Group tasks by location, tools needed, or energy levels (e.g., "Calls," "Computer Work," or "Errands"). This prevents the mental "switching cost" of jumping between different types of work.
A list is a living document. Zahariades emphasizes a weekly "audit" to purge irrelevant tasks, reschedule deferred ones, and prep for the week ahead. The Psychology of Success To-Do List Formula by Damon Zahariades EPUB
The To-Do List Formula isn't about working harder; it’s about managing your mental energy. By treating your to-do list as a sacred space for immediate action rather than a dumping ground for future ideas, you transform a source of stress into a roadmap for consistent achievement. Group tasks by location, tools needed, or energy levels (e
Any task that takes longer than a few hours is actually a project. Breaking these down into small, 10–30 minute steps prevents procrastination caused by feeling overwhelmed. Zahariades emphasizes a weekly "audit" to purge irrelevant
A goal is an outcome (e.g., "Launch a website"); a task is a concrete action (e.g., "Draft the 'About Us' copy"). Your list should only contain tasks.
Only give a task a deadline if it actually has one. Artificial deadlines create unnecessary stress and lead to "deadline desensitization."
In The To-Do List Formula , Damon Zahariades argues that most people fail at productivity not because they are lazy, but because they treat their to-do lists like "wish lists" rather than execution plans. He presents a systematic approach to reclaiming your time by moving away from cluttered, infinite lists toward a lean, action-oriented system. The Core Problem: The "Kitchen Sink" Approach