Episode 230

230 Leslie Shreve - Conquer Your To-Do List: Strategies for a More Productive Day

Welcome back to SaaS Fuel, the podcast where we delve deep into effective strategies for scaling your SaaS business. We are excited to welcome Leslie Shreve, founder of Productive Day® and creator of Taskology®.

Leslie brings her wealth of experience in productivity coaching to help us tackle one of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs face: managing endless to-do lists and scattered tasks. We're diving into her innovative time-blocking method, a customizable system designed to balance task management and email handling without the over-reliance on productivity hacks.

Plus, stay tuned as we explore the interconnectedness of tasks, time, email, and information management to clear the path for enhanced productivity and reduced stress. Let's fuel your SaaS journey with insights that go beyond just the tools, shifting the way you manage your time and tasks for lasting impact.

Key Takeaways

04:52 Restlessness led to entrepreneurial productivity business.

08:08 Managing tasks is overwhelming with many sources.

10:58 Simplify task management to essentials, and avoid overcomplicating.

16:27 Focus on your first small, actionable step.

17:45 Plan small tasks daily from mission control.

22:55 Corporate time blocking: brief, focused morning and afternoon sessions.

24:42 Reassess, and reprioritize tasks with structured time-blocking.

29:11 Decisions on tasks should ultimately be yours.

32:20 Leaders lose time to workload management inefficiency.

34:28 Efficient time management by fast information retrieval.

37:06 Eliminate unnecessary items; organize digitally for clarity.

41:07 Reshaping remote work, empowering teams, scaling systems.

Tweetable Quotes

From Restlessness to Entrepreneurship: "There's more that I can do with my innate talents to help others and serve others." — Leslie Shreve 00:05:13

"Mastering Task Management": "I want you to know that just simplifying it to what you wanna do and when you wanna do it are the 2 most important task management pieces that you ever need to worry about." — Leslie Shreve 00:11:12

"Revolutionize Your Task Management": "What matters is what you're gonna do and when you're gonna do it." — Leslie Shreve 00:12:12

“I want everyone to start using the systems around them and maximize those." — Leslie Shreve 00:13:02

"Overcoming Procrastination: The Key is a Tiny First Step": "So what I'm encouraging everybody to do is always go for your first action step or your next action step if you've already got something going. And then that gets you into the swing of it." — Leslie Shreve 00:17:00

"Mastering Daily Prioritization": "When you get all your tasks into one inventory, we call it mission control because then they're in your vision and it's easy to prioritize." — Leslie Shreve 00:18:10

"Mastering Time Management:": "You just click and drag the one block... you don't wanna divide it, you wanna move it." — Leslie Shreve 00:27:22

"Conquering the Information Black Hole": "And so when people tell me, Oh, well, I don't go in there. That's the black hole. Well, you're gonna lose time in there, especially when they put everything on their desktop." — Leslie Shreve 00:35:04

SaaS Leadership Lessons

1. Adopt Time Blocking for Better Efficiency

Time blocking is essential for managing a hectic schedule and ensuring that critical tasks are accomplished. By dedicating specific chunks of time for focused work, managers and developers can avoid the constant interruptions that often plague their workday.

2. Customize Productivity Systems for Role-Specific Needs

Recognize that different roles within your team will have unique requirements for time management and productivity. Creatives and developers, for instance, may require extended periods of uninterrupted time, while managers may need more frequent, shorter meetings.

3. Flexibility in Task and Information Management

A strong leader knows the importance of being flexible. This includes the ability to move time blocks while ensuring essential tasks are still completed. Utilize tools, like Microsoft Outlook, to drag and adjust time blocks as needed without compromising on productivity.

4. Streamline Task and Email Management

Leaders can greatly enhance their productivity by streamlining task and email management processes. Utilize a system or app (like Asana, Trello, or Todoist) to centralize your task list, rather than keeping tasks within your email inbox.

5. Break Down Tasks into Small, Actionable Steps

A daunting project can often lead to procrastination. By breaking down tasks into small action steps, you’ll make it easier to start and complete projects efficiently.

6. Effective Decision-Making and Prioritization

Leaders must excel at making decisions and prioritizing work. This involves setting "action dates" instead of traditional due dates and maintaining a mission control center for all tasks. This helps in quickly identifying what needs immediate attention and what can be scheduled for later.