A task is a noun plus a verb

A clear to-do list tells you exactly what you need to do

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good 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

(00:25):
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

(00:48):
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 recommend the daily podcast to
carl and get birthday gift for Jane. Now, clearly those

(01:11):
are very different to dos. A noun alone like podcasts
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 contexts, this does require a little bit more mental effort.

(01:31):
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,

(01:53):
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

(02:17):
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

(02:39):
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 list are vague, and

(03:01):
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

(03:24):
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

(03:48):
which ideal 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,

(04:11):
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.

(04:37):
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach
me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast
is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,
please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

(04:59):
listen to your favorite shows.