))
Friday Fail Forward - The To-Do List Trap
Manage episode 500444534 series 2925130
Content provided by Heather Masters. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Heather Masters or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.
Ever feel like a productivity failure because you can't get through your daily to-do list? You're not broken - you're just human. In this episode, Heather breaks down the science behind why we're terrible at estimating time and shares practical strategies to stop the self-sabotage cycle.
What You'll Learn
- Why we overestimate what we can do in a day but underestimate what we can achieve in a year
- The "planning fallacy" and how it's sabotaging your productivity
- How to audit your persistent tasks: delegate, schedule, or delete
- The 3-3-3 rule for realistic daily planning
- How to stop negative self-talk about productivity
Chapters:
- 00:07 - Introduction to Fail Forward Friday
- 00:58 - The To Do List Trap
- 05:27 - Reassessing Your Daily Tasks
- 08:43 - The Importance of Small Wins
- 10:55 - Embracing Productivity and Self-Kindness
Key Takeaways
The Planning Fallacy: We consistently underestimate task completion time by 25-50%, even with previous experience of similar tasks taking longer.
The Compound Effect: Small, consistent actions over time create massive results, but we can't see it day-to-day.
The 3-3-3 Rule: Each day, pick 3 important tasks, 3 admin tasks, and 3 small wins to celebrate.
Your Friday Challenge
Look at your current to-do list and pick the 3 things that have been there the longest. For each one, make a decision:
- Delegate it - Can someone else do this?
- Schedule it properly - Give it realistic time allocation
- Delete it entirely - Does this actually need doing?
Practical Tools Mentioned
- The Sunday Audit: Weekly review of your ongoing to-do list
- The Delegation Detector: If it's been on your list for more than a month, it needs action
- The Compound Tracker: Keep a weekly wins list to see your actual progress
Quote of the Episode
"Productivity isn't about doing more things. It's about doing the right things. And sometimes the rightest thing is to stop beating yourself up for being human."
Resources Referenced
- Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky's research on the planning fallacy
- The compound effect of small consistent actions
Connect with Heather
- Website: www.choosinghappypodcast.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherbond/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hvmasters/
About the Choosing Happy Podcast
The Choosing Happy Podcast is for transformational practitioners - coaches, consultants, NLP practitioners, hypnotherapists, and energy workers - who are ready for uncomfortable truths and real transformation. New episodes drop three times a week: Monday myth-busting, Wednesday real wins, and Friday fail forward sessions.
Subscribe & Review
If this episode resonated with you, please:
- Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform
- Leave a 5-star review
- Share with someone who needs to hear this message
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms.
Episode Length: 12-15 minutes
Release Date: 15 August 2025
Tags: Productivity, Time Management, Personal Development, Coaching, NLP, Self-Compassion, Planning Fallacy
Support the Podcast with a donation: Support this Podcast
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Daniel Kaneman
- Amos Tversky
- Marie Kondo
301 episodes
Share
