What does Benjamin Franklin, Drew Carey, and the Zeigarnik effect have in common?
What the heck are we talking about? We’re talking about to-do lists, and the relationship it has to willpower, peace of mind, and the ability to manage our lives.
File this article in your “must read” file and enjoy it over lunch, or when you have a few moments of reflection on a Sunday night. We discovered it on the “Brain Pickings” website, and it’s a fascinating piece with lots of great insight on the best way to use a to-do list to actually accomplish our goals:
A Brief History of the To-Do List and the Psychology of Its Success
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/02/09/willpower-to-do-list/
by Maria Popova
One of the 10-second take-aways? “Keep your to-do list to a few very specific, actionable, non-conflicting items, then go fly your kite in peace.” But really, the article is worth your time and deserves your attention.
The book mentioned in the article, “Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength” also looks interesting as well.
