In the New Year I wanted to treat my listeners and supporters to better ways to manage their time and life. This is my second interview with author Michael Linenberger, about this new book entitled ” The One Minute To-Do List“.
When Michael states that he can help you quickly get your chaos completely under control he is absolutely correct. In my interview with Michael we discuss how he recommends his clients approach their to-do lists into urgency zones. The first zone is referred to as the “Critical Now“. These are items that you know are absolutely due today. What is making you nervous and needs to get completed.
The next zone is what Michael refers to as the “Opportunity Now“. You list in this section of the worksheet those tasks that though not urgently due now, you would work on now if you had the opportunity. Included things that may be due tomorrow, or later this week, even as far out as ten (10) days.
Now for the last segment of the list entitled ” Over-the-Horizon List“. On this list you will write down anything that is on your mind that can wait ten (10) days or more for you to get to it. These are items that are obviously your slow-burn items. These things are not troubling you right now as being at all urgent.
Michael states that we tend to overload our lists. The first rule deals with how many tasks, and the maximum you should have in each section. The number one cause of a failed to-do list, particularly those that are automated, is that the list gets to big and overwhelming. Michael suggest that we keep the “Critical Now” list to five (5) or fewer items, the “Opportunity Now” list should be fewer than 20 items.
If you are into automated systems Michael recommends a great program that is cloud based called “ToodleDo“. I have provided the link to their website. I started using is right after our interview and I have found it to be quite useful. It is also simple, so give it a try you have nothing to lose.
I hope you enjoy my interview with Michael Linenberger about his new book ” The One Minute To-Do List”. Michael website is loaded with resources and forms you can download, so click here to be directed to his website. If you would like to see Michael in action, then click here to watch a great YouTube video.