Let’s have a heart-to-heart: your to-do list is a productivity serial killer, and it’s time to break up with it.
Why?
If you’re a leader with a long-ass to-do list, please know that you might be falling for the seduction of the list. Trust me, I’ve been there. It gives you the illusion of productivity while slowly moving you away from what really matters.
Don’t believe me? Let’s look at a typical leader’s to-do list:
- Respond to 50+ emails
- Attend 3 status update meetings
- Review Q3 budget spreadsheet
- Write performance reviews for 5 team members
- Call IT about new software rollout
- Prepare slides for next week’s board meeting
Looks impressive, right?
But here’s the kicker – how many of these truly move the needle for your company?
Here’s the cold, hard truth: checking off tasks feels great! I feel that way when I cross a bunch of stuff off my list. It gives you that little dopamine hit. “Look at me, I’m so productive!”
But are you really?
Or are you just busy?
The most successful leaders don’t ask, “What’s on my list today?” They ask, “What do I need to achieve today?”
It takes a shift in mindset, and here’s how to do that:
1. Ditch your interminable to-do list. Replace it with a “to-achieve” list.
For example:
- Instead of “Attend 3 status update meetings,” try “Identify the biggest roadblock to the team’s progress on Project X”
- Rather than “Write performance reviews for 5 team members,” aim for “Identify and nurture top talent for upcoming expansion.”
- Replace “Review Q3 budget spreadsheet” with “Optimize resource allocation to boost Q4 profitability.”
- Instead of “Call IT about new software rollout,” try “Ensure team has tools to increase productivity by 20%.”
Now, I know what you’re thinking.
“But performance reviews are mandatory!” Sure, but the goal isn’t to simply complete them. It’s to develop your team, align their goals with the company’s, and ultimately drive performance.
See the difference?
2. Identify your top 3 priorities for the quarter. Not 10. Not 5. Three.
For example:
- Increase customer retention by 15%
- Launch new product line
- Develop leadership pipeline
3. For every task on your list, ask: “Does this directly contribute to my top 3 priorities?” If not, delegate, delay, or delete. That status update meeting? Maybe your deputy can handle it.
4. At the end of each week, measure the value you created, not hours worked or busy work completed.
For example:
- Sales: Ask yourself, “How did I move the needle on our customer retention this week?”
- Manufacturing: Reflect on, “What improvements did I implement that increased our production efficiency or quality?”
- HR: Consider, “How did I contribute to enhancing our company culture or reducing turnover in key positions?”
As a leader, when review time comes, nobody cares how busy you are. I learned this the hard way, proudly presenting my checked-off to-do lists only to be met with, “But what did you actually accomplish?”
Your boss, the board, all they care about is what you achieved.
Did you grow the business? Innovate? Solve that big hairy problem everyone’s been avoiding?
So, are you ready to break up with your to-do list and start a passionate affair with real productivity?
Your company’s future (and your sanity) might depend on it.
And trust me, once you make this shift, you’ll wonder how you ever operated any other way.
With love, Mari Carmen
