To-Do Lists are EVIL

Did someone say EVIL? For devoted list makers, the above title can read like blasphemy.

Who dares? That person would be Cal Newport, author of "So Good They Can't Ignore You".

And honestly, I'm so glad he did.

For some, to-do lists are serious business. I leave a paper trail for everything I want to accomplish. And that's the problem, because the most important items don't happen due to busy work.

You know busy work, the little to-do's on your list that hijack your day. Newport calls these items shallow work. "Most of us are drowning in shallow work."

At home, my husband, David makes fun of my to-do lists because I sometimes write down banal things like "eat breakfast". In my defense, I like to see check marks but really, who am I kidding? I've padded my lists with enough shallow (read between the lines, procrastination and lemons) to edge out those bigger, deeper items.

So what does Newport propose? What are we, to-do?

Read Eric Barker's interview with Cal Newport entitled,  "How to be the most productive person in your office - and still get home by 5:30pm."

It's an amazing "list" of possibilities to help you Squeeze the Day:)

Happy Tuesday!!



Note: Here's the direct link if you have trouble opening the above article.

http://theweek.com/articles/444385/how-most-productive-person-office--still-home-by-530-pm