you can't work on the things you scheduled for today. Do you manually have to move and reschedule everything? How do you make sure you don't forget stuff? In a todo list these tasks would be marked as overdue, but not so in a calendar

[@lafamillecarrington]

Simple idea - I'll give it a go!

[@tienernwoon8637]

thanks for the sharing! I believe there are some valid points in which you shouldnt lump all your to-do list in 1 go, but rather just as james clear stated in atomic habits to start small. Leave gaps in between for breather is brilliant! however i disagree with email management. It is way simpler to prioritize maybe 3major task and allocate the estimated time to complete them rather than slotting them in your calendar. It sounds restrictive to lock on that task at a particular time. I am from Asia and the working culture here is hectic. With all the scheduling all my task would be postponed and half my time spend on rescheduling. I believe a simple to-do list is the solution, at least for daily >8-hour engineering work that I'm struggling to complete task in time.

[@briieme]

I do this in todoist. Each day has up to 10 items, and the currebt day can have 20. At the end of the day i roll over what's not done and rebalance my schedule for the next week to make sure its still 10 each day. I have days that I do certain categories, so those tasks are subtasks (medical day has subtask of reschedule appt, etc) (financial day has call financial advisor for taxes etc) so that catehory counts as one item. That keeps it organized and puts pressure to do that one-time thing that day of the week if I can't put it off. I do this at work too. Website things Monday, Proposals Thursday, Analytics Friday.

[@graywave4893]

I need somebody who's used this system to tell me how you actually made it work 😂 I've tried multiple times and end up missing tasks because as soon as one day goes wrong and I forget to move the task to the next, the calendar moves on it's gone forever. I have a hard time using it for projects as well! I can break down a project, but putting every task on the calendar a month out with assumptions of how long it'll take is just impossible when you don't even know everything the project will require. If I could make it work, it could be a game changer!

[@RachelRamey]

I love that you are both sitting, shoeless, cross-legged up on the seats.

[@dcolum23]

It actually really turned me off. Isn't that strange how differently people react to things like that?

[@jussiluukkonen5743]

I have a similar way of getting my tasks sorted out. I use colour codes and categories for different tasks: KILL TASKS are read in the calendar, and they are those things I must do at that time (usually today or tomorrow), or that thing will kill my progress; then I have green DRILL TASKS for the work that requires thinking (drilling deeper) and require more mental bandwidth; I also have blue FILL TASKS that come from external requests and pressure (typically meetings, webinars, conferences, etc) and usually are fixed dates and times that I often cannot change but accept or decline; and finally I have purple NILL TASKS that are those nice to do but not directly connected to any project or process I need to follow (Nill tasks) can often turn into DRILL when I come up with a new idea or concept. I haven't use to-do lists ever because they are depressing and feel like work. KILL, DRILL, FILL, and NILL are like a game and easy to remember and apply. I can see at one glance my week and if it has too much red or any other colour, I know that my work-life balance is not right. A good rhyme saves you time.

[@grahamthiel7321]

I really like this.

[@zp5808]

This is probably single handedly the best organizing and/or time management hack in everyday life..

[@jeremyjohns2471]

This is so useful, I'm going to try this

[@JJ-fr2ki]

I’m not good enough with softarware to pull this off and instead block days with compartments. Only 8 hours of work-but interrupted. To-dos get assigned number of blocks. I am far from optimal, but doing ok.

[@justynas1167]

“The calendar is the to-do list” I’m taking that one home with me!

[@animalrave7167]

Its just clarifying what you have to do in regards to email. Its like that with any new project you take on. There are always things you don't anticipate no matter how good you are at planning. I usually use a combined digital version of steven covey's system and GTD. But yeah adding slack into everything pretty much a given.

[@donnabuckner2689]

"the calendar is the to do list" - brilliant!

[@ScottViney]

How would this work with project tasks? How would you keep track of which have been done and which havent?

[@diverstalent]

Interesting!

[@upstartfenix]

I WISH my day was about writing memos that took 3 hours to write.

[@pancen2799]

Wow such an simple and realistic method!

[@LearnOffice365]

what's missing from to do lists is the person's ability to prioritize, estimate work required, dependencies etc. a great time mgmt and project mgt course helps.