When I started working a few years ago, I was quite obsessed with to-do lists. I’ve always been someone who values efficiency, and I really wanted a clear record of everything I had to tackle.
I started with a traditional pen and paper. Then, if I remember correctly, I moved to a Word document, before eventually exploring different digital apps. It was so important to me not to forget anything and to stay completely organised.
But it was also incredibly frustrating. Most days, I’d look down at my screen or paper only to realize that at least half of my to-do list—if not more—was left completely untouched.
In this video, I want to share three simple tips that can make a massive difference in how you take control of your time.
I’m in Athens, Greece. You might be able to see the beautiful sea and the sprawling city behind me. I’m here this week working with the leadership team and managers of a large organisation. During our sessions, I asked them a simple question: How do you plan your time?
The most common answer I got was: “Cyril, at the start of every day, I look at my meetings to make sure I’m not double-booked, and then I review my to-do list.” A few people even admitted that they rewrite a brand-new list every single morning.
That is exactly what I did for years. The problem with this approach is that it makes you entirely reactive. Your day is already packed with back-to-back meetings, yet you throw a massive to-do list on top of it with no real idea of whether you actually have the time to achieve it.
To break that cycle of frustration, here are three shifts you can make:
1. Plan weekly, not daily.
Stop trying to map out your life morning by morning. While I still do a quick five-minute review each day, my deep planning happens on a weekly rhythm. Every Friday, I sit down and look at the entire week ahead. Moving your focus to a weekly horizon instantly shifts you from being reactive to being proactive.
2. Start with your “Big Rocks.”
If you know my philosophy, you know how big I am on defining two or three “Big Rocks”—your absolute highest-priority goals—at the start of every quarter. The mistake most people make is filling their schedule with administrative noise first. Instead, your very first planning step each week should be writing a specific to-do list just for your Big Rocks. Ask yourself: What actions must I take next week to move these priorities forward?
3. Book specific meetings with yourself.
Once you know the tasks required for your Big Rocks, don’t leave them on a list. Open your calendar and block out specific, non-negotiable appointments with yourself to do the work. If it isn’t in your diary, it doesn’t exist. By scheduling your priorities, you protect the time that will yield the highest impact.
When you implement these changes, you stop reacting to the loudest email in your inbox. You take genuine control of your schedule, focus on the work that actually matters, and completely eliminate that deflating feeling of staring at an unfinished daily list.
So, my question to you is this: Are you just surviving day-to-day, trying to keep up with an unrealistic list, or are you stepping back to look at the bigger picture?
This is this week’s Work Smarter, Live Better tip.
You have a lovely day.
À bientôt,
Cyril
