But itвЂ™s not you or me thatвЂ™s вЂњbroken.вЂќ Rather, itвЂ™s the to-do list methodology thatвЂ™s screwed up. Unfortunately, when we look around and see the endless to-do list apps and productivity вЂњlife hacksвЂќ telling us to just write things down to get things done, itвЂ™s no wonder we think we are the problem.

I started telling myself I was вЂњbad at managing my timeвЂќ and began acting accordingly. This happened to me: I allowed myself to believe I was the kind of person who was вЂњeasily distracted,вЂќ and I therefore became increasingly distractible. We stop asking whether our time management system is no good and start to believe, вЂњMaybe I am no good.вЂќ вЂњI must have a short attention span.вЂќДЇaced with the constant dissonance between what weвЂ™ve promised to do and what we actually accomplish, we begin to see ourselves as the problem. We repeat this cycle until eventually, and subconsciously, the narrative begins to change from what we do to who we are. вЂњIвЂ™ll finish it tomorrow,вЂќ we tell ourselves. Day after day, week after week, year after year, the fact that we donвЂ™t do as we say takes a toll.Д®ventually, we begrudgingly accept not following through.

Having a constant reminder that you didnвЂ™t do what you said youвЂ™d do cements a self-stereotype. What kind of identity does an ever-incomplete to-do list reinforce? Though there havenвЂ™t been direct studies, one can infer from existing research that it isnвЂ™t a positive one.

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