To-Do List Formula

A Stress-Free Guide to Creating To-Do Lists That Work!

By: Damon Zahariades

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Length: 2 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Finally! Discover how to create to-do lists that work!

Do you feel frustrated because you can't seem to finish every item on your daily to-do lists? Do you feel discouraged because you're not effectively managing your workload and responsibilities at your office and home?

If so, it's not your fault.

Millions of people are using to-do lists that set them up for failure. No matter how hard they work, they're left with a laundry list of unfinished tasks at the end of each day.

You can probably relate from experience. If you're creating to-do lists like most people, your lists are almost certainly failing to do their job. You're probably feeling aggravated and dispirited as a result.

The good news is that there's a simple solution. It's a matter of using an approach specifically designed to help you organize, manage, and address every task and responsibility on your plate in a timely fashion.

This approach is detailed in To-Do List Formula: A Stress-Free Guide to Creating To-Do Lists That Work! It's the only guide you'll ever need to create an effective personal task management system.

To-do lists and personal task management made simple!

In To-Do List Formula, you'll discover:

• Eight reasons you're failing to get through your daily to-do lists
• The 10 most popular to-do list systems (and why they're flawed)
• Step-by-step instructions for creating the perfect to-do list
• How to keep your to-do list system running smoothly
• The pros and cons of paper vs. online to-do lists
• How your to-do lists and calendar work together

©2017 Damon Zahariades (P)2017 Damon Zahariades

Good Guide for Creating and Managing a Task List

This is a practical guide to techniques and strategies for creating task lists and is a good refresher even for veteran list makers. If you've already tried different methods, skip the first two sections (which cover reasons that you fail to get things done with your to-do list, assessment of your task management skills, and pros/cons of some common task management methods).

Start with Chapter 7 to learn the techniques for effectively creating and managing a to-do list, including the following:
* Have two separate lists - one for tasks to complete for the day and a big list for everything else. Each day, pick 7 tasks from the big list to be on your daily list.
* Have a batch list for tiny tasks - when you have extra time, batch these tiny tasks together and complete them in 15-30 minutes (such as start a load of laundry, take out the trash, make dinner reservations, pay the bills, send an email to the client, record yesterday's sales, schedule a meeting with coworkers, check voicemail, return a phone call, and declutter your desk)
* Indicate the desired outcome - write the task with a verb and the goal (for example, "call parents to see how they're doing and invite them for breakfast")
* Break projects down into small, manageable tasks - instead of "clean house" (which is vague and daunting to tackle), write "wash the dishes, mop the kitchen floor, clean the bathroom, vacuum the floors, and dust the furniture."
* Assign due dates for each task
* Estimate the time required to complete the task
* Organize tasks by projects, types, and locations (for example, tasks to complete at the office or at home, creative tasks that require focused attention, and mindless tasks)
* Review the list weekly to add and remove tasks - do a brain dump of all your tasks and remove tasks that are unnecessary or no longer consistent with your goals

Very very very basic

If you've never heard of a to-do list or tried to create one for yourself, and have no organizing common sense, then this book might be for you.

It offers nothing new, except maybe the idea of organizing the list also according to a project, type, and location (which he covers in 2 minutes).

Basically, just pick any known to-do system system that sounds interesting (probably Kanban or GTD by David Allen or Matrix by Stephen Covey), try it, and personalize it a bit so it fits you. If it sounds too complicated, then this book is for you. If it sounds like basic common sense, you can probably skip this book.

Easy to follow

Thanks for the clarification on so many things, this book has giving me the opportunity to do things in a different way. And although I'm not an English native speaker it was easy for me to understand everything.

Lacks substance

Does not stand up against the arguments David Allens asserts against giving every task a due date and priority.

Simple concepts finally clicked

I really enjoyed how the author took some glaringly simple concepts & explained them in a new light. One of the things I hadn't realized I was doing is putting projects on my daily list as if they were tasks. After making a few tweaks based on some suggestions from this book, I've already seen an increase in productivity.

Good information even for a to-do list junkie

The author was organized and thorough with how to set systems up and using what works for your style. I've listened and read a lot of productivity books and I would highly recommend this one. He talks about different popular systems and their pros and cons. I found this book so helpful that I purchased it in digital format as well. I will definitely be checking out this author's website and other materials!

Goodod book on an important subject

As someone that regularly used To Do lists but has not developed one that worked as well as I hoped, this book presented some new options that I will experiment with.
The book begins with the basics so it will also be useful to a new user of ToDo lists.

Outstanding & Informative

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Easy to follow, simple instructions with different options to construct a workable to do list/s.

What did you like best about this story?

The many options making a to do list

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Be consistent

great practical advice

Loved this book! Great practical advice in easily understandable language, great examples on how to apply strategies for busy everyday life.

Just what I needed

What made the experience of listening to To-Do List Formula the most enjoyable?

Damon goes through the many methodologies of making and managing todo lists. Most have their merits and their downsides. He helps you put a solution together from all the various practices that is based on how you work or prefer to work. Excellent.

Simple and straightforward

Solid advice. Clear explanations. Short and sweet guide to maximizing best use of task lists.

useful , time management

I found the ideas in this book interesting and useful. I listened to it on audible and wrote notes on it. Although I wouldn't follow it rigorously I have noted and will use ideas that I found helpful. it has motivated me to get organised.

Packed with great tips - super easy to follow

This book is excellent and covers a lot in a short space of time. The review of the 10 most popular to-do list systems is a great way to then introduce the new formula which improves on all of the systems. It's a real game changer for me as I'm now following the system unmodified (the book does suggest you can and should modify the system for you) and already giving me greater clarity and control of my activities. All aspects of a to-do list system is covered, you're never left wondering well what this or that. It's all here! Well worth the read.

great content

this author has made me see why I was not productive and how I can change all that I hope everyone will put the tips to action great work and let's share this work with others