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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. morning.
This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is that a task is a verb plus a noun.
Your to-do list doesn't actually tell you what to do, unless it states the actions that you need to take.
Today's tip comes from my Before Breakfast interview with productivity expert Charlie Gilkey.
When we talked a few months ago, he noted that a to-do list should contain verb-noun constructs, as he put it.
He illustrated this by pointing out that common to-do list items like podcast and Jane aren't actually tasks.
Record podcast and call Jane would be tasks.
So would podcast. recommend the daily podcast to Carl, and get birthday gift for Jane.
Now clearly, those are very different to-dos.
A noun alone like podcast or Jane does not tell you what you need to do.
You need more information.
And while it is quite possible that you would remember what podcast or Jane mean in your context, this does require a little bit more mental effort.
When people feel overwhelmed or fatigued looking at their to-do lists, I think it is often because these to-do lists aren't clear.
And the extra effort to figure out what exactly you need to do can make it difficult to get started.
One way around this, which Charlie recommends, is writing your to-do list as though it is intended for someone else.
That way, when you get to the task, you'll know what you meant by the phrase on your list.
Writing or typing just a few more words to clarify the task can save your future self, confusion and headaches.
The to-do list will look a lot more doable.
Or, and this sometimes happens, writing the list as though it's intended for someone else can come in handy if you do need to delegate items.
If you are out sick for a few days, you could potentially send along a well-constructed to-do list to the people filling in for you, and they could actually fill in for you.
If you need help from a family member with personal tasks, they will have a much easier time doing this if they know they need to buy gifts for Melissa and Ruth, rather than trying to figure out what you meant by Melissa and Ruth.
As it is.
I suspect one reason people have trouble getting through their lists is that their lists are vague and this is because people don't know what they need to do.
So there is an item like research when you are stuck, or figure out how to deal with John.
Now I will acknowledge that this last phrase contains a noun and a verb, but you still don't know exactly what you need to do.
Ideally, making a to-do list is itself an act of making a choice of what does need to be done.
You think about it, and then you figure out your course of action.
So you don't need to kick this can down the road.
A better item would be list three ideas I could try with John and then ask for advice from Kate about which idea would be best with John.
If you are struggling with to-do lists that are perpetually hanging over your head but don't give you clear instructions about what actions to take, try out Charlie's tip.
Make sure every item on your to-do list contains a noun and a verb.
Write it like you're writing for someone else and make sure the verb itself is doable.
You just might find yourself getting more done.
In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening.
And here's to making the most of our time.
Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at LauraVanderkam.com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeart Media.
For more podcasts from iHeart Media, please visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
On this week's episode of Next Chapter, I, T.D.
Jakes, sit down with Denzel Washington. a two-time Academy Award-winning actor and cultural icon.
I don't take any credit for it.
I just didn't put me first.
I just put God first, and he's carrying me.
Listen to the next chapter podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
New episodes drop weekly.
On the podcast Health Stuff, we are tackling all the health questions that keep you up at night.
I'm Dr. Priyanka Wally, a double board certified physician.
And I'm Hari Kundabolu, a comedian and someone who once Googled, do I have scurvy at 3 a.m.?
And on our show we're talking about health in a different way, like our episode where we look at diabetes.
In the United States, I mean, 50% of Americans are pre-diabetic.
How preventable is type 2?
Extremely.
Listen to Health Stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
This is an I Heart podcast.
Guaranteed human.
