How a to-do list keeps you from living your best life

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What do Aaron Paul and I have in common?

We’re both in this month’s edition of Men’s Journal! I’m a huge Breaking Bad fan, so that’s pretty cool for me. While Aaron’s showing off his posing talent wearing the latest fashions, I was interviewed on the topic, “The Myth of Multitasking,” for an article on how to live your best life.

I share several tips in the article, which I will link to in the comments below. In today’s post, I want to focus on just one of those tips: Why you should stop using a to-do list.

The ever-popular “to-do” list opens you up to interruptions. You create the list with the mindset of “I’ll get to this if I can.” It leads to bouncing back and forth between tasks as each distraction pops up.

Instead, use your calendar and make commitments to your Most Valuable Activities by scheduling them. Then, to protect that valuable time, leave some buffer space in between each scheduled task. You can handle the inevitable interruptions during those times without sacrificing your MVAs.

You’ll get more done in less time! How do you avoid switchtasking? I’d love to hear your suggestions. You can learn more about the Myth of Multitasking at DaveCrenshaw.com/Myth.

Looking for a keynote speaker that can entertain AND teach your team how to save time and get more done? Learn more about hiring Dave at DaveCrenshaw.com/speaker.


Tired of those 12-hour workdays? What if there was a simple formula to double your productivity by working fewer hours? Find freedom with a free copy of Dave's new book, The Result: A Practical, Proven Formula for Getting What You Want.
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