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How to actually finish your to-do list

The secret to getting it all done

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Laura
Aug 05, 2025
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If you read a lot of productivity literature, you’ll find a common assertion that “You’ll never finish your to-do list.” The idea is that there’s too much to do, and too little time to do it in. So we need to say no and prioritize relentlessly.

And there’s definitely something to that. The list of what one might attempt in life is long. But a list of all possible activities is not actually a to-do list. A to-do list is a task list for the day. With that as a definition, I often do finish my to-do list. I would say that 9 out of 10 work days I end with everything crossed off.

My secret? Trust me, I’m not doing anything special.

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