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- The Magical Power of a to-do list
Hey guys! 👋 I hope you've all had a fantastic week.
As you might have read in the previous newsletter, I've been experiencing some challenges with maintaining my productivity lately, which is quite unusual for me. After returning from a much-needed trip abroad last weekend, I came back to work on Monday feeling well-rested. However, I was immediately faced with the daunting task of catching up on what seemed like a hundred different things. This situation can be overwhelming, but it also reminded me of the effectiveness of a to-do list.
To tackle this, I began my morning by jotting down every single task that was running through my mind, without concerning myself with dates or priorities initially. After about 25 minutes, I had a comprehensive list of all the pending tasks in front of me. This exercise strangely provided a sense of relief. Even though I hadn't formulated a plan of action, simply visualizing all my tasks put me at ease.
Next, I proceeded to categorize these tasks based on their priority and due dates. After around 10 minutes, I was left with only a handful of items that required immediate attention today or in the very near future. What had initially seemed like a daunting list of about 30 tasks had now been narrowed down to just six that needed my focus today. In less than an hour, the anxiety stemming from my workload had dissipated. I now had a clear roadmap of what needed immediate attention, what could be deferred, and what I could let go of – a newfound clarity that felt liberating.
This experience truly underscores the power of a to-do list. Since adopting a digital approach to managing my tasks, my life has transformed. While the traditional method of jotting tasks on a piece of paper can be effective, I believe digital to-do lists offer a higher level of organization, enabling you to plan ahead for tasks and events weeks, months, or even years in advance. Moreover, the flexibility to set reminders and seamlessly shuffle tasks across different days is a game-changer. Digital platforms like the one I use, TickTick, have been instrumental in revolutionizing how I manage my tasks. It even allows me to categorize tasks into different aspects of my life, be it work-related, personal, or related to my YouTube channel.
So, if you ever find yourself grappling with a heavy workload, I encourage you to give this approach a try. Hopefully, it will prove to be a valuable tool in simplifying the management of your life tasks. 🙂
Wishing you all a productive and organized week ahead! 🌟
Kenji.
👍🏾 Things I’ve enjoyed this week
Diary of a CEO interview of Ramit Sethi (podcast) - it’s my first time hearing about Ramit, and his psychology on money is quite profound. Enjoyed this interview so much that I even bought his book and subscribed to his newsletter.
No Hard Feelings (movie) - watched this this weekend with my partner and it had us laughing non-stop. Good one to watch on a date night!
Talibans II (song) - loved the first version and only discovered the second one. Been playing it on repeat during my workouts!
📚 Highlight of the week
Yes, working less helps us be more productive. Yes, rest helps our brain function and improves our health, our mood, and our body’s ability to heal. But in addition to all of that, more time away from work allows us to be better friends and neighbors. It allows us to pick up our kids from school and have dinner more often as a family. It allows us to exercise regularly and read for pleasure and create art that no one has to see. It allows us to find time to get involved in local politics and to take a nap when we’re tired. Put simply, working less allows us to be fuller versions of ourselves.
“If you want to make the wrong decision, ask everyone.”
An old boss once warned: “You’ll never be rich since you’re obviously smart, and someone will always offer you a job that’s just good enough.”
We bought a new car. Now, I’m waiting for the new car to arrive. Of course, every night, I’m on the forums reading about the car. Why? It’s a silly object. It’s a silly car. It’s not going to change my life much or at all. I know the instant the car arrives I won’t care about it anymore. The thing is, I’m addicted to the desiring. I’m addicted to the idea of this external thing bringing me some kind of happiness and joy, and this is completely delusional.
Resurfaced to me by Readwise
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🛠 My favourite tools 🔨
📚 Listen to my favourite book of all time (or any other) free on Audible
🥼 My daily hospital scrubs: HappyThreads
🎒 My everyday and travel bag from Menos (use KENJI10 for 10% off)
📝 My favourite iPad screen protector: Paperlike