Nir EyalSpeaker on Behavioral Science, NYT Bestselling Author, Former Stanford Lecturer

Why I hate to do lists

Name: Why I hate to do lists
Uploaded: 2023-03-14T13:00:45+00:00
Duration: 33 s
Channel: Nir Eyal
Description: Nir Eyal argues that traditional to-do lists are ineffective because they lack constraints and encourage endless additions (the "tyranny of the to-do…

14 Mar 2023 · 1 min

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0:33

Nir Eyal argues that traditional to-do lists are ineffective because they lack constraints and encourage endless additions (the "tyranny of the to-do list"). He recommends the missing step: scheduling tasks on a calendar so the 24-hour daily constraint forces trade-offs and prioritization. This chunk presents the core claim and the primary solution (use a calendar).

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I hate to do lists. To do lists are terrible because of what I call the tyranny of the to do list. You know, you have this list of things that you never get to. Why? Because there's no constraint with a to do list. You can always add more and more and more. Because if all you're doing with a to do list is writing things down, that's step one. You've forgotten the most important step, which is, of course, putting them on your calendar. You are constrained by the 24 hours that all of us have in a day. And so it forces you to make trade offs. It forces you to figure out what's more right now than something else.