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How to Master the Art of To-Do Lists by Understanding Why They Fail

January 25, 2021 by Janet Choi 36 Comments

A watch and a phone on a desk. The phone shows a "To Do" list.

The to-do list is an inescapable, age-old productivity tool. It is our very human attempt to create order in our disorderly lives and an expression of our ability to impose self-control. Most of us, including to-do list haters, keep one, and the fact is, they can work when you find the to-do method that works for you.

I don’t love to-do lists but found it odd that I still continue to use them. I sometimes worry they’re just a form of self-flagellation. Is my list-making just a futile exercise in productivity-flavored self-torture? Is the to-do list just a blunt instrument to wield in the quest for personal productivity and getting stuff done?

Am I actually achieving more in a given day because of my list? We went to the data from our users to find out.

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Filed Under: Company Culture, Done List, The Science of Productivity Tagged With: deadlines, done list, ej masicampo, I Done This, john tierney, laura king, list, Procrastination, Productivity, Productivity Tools, robert emmons, roy baumeister, tasks, to do, to-do, To-Do List, Willpower, willpower rediscovering the greatest human strength, zeigarnik effect

How We Grew a Six-Figure Email List

March 6, 2017 by Walker Donohue Leave a Comment

When we first started I Done This, we had no subscriber list. But eventually we grew one six-figures in size — all because we offered people something for free. You just have to remember that addresses are valuable commodities: people are generally reluctant to give theirs up unless they’re going to get something of value in return. Give people something in exchange for their email addresses and you'll grow a six-figure list.       Continue Reading

Filed Under: Case Study Tagged With: Gift, Giveaway, I Done This, Prize, Viral Marketing

The 15 Best Productivity Podcasts of 2016

February 27, 2017 by Paige Picard 3 Comments

The average commute time in the United States is 25.4 minutes. Every hour of the day is precious when it comes to getting things done, which is why having to sit through a commute can be insufferable.

Rather than tuning out to the same playlist you hear every day, tune into a podcast — specifically about productivity. This list of productivity podcasts will inspire you and give you the tools to start forming better daily habits, so you get more done.

Make the most out of your commute by checking out some of the best productivity podcasts of 2016.Tim Ferris was one of the 15 best productivity podcasts of 2016

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Filed Under: Lifehacks Tagged With: Commute, I Done This, NPR, Podcasts, Productivity, TED

Do Business Globally and Manage Remote Teams Locally

February 24, 2017 by Jackie Cohen Leave a Comment

RingCaptcha makes it look easy to secure the world

RingCaptcha makes your phone number the new user ID with SMS authentication. P

The Internet makes it a no-brainer to run a global business with a tiny staff, but for most ventures that means a direct mail operation out of a single office. Imagine setting up physical infrastructure in 195 countries with a lean team — if that sounds impossible, you might not have heard of RingCaptcha yet.

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Filed Under: Remote Teams Tagged With: Case Study, Global, I Done This, Local, Manage, RingCaptcha, SMS, User Authentication

I Done This: Short Post, Best Post?

October 18, 2016 by Kathryn Vandervalk Leave a Comment

The more you write on your “Done List,” the less likely your co-workers are to read what you write. 81% of educated people don’t even read what they see—they skim.

I Done This 2.0 automatically sets the default length of a Done List post at about 12 words. We’ll never limit the amount of words you post, but the default setting encourages you to fit your post on one line, like this:

idonethis1
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Filed Under: Done List Tagged With: Communication at Work, done list, I Done This, Productivity, Progress, Self-Reflection, Success

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