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Why A To-Do List Is The Worst Productivity Tool Ever Created

Use this simple tool to crush your day and get loads done

Derek Hughes
Write A Catalyst
5 min readJul 25, 2024

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Photo by Laker :

I can’t believe so many people waste time with a to-do list.

It’s the worst productivity tool ever created. Everyone has one. Everyone thinks they need one. But it ruins your day. And destroys your effectiveness.

But no one seems to notice.

Let me be clear. The to-do list is the cause of your problems. But don’t panic. And I’m here to rescue you with a simple solution.

How your to-do list ruins your day

Here’s what we usually do:

  • Start the day with your list of tasks
  • Cross them out as you complete each one
  • New work arrives so you add it to your list

If you have done well, your list might be shorter by the end of the day. Sometimes it is longer. But whatever happens, it is never empty.

This is ridiculous. You’d never do this in any other area of life.

This gives you 3 huge problems.

Problem 1: It doesn’t help you decide what to do

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Write A Catalyst
Write A Catalyst

Published in Write A Catalyst

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Derek Hughes
Derek Hughes

Written by Derek Hughes

I'm an old bloke with zero writing experience. In 18 months, I built a $35k writing business. Get my free 5-step system: https://www.derekhughes.biz/

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