Why You Should Throw Away Your Task List

  • Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Author:  Jones Loflin

Short Description

I chuckled as I read the words in Kevin Kruse’s insightful book, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: “Throw away your task list.” In my time management and Juggling Elephants training programs I am continually surprised at the number of people who still use such a list as their primary guide for their […]

I chuckled as I read the words in Kevin Kruse’s insightful book, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: “Throw away your task list.” In my time management and Juggling Elephants training programs I am continually surprised at the number of people who still use such a list as their primary guide for their choice of action throughout the day.

Those of you who do are saying to me, “Well how else am I supposed to keep up with what I need to do?” Kruse’s solution, and the one I’ve used for years, is to work solely from your calendar. ️  In other words, anything you plan to do is scheduled on your calendar. Period.

If you’re still making a list of 37 things and finding that you’re feeling less than pleased with your accomplishments at the end of the day, here are five benefits you can experience using the calendar method:

YOU WILL REDUCE YOUR BRAIN’S RESISTANCE TO FOCUS ON WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT.

Two priorities of your brain are to finish things and to conserve energy. If you’re frequently reviewing your task list during the day to choose what to work on, your brain wants you to work on what can be completed quickly without a great degree of effort. Looking at your calendar reduces your brain’s ability to lead you to tasks that might make you feel good for the moment when completed, but don’t really move you forward with your goals.

YOU WILL DEVELOP A BETTER FLOW TO YOUR DAY.

When I first began using the calendar method I was frustrated because there were several small tasks that I felt silly putting on my calendar as individual items. What I did, however, was block off a period of time each day to take care of several of these small items. It’s usually 45 minutes before I stop for lunch, or the last hour of the day. Now I can physically or mentally drop those items into that time slot.

Why You Should Throw Away Your Task List

YOU WILL BE MORE HONEST ABOUT THE REAL TIME AVAILABLE TO YOU.

Using a task list can lead to frequent overload because it doesn’t include the time required for each task. Putting everything on your calendar helps you quantify time resources needed for each item, and gives you a more accurate assessment of your day. You’ll train yourself to ask, “How long will this task, assignment, or project take to complete?,” and then start looking for where it could fit on your calendar.

YOU WILL HAVE A STRONGER MOTIVATION TO SAY “NO.”

When you’ve got all your activities listed on your calendar it’s easier to see your limited availability. When people ask, “Have you got a minute?,” you can honestly say, “I’ve got something scheduled right now, but I could talk ….” (at a regularly designated time you have set up on your calendar for such things).

If you need a little help on saying “NO”, I have 13 ways to help you communicate “no” with tact and confidence.

Another strategy you can put into action is a 3 Part Plan where you – Tell Them, Show Them and Train Them…about when you’re available to talk and when it’s just not a good time.

Of course, if their issue is serious enough, you would stop and address it at that moment, and when done, you would reschedule the tasks that got postponed.

YOU WILL HAVE A MORE EFFECTIVE PLAN FOR YOUR WEEKS AND MONTHS.

The calendar method isn’t just about more effectively managing your day. It’s a powerful tool to evaluate when you can take on larger projects and pursue bigger goals in the future.

And I would be lying if I told you that I don’t still have lists. In keeping with the Juggling Elephants philosophy of “3 rings,” I have lists where I capture quick thoughts related to work/relationships/self that aren’t necessarily time specific. The difference is that in a future planning time I review those lists and determine what needs to be added to my calendar to address these items.

So if you’re tired of looking at your task list each day feeling overwhelmed and wondering why your most important things just aren’t getting done, try tossing it. I promise you the world won’t stop. In fact, it might starting turning more in your favor.

Contact Us at WeSpeak Global and follow us on Twitter

The articles, video and images embedded on these pages are from various speakers and talent.

These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.

Similar to Why You Should Throw Away Your Task List

WS Logo 512

A couple of weeks ago I was in Orlando for a talk and I knew the THE 3 C’S OF ELITE TALENT DEVELOPMENT. The night before I was sitting at the hotel restaurant grabbing some dinner. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that there was a basketball game on the tv at […]

  • Author: Mike Lee
WS Logo 512

The Essence of Business is People , each and every business needs people to service and most of them are geared towards offering a product and or service to people. So therefore the foundation of any great business lies in the People Engagement and Growth strategy. There is an illusion that technology and apps will […]

  • Author: Billy Selekane
Jason Hewlett

I Got Sued YESTERDAY. Just like this headline is misleading and complete clickbait, such is the reality we are living in, and the point of this author and PAPERBACK WRITER. I clicked on a post recently after reading wild news stories ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and stumbled upon the Yahoo! article entitled: “Fans Sue Movie Yesterday”. I […]

  • Author: Jason Hewlett
WS Logo 512

Your first time as a manager is a learning experience as much as anything else and what is the best way to build trust? How do you lead your team well? Who should you hire? Where do you draw the boundaries with former colleagues who are now direct-reports? WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO BUILD TRUST? […]

  • Author: WeSpeak Global
WS Logo 512

One evening in December 1994 a life-threatening situation with a friend of mine was getting her washing off the passenger seat of her car when the door opened, a man put a knife to her throat and said, “Move over or I’ll kill you.” She moved over into the passenger seat, and even helped him […]

  • Author: Mark Grobbelaar
WS Logo 512

To risk or not to Risk – could I cope with 12 pairs of gloves? The quandary: There’s a question on many female’s hearts and minds this week as the 29th looms ahead about whether to really pop THE question. It might also be on everyone’s hearts and minds wondering if they might be the […]

  • Author: Kate Emmerson
WS Logo 512

One top tip you need to maintaining a high level of engagement among all parties in any meeting is a challenge. But, doing it in a video-led environment makes the real-world challenge look like child’s play so Learn the one top tip. If you have spent any time on video calls up to now, you […]

  • Author: Shelley Walters
Rob Caskie

It is difficult to conceive that 11 months on from National Lock down on 26 March 2020, our tiny business survives and feels strongly that the tide is turning. What a significant time and mighty relief for us, acutely mindful that so many are struggling desperately just to survive. Despite it not being my natural […]

  • Author: Rob Caskie

Our Mission

We are your partner creating memorable and engaging experiences that go beyond the event itself.

© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME