At Productive Day, we are very grateful for the work we do with our clients, who include corporate leaders, business owners, managers, professionals, and teams. We are thankful for the opportunities to help clients reach their efficiency and productivity goals, and support them in achieving greater happiness and success.
Below you will find almost one hundred client testimonials, which will share our clients’ experiences and give you an idea of their “before and after” stories. You may relate to some of the “before” stories and identify with some of the challenges our clients had been dealing with before they came to Productive Day.
We hope you enjoy reading these client stories and testimonials and get excited about the possibilities for workday productivity—whether for yourself or for your team (or both!)—as you discover the many benefits our clients have gained from learning Taskology.
Before Productive Day, I would describe a typical day as reactive. Unplanned fire drills and urgent matters ultimately took most of my time and attention. It was draining, knowing that I had a lot to do, but not having it all in one place. Email was another frustration, as it just accumulated. It seemed like my email Inbox was controlling me instead of the other way around. I saved emails to address at later dates, but in many cases, I never got back to them. As new email came in, older ones fell farther from the top of the list even though they contained action items I needed to address.
Ultimately, I suffered from ‘task inertia’ since tasks were floating in my head, sitting in random to-do lists, or stuck in email. Intuitively, I knew my critical tasks, but my system made it difficult to prioritize all my tasks in one consolidated place. I couldn’t intentionally plan tasks or gauge the time I needed to plan my day. Occasionally, I also created problems for others by not addressing matters they need to advance their workflows.
Some tasks received action, but sometimes, what got action wasn’t necessarily the priority items. And worse, some things just didn’t get done at all. This led to potential challenges that were inhibiting business development, team engagement, and wellbeing. It was frustrating to not feel intentional about my schedule or workload.
More often than not, I simply believed that “This is just the way it is.” At other times, I questioned if it was a capacity challenge. Did I need to delegate more? Or did I just need to work more hours and stay up later to get it all done? Or was there an alternative way to do this?
Now, with Taskology, I have a better system to manage many different hats during the day and still perform at a high level. I feel like I have more control of my tasks and schedule, and I’m more intentional about how I use my time. Tasks are consolidated and I feel good about what I accomplish each day. I also have a process to take care of email, and I can get my Inbox to zero every day. I’ve described this system as ‘liberating’ and estimate that I’m spending 50% less time in my email Inbox. I feel less stressed, more in control of my day, and much more productive.
I’ve tried a lot of different systems over time, like spreadsheets, apps, and Outlook. But nothing seemed to stick. But now, Taskology is working for me.
I used to be really reactive in my workday. I was running around putting out fires and I really didn’t have a lot of control over my work life. My stress was much, much higher, because my day was confusing. I didn’t have a way of getting all my tasks in a place where I could keep track of them and things would fall through the cracks. I had thousands of emails in my two Inboxes and I would lose things there, too. When I needed to find something, I’d scramble through old emails to try and find an attachment, but that just doesn’t happen anymore. Those days are gone.
Now, my work days are pretty easy. Managing tasks is way easier. Learning the way to streamline my tasks makes a big difference. It’s like I am now 100% in control. I know what’s a high priority, what’s a low priority, and I know what I’m doing each day. It’s all there. Before, I would have considered myself a master at multitasking. But I wasn’t really a master and multitasking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Now I focus on finishing what I start before moving on to the next thing.
I’ve saved an estimated 3 to 4 hours per day and I spend about 50% less time on email each day. Now I’m excited to get through my emails. It’s fun and easy, and it feels awesome to get to zero every day. Most people don’t believe it, so that’s kind of fun. I used to always check my emails at night and wonder if I forgot something or missed something. Now I don’t worry about email at night anymore. It’s definitely made the day easier. I find myself being more proactive and I feel like I’m a better team member, because I can actually participate and contribute without worrying about what else I should be doing. I definitely have more time for thinking and strategic planning, I’ve been working less on nights and weekends, and I’m fitting in more golf, which is great. I feel happier and more empowered, and I have more peace of mind.
I used to be pretty negative about my workday. I just thought this is what work is going to be like for the rest of my life and didn’t think it could improve. But now I feel very positive when I wake up in the morning and I don’t dread what’s in my email Inbox. I’m more focused energized, because I know I’m going to accomplish something. I wish I’d found this system sooner. Had I known how much this would simplify my work life, I would have done it sooner, but I didn’t know about it. When we were introduced by a mutual acquaintance of ours and he said, ‘I think this system would be perfect for you,’ it turned out he was right. It’s a great system.
Prior to Taskology, I had my email open most of the day on a separate screen, responding to it constantly. I tried to complete priority tasks at the same time as responding to email, creating inefficiencies. I also wasn’t strategic about planning tasks. I had duplicate tasks on multiple lists and I spent time organizing to-do lists that could have been spent on completing tasks. I was working more nights and weekends to complete tasks and completing tasks closer to deadlines, resulting in increased stress. Now that I have a better plan for tasks every day, I have more clarity on my workload, availability, and capacity. This helps me better determine what I might need to delegate and set expectations for my clients and family members.
With Taskology, I’ve saved at least an hour a day and now I have more time to do priority work during regular working hours. I’m more intentional and strategic about accepting meetings and I’m more careful making decisions about how many meetings I’ll take in one day and when they are scheduled to create larger blocks of time to complete tasks. Taskology makes it easier to manage email, too, because I have a process to follow to get back to zero every day, resulting in a reduction of time I spend on email each day.
When I started in my new role, I struggled to keep up with new tasks and figure out how to balance them with tasks from my previous role, which created a sense of overwhelm. My previous processes for managing tasks and email weren’t holding up anymore. Now I’m able to effectively function in my role and I can get things done in less time using Taskology. I feel 100% more efficient and effective, and my stress level is definitely down.
I used to use paper, post it notes, and my memory to keep track of things to do, as well as my email Inbox, and I knew it wasn’t ideal. So, I was always thinking, “What’s the most efficient way to do all of the things I need to do?” I tried to use Outlook Tasks at least three times over several years, but I ended up going back to using email to drive my day. I didn’t think it was possible to use a digital task list, because it didn’t seem practical to me.
But the Taskology Task List is different. I can commit to using it because of how it’s made tasks more manageable. The formula you taught was very helpful and now I can accomplish my work using an actual game plan instead of working from the latest email that’s come in. It’s great to do my work on my own terms instead of letting email dictate what I will work on next.
In the past, I was so overwhelmed with emails that I just gave up on any other method. To get a handle on it, I would just work from the top down in my email Inbox. It was very stressful. But now, with the method I learned in Taskology, I’m able to spend 40% less time on my email each day.
For 23 years, I never believed it was possible to have a completely clear inbox and not miss things. But now I know it’s possible and I can manage my work more easily with an actual game plan for how to get things done. Taskology has saved me at least 1 hour a day and I feel like I’m more efficient in the use of my time during the day. Taskology has given me a good framework to run my day more effectively using strategies I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. Plus, sharing updates and being accountable on a regular basis means you’ll be more successful. I definitely feel more efficient and I’m going to stick with it. It’s the right strategy for me.
Learning Taskology has had a big impact on me. I feel like I am a pretty tech-savvy person, but Leslie showed me how to be more efficient and productive using her methodology with my existing tools and now I save at least 1 hour a day and I’m spending 40% less time in my email Inbox.
Before Taskology, my workday could be overwhelming. Executives live under a pile of information, which pours in from email, phone calls, Teams chats, people stopping by, etc… Everything went into a pile and locating the priority was like looking for a needle in a haystack. I felt like I was always paddling upstream. The old way of doing things made it much more difficult to jump on new opportunities.
But now, I feel relief and a higher level of confidence and control. I have a new mindset for managing my time. I have full control of my calendar and I don’t let others set priorities for me. I can access my tasks more easily, which makes it easy to avoid overpromising to others. My daily plan is balanced, realistic, and easy to maintain. I’m more ready and prepared, and I can take action in a timely manner.
Now I know that my email Inbox is not my agenda. Living in the email inbox invites too much noise into your business world, so having the power to get tasks and information out of my email is game-changing. Getting to zero in the Inbox has been great! I can close my laptop and go home without running through my head all the things that were left in the Inbox to do tomorrow.
Being efficient and having information at my fingertips has had a positive impact. I now have a better handle on the quality of solutions and services we’re delivering to clients. I can maintain a constant and robust pipeline of new business and be more engaged with our clients. I can also be more engaged with employees to handle their needs and solve issues in a timely manner.
We’ve identified some aggressive growth goals for the next two years, which would represent an approximate 35% growth in our business. My new-found levels of efficiency and productivity will help me reach these goals going forward. My whole plan is laid out in front of me and I’m confident that I can execute on it. I’m happier, more focused, less stressed, and more relaxed.
In the past, I used paper and sticky notes to try to keep track of what I needed to do. Plus, I’d save emails in the Inbox and use it as a to-do list. As my Inbox grew and my to-do list grew, so did my frustration. I felt like I was losing track of all the different pieces of what I needed to do and I really worried about being able to stay on top of projects so I could drive them forward. Moving everything from paper to the computer was a huge win for me and it never occurred to me that I could get my Inbox to zero. I used to read emails over and over again, but managing email doesn’t feel daunting anymore. And an empty Inbox is amazing! It’s the best therapy I’ve ever had. (I also like that I don’t lose track of sticky notes when I travel now. That makes it hard to follow-up on a to-do list, if the sticky note is left behind on a plane.)
Before Taskology, I had a lot of stress, which spilled over into my family time in a negative way. Now my stress is down, I have more quality family time, and I sleep a lot better, too. My husband tells me I still talk about work a lot, but also that I am a better listener and more engaged.
I’m much more current with tasks and information, and I can address hot issues much sooner. I’m also able to be more strategic and drive projects forward more consistently. I have time now to dig in and see what’s missing for this company and I can drive operations to make some really significant changes, and then stay on track with those changes.
I have peace of mind at work now, because I have the Task List and I know everything will be attended to. I used to feel like I couldn’t start a project unless I could create a large block of time to do it all, but now I know it’s possible to take small, manageable next steps to move it forward and not lose sight of the whole project. I’m a lot more centered, focused, prepared, and really comfortable in my role.
Feeling behind and stressed at work means I don’t enjoy any part of my job, but I really enjoy my job when I have the time to actually do it. Taskology has given me that time. I’ve saved at least 1-2 hours a day, I’ve increased my efficiency, and my whole work world feels much more manageable.
Before, I used to put tasks on my calendar. If I got them done, it was great, but if I didn’t, they might not be carried forward and they could get lost. I flagged a lot of emails for follow up, too, and I would look at those emails multiple times without taking action. My approach to getting some of my tasks completed was a little haphazard and it was sometimes overwhelming to keep up with so many things to do from so many places. It was hard to keep them all straight.
Now I know I can have one central repository for all my tasks. Taskology gives me one place where I can plan action for tasks and prioritize them, which gives me a greater sense of clarity. I now have peace of mind that nothing is going to fall through the cracks. I’m not worried I’ll forget something, which lowers my stress. I also have more time to pursue business development opportunities and spend time with my team. I’m managing my clients and candidates better, too. I’m more methodical and intentional about following up, and they’re getting more attention as a result.
In total, Taskology has helped me streamline my workday so I can be more efficient and proactive, and at the end of the day, I feel more accomplished and satisfied. I didn’t know what was possible in the beginning, but now that I’ve learned Taskology, I can say it’s everything I ever wanted, but didn’t know I needed.
Before, there were so many tasks coming in it was overwhelming. I had no way to manage them appropriately. I tackled them one by one as they came in, skipping the hard ones and the ones that would take too much time. Email was overwhelming, too. I was bombarded and all my spare time between meetings was used to just crank through emails, but then I was missing out on time to get my work done.
Now I can think with more clarity. Taskology helped me get a grip on my projects and reel them in to a manageable state. I don’t have to use to-do lists that get mis-handled or mis-placed, and I don’t have to rewrite lists and start over. Everything I need to do is all in the same place. I have the ability to prioritize tasks as my needs change, which makes it easy to use. It’s user friendly.
Managing email in Taskology is a lot easier, too. I spend 25% less time on email each day. The number of emails I receive hasn’t changed, but I’m managing them better and I’m a lot faster now.
In my job, managing projects is like managing chaos and in the past, I believed that this was what the job entailed. This is how it’s going to be. I didn’t think it would ever get better. I thought I would just have to work more hours to keep up, which I did. I had to work a couple of hours on most weeknights and on weekends, too. I constantly felt pushed beyond the limits of my capabilities and that took a toll on my health. It was affecting my sleep and increasing my stress.
But now I know I had unrealistic goals. I used to push myself to do as much as possible every day. I felt so pressured. But now I know that it’s not the number of emails you’re getting. It’s how you process them that matters. And it’s not the number of tasks you have to do. It’s planning and prioritizing them correctly that counts.
Now my day is streamlined. I’ve saved at least an hour a day easily. I have a feeling of comfort and ease, knowing I’m doing everything I can to keep up with tasks and email. Taskology provides you with a very easy method to do that. It’s definitely a system that works. I’ve increased my efficiency, which has led to an increased performance level and I am more productive.
What I thought previously was, “I got to this point without changing. Why would I change it now? My methods are what got me here.” But these are fights you don’t want to take on by yourself. You need help. You need a system. I know I wouldn’t have done this on my own. Without a guide, it’s too easy to fall back on old work habits. Working with Leslie was encouraging from beginning to end.
Before, the majority of my day was reactive. It was not well planned or well thought out, and that added to my stress. To-do lists were all over the place and my calendar was not very thorough or well utilized. My email Inbox was another to-do list, but I was overwhelmed with thousands of emails and I never knew where to start. I’d put out fires, but other things were never completed, because I was always interrupted. I was ending each day unsatisfied with my production, because I was not able to accomplish the tasks I set out to do each day. That meant taking work home in the evenings, which took time away from my family. I was always thinking, ‘How am I going to get all of this done?’
Now my day is simplified. Taskology has made it a lot easier to keep up. My tasks are consolidated, I can be more proactive and I have more time for me on the calendar. I can do more planning and prioritizing, and I always know what I can accomplish from day to day. And even though staff and workload have both increased, my workload is not as overwhelming. I’m always getting things done and I feel more productive. With Taskology, I’ve not only reduced the length of my workday, but I’ve also gained at least 1 ½ hours per day. I have more time to work with my team and I feel more in tune with what’s going on with projects. I can spend time having face-to-face conversations more often, which makes a big difference in strengthening relationships. I also spend at least 40% less time on email each day. The system is very easy to manage and the file structure is great. I’m not searching to find emails or attachments anymore, and I know exactly where I’m putting everything I want to save.
Overall, I feel more efficient, effective and productive. I feel relieved and a lot less stressed. I’m not overworked, overwhelmed or run down anymore. I am better rested and I enjoy coming in to work every day. Best of all, I don’t take my work home anymore. There is no need to take my laptop home at night to catch up on email. I’m spending more time with my family and it feels great.
I used to think writing to-do lists and crossing things off was the way to manage my day. I’d use sticky notes and keep a lot in my head. Emails would pile up in the Inbox and I’d flag important emails, but newer emails would overpower the older ones and I wouldn’t get back to all of them. Things would definitely slip through the cracks, which caused me a lot of anxiety. I was always worried that I missed something and this made me feel like I couldn’t get my act together. I felt like I couldn’t manage my time well or that I couldn’t plan well, and overall I felt like I just wasn’t as efficient as I could be.
With Taskology, a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I can tackle anything that comes my way. I have the control now—I control everything. I feel empowered and efficient, because Taskology makes it easy. I can go into work knowing what I need to do. I’m not walking into chaos, because my day is set up before it even starts.
Now I can get to the tasks I wanted to do and they’re achievable. I have more confidence in my ability to get things done. I used to think the email Inbox controlled my life. Now I control the Inbox and I’m no longer overwhelmed. I can take action on every email and get it out of the Inbox right away. I spend an hour or less in the Inbox each day—about 90% less time than I used to.
Taskology is a breath of fresh air. Business is in order. I’m able to focus my attention on making changes and improvements for the business, having meaningful conversations with people in the company to make progress, and I can now take on new projects, because I have time back in my workday to pursue them.
Taskology has made it a lot easier for me to function in my workday. I’m more proactive and productive, and I feel accomplished at the end of the day. And when I’m at home, I don’t have to think about anything else at work.
I’ve always considered myself organized and detail-oriented, and I used to believe I could handle my workday processes on my own. That changed when I saw what was possible from a colleague, who had recently learned Taskology. He showed me what he accomplished and at that point, I decided I could use some help.
Before, I used my email Inbox as my to-do list in addition to using paper to-do lists, and I printed emails to remind me of things to do. I would save everything, thinking I needed to be aware of everything or be a part of everything. I stashed a lot of papers into a file cabinet without a system to help me find them again, and it became “The Abyss.” I stored a lot of emails in email folders, which caused me to do a lot of searching when I needed to find something. I couldn’t always remember what folder I used to store emails and that was stressful and frustrating—especially when I needed something quickly for a person on the phone or someone standing in my office.
In the past, I’d think, “It shouldn’t be this hard,” but I figured everyone had to deal with chaotic workdays and I just needed to deal with it too. My stress was high, I was losing time, and my efficiency and productivity were limited. I didn’t know there was a solution like Taskology available to me.
Having learned Taskology, now I know what my true priorities are for the day, and I don’t come into the office each day to face instant chaos. I don’t spend time creating to-do lists on paper anymore and I don’t spend my weekend worrying about what the coming week would bring. I’m amazed at the number of things I kept and didn’t do anything with. Now I don’t hold on to as much as I used to and I delegate more. I evaluate much more carefully the information I need to keep and the actions I need to take.
Taskology is a “difference maker.” I’m more efficient with planning and execution, and my stress is down. Getting to zero in my Inbox has removed the overwhelm and has given me a new attitude. I’m on top of things now and I feel like I can better handle what’s on my plate. I’m prioritizing better, procrastinating less, and I have more time for higher-level thinking and strategizing. And now I want my team to learn Taskology so we can be more efficient, focused and productive as a team.
Prior to learning Taskology, I was buried in emails, my electronic files were all over the place and I was operating without a ‘system.’ I came to work most days feeling like I had a hundred things hanging over my head and nowhere near enough time to get everything accomplished. I felt that I was rushing through tasks simply in an effort to show some progress versus spending the appropriate time necessary to do my best work. Since learning Taskology, I feel like I am in control. I no longer dread opening my email or looking at my calendar. I go to meetings far more prepared than in the past and I actually have time to look to the future and plan. This process has truly been enlightening!”
I used to use to-do lists, daily planners, and flagged emails to keep track of things to do, but with tasks in different places, it was hard to prioritize. Important things were slipping through the cracks. I thought I had a better memory for keeping track of the most important things to do and when things were due. But without having a complete system I was losing time, efficiency and progress. As hard as I tried to stay on top of things, it was cumbersome to keep track of tasks and remember everything I needed to do as new tasks hit me.
As for my time, it was unfocused. I was wasting time trying to find things and got distracted by things that weren’t necessarily the most productive use of my time. I was wasting time on email, too, trying to figure out which one was most important and what to do next. I was flagging emails and then I had a huge list of flagged emails, and I wasn’t quite sure why I flagged them, what next steps to take or what to do with each one.
Now with Taskology my day is easier, more systematic, less stressed and more in control. Everything is centralized. I don’t need to worry about forgetting things or finding things, and I won’t lose track of what needs to be done. Nothing has to fall through the cracks. I know I can do what needs to be done each day, and I can definitely take advantage of more opportunities to generate revenue for the company.
I also have more time to work on my priorities. I’m definitely saving more than an hour a day using Taskology. I am much less distracted and more productive with my time. Email is so much easier to manage, too. It’s easier to dispense with emails and I’m saving time, because I’m not looking for things and I’m not going back to flagged emails.
I’ve learned a lot of different systems over the years, but I didn’t fully use any one of them. Taskology is a lot easier than other systems to make an ingrained part of my day.
In the past, I didn’t have a consistent process for managing things to do and moving them forward. I was not as thoughtful about how to manage my time and, as a result, I was reactive to interruptions, multitasking and email. I was wasting an inordinate amount of time each day, often wondering, “When am I ever going to get on top of all of this?” Plus, email takes so much time out of your day. I would go down the email rabbit hole and waste time looking at meaningless emails, wondering how to deal with them. I was more reactive than productive. I wasn’t managing email. Email was managing me.
Now, with Taskology, instead of turning my computer on and going straight to email, I go to my task list instead and get started. The Task List is Mission Control for me. I can concentrate more on my most important tasks, instead of being distracted by less important tasks, and I can focus on one task at a time. Plus, I have more time now and that time is more focused. With Taskology, I’ve saved at least 1 hour a day, easily. I can use my time to focus on leadership goals, revenue goals and working with my team. I can stay on top of our lead flow and I won’t miss a beat with the other parts of the business. Plus, I enjoy more personal time for me.
Email is manageable now, too, and it feels really good to get to zero a couple of times a day. I’ve learned how to manage email more efficiently and dispense with emails more quickly that I don’t need. Now I spend at least 50% less time on email every day.
My belief about my workday in the past was, “This stinks, but everybody has to deal with this,” but now I know that there is a much more efficient and effective way to manage my work. I feel tremendously more productive and a lot less stressed, and I’m looking forward to using this methodology for the remainder of my time working. Taskology has been life-changing.
Before Taskology my ‘to do’ list (or should I say lists) felt like they were overwhelming, and I wasted time hunting for emails, notes from meetings, and documents that were ‘filed’ in stacks of papers on my desk. Countless hours added up to a loss of productivity and efficiency, and—perhaps most importantly—stress that carried over into other areas of my life.
With Taskology I feel in control of my day-to-day tasks—even on days when unexpected meetings or opportunities take over my day. I can track of all of my tasks, prioritize them and handle them with ease without worrying about anything falling off my plate or being forgotten. I can also meet deadlines and often produce work ahead of schedule. Moreover, I can quickly and easily process email and find messages that I’m looking for without wasting any time “searching” for them.
Finally, one of the most important benefits I enjoy as a result of using Taskology is less stress in my work and personal life. Even if you consider yourself an organized person (I, too, had my trusted ‘notebook’ system) it’s worth taking a chance to learn the techniques of Taskology. You will save time and have less stress as a result of using a more advanced system for productivity.
In the past, I felt like I was always reactionary, like I was putting out fires and only addressing things as they appeared, especially when they became emergencies. I felt like I didn’t have enough time or any real control over my time, and I wasn’t good at managing emails. I kept email in the Inbox as a to-do list and flagged emails to highlight something important, but I didn’t have a consistent process for managing email. Things would slip through the cracks a least a couple of times a month. And when you’re not responsive, or you overpromise and under-deliver, it affects your business relationships. In our business, it’s death.
Now, with Taskology, I am significantly more efficient than before. I have a better understanding of my priorities and I have more control of how I get tasks completed. I’m not wasting any time regrouping and I actually get tasks completed earlier. With Taskology, I’ve saved at least an hour a day. I’m a better manager of my time and I can provide more realistic time frames to others. Email is much simpler to manage now, too. I spend less time sorting through emails and I make decisions faster. I’m more up to speed with the information that’s coming in and it’s easy to keep track of things to do.
Taskology is an easy system to use. Ultimately, I am more productive, I have less stress and I feel more balanced. I have a better balance of time for myself, time for my family, and time with my team. I’m a better manager to my team and relationships with clients are better, too. We’re producing more high-quality work, which sets us up for more successful projects and that allows for more opportunities to increase business.
Previously, I never felt confident in my ways of tracking tasks and with so many emails in my Inbox, prioritizing was difficult. I’d “kick the can down the road” a lot of the time, sometimes on purpose and other times inadvertently. This made me feel like I was putting out fires. Afterwards, I was usually burned out, frustrated and at times I lacked focus. Without a proven process, I often had no real plan of action. Being reactive doesn’t allow our brains the opportunity to think productively and see possibilities. I didn’t see obvious options for our products and services, and I struggled to find proper time to do the analytical work to improve our investment, loan and deposit portfolios. There had to be a better way, and while I’ve tried a lot of things in the past, I found Taskology to be simpler, more effective, easier to understand, and easier to use.
Now I have a Task List that makes it easy to see what needs to be done each day. I can prioritize better and I’m more confident that I haven’t missed something. I’m able to take action faster now on new emails and can address them within a day, usually sooner. I feel much more in control of my day. Not only that, but with more time for strategic thinking and planning, I can be more proactive. I feel like I am better able to keep up with trends and move much more quickly in response to industry changes. I am better equipped to help drive pricing and profitability for the credit union and I feel like I’m adding the value I was hired for. It’s much more fun than worrying about all the fires, especially those that I probably caused myself!
Before working with Leslie Shreve my workdays in general were often harried, confused, overwhelming, inefficient and stressful. I had trouble managing to-dos, scheduling my time, and dealing with email, which is how I spent a great deal of my day. I lost several hours per day trying to keep up with tasks and emails, which translated into less time for thinking, doing business, leading a balanced life, and getting the job done. And I thought the hours I spent on email was unavoidable—a fact of life— given the number of things I was involved in.
Now I know better. After learning Taskology, my day is more efficient and productive. I can manage tasks more easily, get things done more quickly, and I don’t lose time regrouping to figure out what I’ve done or what I’ve missed. I have more control of my calendar and my time, I can prioritize more effectively, and I know how many tasks to plan per day. And as for email, I spend a LOT less time on it. I know how to manage them and clear them out instead of leaving them in the Inbox, wasting time reviewing them again and again.
What used to linger for months is now getting done much faster. I feel more efficient, effective, and productive. I have more time to think and strategize, and I have a more balanced, satisfying work and life experience.
I used to use a notebook for keeping track of tasks, but a lot of things would get lost, and I always wondered if something had been missed or forgotten. My email Inbox was a to-do list, too. It was also the ‘I don’t know what to do with this yet’ box. I’d get new emails, but they’d build up, because I still didn’t know what to do with the old ones. I often wondered, “Is there something here I didn’t do?” It was almost impossible to keep up, and it was frustrating and stressful.
Taskology simplified the way to manage tasks and email, and made my day so much easier. I have the time to actually do the things I need to do and I’m using time more effectively. I’m not wasting time looking for things like attachments, e-documents, email, or a task I may have written somewhere in my notebook. I’m getting more accomplished and there are no old issues that will pop up and surprise me.
Managing tasks is just wonderful now with Taskology. The Task List is a time-saver, because everything is all in one place and there’s no rewriting of tasks every day. The Task List just makes sense. It works really, really well for me. I also love the email process that I learned with Taskology, which makes managing email so easy. Now I know I don’t have to keep emails in the Inbox to know what needs to be done. Email is not overwhelming or stressful anymore, and I can get to zero several times a day.
Before, I was spending so much time thinking about what to do and looking for emails, tasks and information, instead of just doing the tasks. Now I can be more proactive. I’m saving at least two hours a day and I feel like I’ve doubled my productivity. I’m relieved, I’m happier and I feel more efficient. And I’m a better employee, too. Taskology is amazing.
When I decided to learn Taskology, I didn’t know what to expect. I was doubtful it would truly change how I would manage my day, but it did. I’m much better off now than I was before. I love it.
I used to manage tasks in multiple ways with paper notes, flagged emails, and excel spreadsheets. Tasks were all over the place, email was overwhelming and I spent time looking for things. There were more emails in my Inbox than were manageable. I would plan to go back to read emails later, but it never happened. The big stuff would get done, but some of the little stuff fell through the cracks, which caused a lot of fire drills. I had to drop everything to get these tasks accomplished at the last minute.
With Taskology, I’m getting things done faster now. I’m calmer about my workload without my workload changing, because I have better clarity about when and how to get things done. With the Task List, I can manage tasks all in one place, which gives me much more clarity. I can determine my daily and weekly priorities, and nothing gets left out or forgotten. The fire drills are gone. Now I actually have a plan that makes me more proactive versus reactive. I can plan my time, use it more wisely and achieve my goals. When I have little bits of time—5, 10 or 15 minutes—I can knock things out instead of using that time to try to figure out what to do next. And managing email is easy. I never knew what was possible for managing email, but now I know I can manage it in a more effective way. The process is seamless and has been instrumental in getting down to zero every day. I’m not as overwhelmed anymore and I’m not stressed about missing something.
I have been reading books for 20 years trying to figure out how to better manage my schedule and the work I needed to accomplish. I feel way better now using Taskology. It’s better than what I expected. It’s awesome!
When I decided to learn Taskology, I didn’t know what to expect. I was doubtful it would truly change how I would manage my day, but it did. I’m much better off now than I was before. I love it.
I used to manage tasks in multiple ways with paper notes, flagged emails, and excel spreadsheets. Tasks were all over the place, email was overwhelming and I spent time looking for things. There were more emails in my Inbox than were manageable. I would plan to go back to read emails later, but it never happened. The big stuff would get done, but some of the little stuff fell through the cracks, which caused a lot of fire drills. I had to drop everything to get these tasks accomplished at the last minute.
With Taskology, I’m getting things done faster now. I’m calmer about my workload without my workload changing, because I have better clarity about when and how to get things done. With the Task List, I can manage tasks all in one place, which gives me much more clarity. I can determine my daily and weekly priorities, and nothing gets left out or forgotten. The fire drills are gone. Now I actually have a plan that makes me more proactive versus reactive. I can plan my time, use it more wisely and achieve my goals. When I have little bits of time—5, 10 or 15 minutes—I can knock things out instead of using that time to try to figure out what to do next. And managing email is easy. I never knew what was possible for managing email, but now I know I can manage it in a more effective way. The process is seamless and has been instrumental in getting down to zero every day. I’m not as overwhelmed anymore and I’m not stressed about missing something.
I have been reading books for 20 years trying to figure out how to better manage my schedule and the work I needed to accomplish. I feel way better now using Taskology. It’s better than what I expected. It’s awesome!
Before Taskology, I felt like I wasn’t getting to half of what I needed to do in my day. Sometimes, I felt like I wasn’t getting anything done at all. Email was overwhelming. I wasn’t doing anything to manage it and I deleted nothing. Email would just sit there and I would look at it over and over again. That cost me a lot of time to search when I needed to find something and it took my focus away from the task at hand. There was too much multi-tasking going on. I was losing too much time and adding stress to my day, without a doubt.
The efficiencies I’ve gained from using Taskology have helped me save at least 2-3 hours per day and I’m spending 30% less time on my email. My new level of productivity has reduced the need for me to open my laptop on Saturdays and Sundays, because I’m more effective with my time during the week.
I’m aware of all of my tasks now, too, because they’re front and center. Before, I would second guess myself and wonder whether something was really done. I had fears of tasks being missed or incomplete or inaccurate. But now I have the ability to complete tasks with more confidence. I can identify what’s critical and not critical. My ability to prioritize is right on target and I can plan action for tasks on different days.
I’m much more proactive instead of feeling stuck in a reactionary process all day. I can manage my primary job with more focus and still make things happen elsewhere on other projects. I feel more regimented, less overwhelmed, and a lot more energetic. Now I’m excited to start each day.
I’ve tried other lists and tools in the past and there’s no comparison to Taskology. I feel relief, gratitude, and a lot less stress.
Before working with Leslie Shreve at Productive Day I felt like I was a slave to my Inbox. I was constantly reactive. I would waste time reading e-mails more than once – opening and reading them again and again, wondering, “Did I miss something?” I felt uncertain about what I had coming in and what I should be focusing on. Everything was a number one priority.
To manage to-dos, I had sticky notes on my monitor, my spotlight list, two notepads, my white board, and my memory. I was feeling stressed, I was losing track of tasks for myself and those I had assigned to others, and I was losing time. I really thought I had a reasonable handle on things, but in the back of my mind I thought, “There’s got to be a better way.”
And now I know there is a better way. Working with Leslie and using Taskology has helped me get rid of all the noise. I’ve distilled things down to what’s most important. I know what my priorities are and I can work on them with confidence, knowing I’m moving the company in the right direction.
I used to stay late weeding through e-mails and trying to prioritize at the end of the day, but now I have more free time and I’m not at the office as late anymore. I feel liberated because my Inbox is not my to-do list anymore.
You can liberate yourself from e-mail. Managing tasks is easy with Taskology and keeping up is very do-able. You need a system to follow, but then it’s up to you to have the discipline to actually do it.
My longtime efforts to prioritize tasks and manage time was hallmarked with post-it notes, lists, continual reminders, and details that impeded my ability to address more significant issues. It is a challenge to change old ways, but Taskology has made it possible for me to incorporate new work habits that have resulted in increased productivity.
With Taskology, I have total peace of mind. Everything is taken care of. I am now managing my tasks to a better and incredibly more efficient level with Taskology, and I am more in control of my time. I can put first things first and I’m not worried anymore about what I might have missed from the day before. I have realized that better task management has had a positive effect on my ability to control my time.
It’s gratifying to have an easy process to handle email, too, and I actually look forward to getting email now, because I know how to manage it more easily. Every email gets addressed and it’s very satisfying to keep my Inbox at zero every day, often several times a day.
Now, I’m in a position where I’m balanced and flexible so I can take advantage of some of the great opportunities that come along every week. I feel more efficient and productive, more at ease and less stressed, and I have more personal time to enjoy life. I’m getting more accomplished in a shorter period of time and by the end of the day, I feel great! Taskology = Success.
Where would I be without you? I originally wondered how a productivity consultant could help me. As a CEO I thought I was being very productive, but I also knew I could be more organized. After completing your program I am much more productive and much more efficient. I manage my time better, make great use of my task list and I’m also better able to keep up with email. The change has been very noticeable to everyone in our organization.
I no longer get overwhelmed with having too much to do and feel more in control of my entire day. I have also learned to keep my office organized, which may seem trivial, but actually makes me more productive. And I was so happy with my results that anytime I talk to someone who feels overwhelmed I tell them to call you.
Before Taskology, I was the Post-it note queen and I also used my calendar for managing to-dos, which was very stressful. It looked like I had a lot more to do when I really only had a few meetings a week. I was working too reactively and got frustrated when I couldn’t finish the things I wanted to do each day. Email was stressful, too, because they would scroll off the screen and it wasn’t easy to stay on top of it. Now, with Taskology, I don’t feel like I have to get everything done immediately. I have a plan of action made up of manageable steps that are easy to plan and prioritize. I feel more balanced and less stressed about managing tasks, emails, e-documents and attachments. I’m not getting stuck in the Inbox anymore and I’ve saved at least an hour a day because I can find things faster and easier. I feel empowered by my Task List because I can work with more focus and efficiency, and when my day changes, I’m ready for anything. My time away from work is more enjoyable, too, because I’m not thinking about what I might have missed or forgotten to do. I’m working proactively instead of reactively and I’m accomplishing more tasks. It feels good to make progress!
I thought I was efficient before—and I was good at what I did—but I’m definitely more efficient now with Taskology. It has saved me so much time and effort to accomplish what I need to do.
I would describe my prior workdays as hectic and uncertain. I never knew what I had to do each day and because I didn’t have a plan, it cost me a lot of time. I also lost opportunities—some being small opportunities that could eventually turn into bigger ones later. Most times I didn’t know where to start when I fell behind. There were emails I just didn’t get to and it wasn’t unheard of for me to spend 12 hours a day to complete my tasks.
Now, with Taskology, I have more control of my time. I have a system that helps me get things done faster and easier, and I’m more prepared. I have a game plan every morning and that means I don’t have to waste time trying to figure out where to start. I can travel more to other locations, stay connected with my managers and focus on what’s critical. I have a whole new perspective on my job! With this system, I realize it doesn’t take more work to be organized, efficient or productive. This system has completely changed my life!
I learned a lot working with Leslie using her Taskology system. I especially liked the coaching calls Leslie offers to go along with the videos. It makes the training real and helps motivate you to bring the change. I benefited from the Taskology system because now I know all of the things I am tracking. Since I manage multiple projects and priorities, it’s very important for me to feel confident in my tracking system. I had tried other methods – like David Allen’s Getting Things Done and Franklin Covey – but I found Taskology to be simpler and easier to adopt and put into action. And I’m a technology user, so I found it useful that everything in Leslie’s approach is digital! I would definitely recommend Taskology to others!
My work day prior to working with Leslie Shreve was much more reactive instead of proactive. I didn’t have a game plan or an easy way to prioritize using paper to-do lists. I reacted to e-mails and issues that came up instead of consistently planning and accomplishing tasks. I wasn’t organized, focused or thinking clearly.
Now that I’ve learned Leslie’s Taskology system, I’m more focused, proactive and purposeful about getting things done. I use the Task list religiously, instead of using the e-mail Inbox as a to-do list, and I’m able to prioritize and follow up according to a plan that includes everything. After working with Leslie, I realized that answering e-mails wasn’t getting work done. It was activity, but not productivity. Now I feel much more satisfied and accomplished at the end of the day. I process e-mails more efficiently and keep my Inbox low. I’m using my time more proactively—looking for development opportunities—and I’m moving forward instead of just trying to keep up.
Plus, the benefits translate over into my home life, too. When I’m not at work, I’m focused on my family and I’m not worried about what I might be missing or what I forgot or what the plan is for tomorrow. I have faith and trust in the system. I’m thinking clearly, I’m in control of my day and I have peace of mind.
I had a misconception that being in a leadership position meant higher stress on the job, but now I know that’s not true. Taskology has helped me become more productive, effective and efficient. I feel more confident and in control and, as a result, I feel relief and a lot less stress.
Before Taskology, I had a lot of different tasks to do and no real list to keep track. Keeping it all in my mind made it hard to know which way to go, which was stressful. I was always questioning: ‘What’s the priority and how fast can I do it?’ I had too much on my plate and no plan to get it all done. On top of that, I never realized the impact of email on my day. There is no way I could have kept up with what I had in my Inbox and it took a lot of time to manage it. I also used to spend so much of my time trying to find emails, attachments and documents.
With Taskology, it’s much simpler to manage tasks. I’ve learned that a system doesn’t need to be rigid to be effective. Taskology is flexible, and tasks and follow ups are much easier to manage. I’m more efficient in my actions and more effective with my time, especially because I don’t have to stop and think about what to do next. I’ve got my email Inbox under control and I’m saving at least 45 minutes a day by managing email more effectively. I’m also saving 20% of my time each day because I can find emails, attachments and documents when I need them.
It could have taken me 10 or more years of experience on the job to get to this level of efficiency and effectiveness—or I may never have reached this level on my own— but Taskology has saved me this time and helped me become a better leader. I can do more high-level and strategic thinking and planning ahead, which have increased our levels of readiness and preparedness as a company.
The way I was working before cost me a lot of time, which led to a lot of stress. I felt scattered. My task management was fragmented and it felt like I was spinning my wheels. I used a lot of notepads to make to-do lists, which only seemed to keep growing, and there wasn’t any time management or calendar management happening. I didn’t have the time to do follow-ups with my team and I’d be driving home at night, remembering things I should have followed up on during the day. And with email, I kept everything! At the time, I felt like I had a system and I thought I was keeping up, but I really didn’t have a system. I was being more reactive than proactive, and I was never really productive before.
Now with Taskology, I’m more confident in my workday systems. Managing tasks is simpler. With the task list, you know your goals for the day and you know exactly what you’re doing. It’s nice to have it all right there, already planned out. I’m not wasting any time looking through multiple notebooks for what to do next. The time management strategy allows me time to follow-up with my team so I have a better handle on what they’re doing. I’m meeting project deadlines more consistently and I’m getting out to visit job sites more often. With Taskology, I’ve saved at least 2 hours a day. And managing email works wonderfully. Now I have a system for processing email and getting to zero, and I’m spending about 20% less time on email every day.
Before, I had no idea how to make my workday better. I knew there had to be a solution, but I didn’t know what it was. Now I know there is a system. I trust the system and it makes me more productive. My mind is at ease at the end of the day, because I’m actually getting things accomplished. I don’t work late as often as I used to and I get home from work at a decent time. I feel more efficient and productive, and less stressed.
In the past, I used legal pads and a sea of post-it notes to plan my day, my week, everything. I needed to find better way of managing my time and the day-to-day tasks that were coming at me. I had more than 7,000 emails in my Inbox, too. It was outrageous! To find things and know what was urgent was very difficult. It was overwhelming. I’d have no time to map things out so I was cramming all day long. I constantly felt in a scramble to keep up. It cost me time in my days and a lot of stress. Then I started a new role and what worked in the past wasn’t working anymore. I needed Taskology.
Now I feel more in control and on top of things. There’s less static and clutter, and I’m making better, faster decisions. I have a better handle on the volume of what needs to be done and on what my work week will look like. I have protected time on my calendar for work and I’m more productive with my time. Email is the best because I have less than 50 emails in my inbox and I’m not drowning in email. I’m using Taskology every day and it is habit. I don’t feel overwhelmed anymore.
Before implementing Taskology, my days were filled with trying to manage email, work group environments, calendars, meetings, etc. All of these things resulted in actions items for which I or others were responsible. On a day to day basis, it was challenging trying to manage the various platforms and my responsibilities. Things would often fall in the cracks simply because of the volume of activity in which I was involved and the myriad of different places that information resided.
Taskology became a simple solution. I don’t have to reference different systems to manage what I need to do each day. Everything is in one system and the process ensures nothing is forgotten. I have confidence that everything is taken care of and I have no concerns about remembering what to do. I’ve saved at least an hour a day and with that time I can do more things and I can do them better. I’m more focused and less distracted by what isn’t being done. I feel more in control and I feel better at the end of the day. Taskology was a good system to learn during the pandemic, too. Nothing was missed or dropped during such a fast-paced time. I would have definitely spent more time and energy without Taskology.
In the past, my workdays were pretty chaotic. I had an idea of what I wanted to accomplish each day, but then emails and calls would come in, and everything changed. I was very reactive. It felt like I was always catching up and never able tackle what I really wanted to get done for the day, because there was never any plan of action. Anything I could think of went into my notebook or on any piece of paper or I would send myself an email to remember things to do. I constantly had notes everywhere and there were a lot of missed tasks. Plus, I had thousands of emails in my Inbox. I wasn’t deleting, filing or making quick decisions. I’m pretty sure some emails were lost, too. I may not have gone back to some emails and may have even missed out on some business, because I felt too busy to fit it all in.
Now with Taskology, my Task List helps me put my attention on the right things. I know exactly where to start and what to focus on. It’s easy to use and I always accomplish what I want to accomplish each day. In my email Inbox, it’s refreshing to see the white space. I can make quick decisions now about email instead of flagging and having to come back to them later. Now I know that email should not be overlooked. Each one has a place and a purpose, or it gets deleted. I’m following up on all of my business leads, there are no loose ends and my boss is seeing a difference as well. I feel really good. I feel much more efficient and productive.
My biggest takeaways here were the complete reorganization of my email and electronic document filing systems. I had what can only be described as “The Andy Method” prior to Taskology. This method was riddled with pitfalls. I learned I was saving too much, keeping things for far too long, and not organizing them in any manner that allowed quick access. Since completing Taskology, I’ve searched for a few things and I definitely located them faster than before. Going forward, I have full confidence I will spend A LOT less time securing what I am trying to find.
Another huge help has been the Task List. While I was always able to manage my tasks and follow-ups prior to this training, I learned that my current system of “just remembering them” was unsustainable. I have mostly “evergreen” tasks in my current position, so my to-dos are relatively repetitive on most days. However, Taskology has given me a system to succeed moving forward when I start to get more unique tasks and projects as I advance in my career.
Hands down, I feel like this training was a huge help. Like anything, change is hard, but sticking with these systems in Taskology is a commitment for the future better you.
In the past, I wasn’t managing tasks where I could see them all at once. I used pads and notes and the email Inbox to remember what to do. I had a lot to look through and review all the time. Plus, I worked off of my memory for getting things done, which cost me a lot of time and energy. It caused a lot of stress, too, when I tried to remember something I had already forgotten.
Back then I believed that I had to get everything done that I was aware of in one day. I believed that if I didn’t get everything done that I was falling behind. And I could have been, because the minute I was reminded of something urgent, everything else had to take a back seat, whether it should have or not.
With Taskology, tasks are more manageable now and I feel more accountable for what I’m doing. I never realized what a problem it was NOT to have all my tasks in one place. And it’s so nice to not have to remember so many tasks in my head.
Now I have a plan for getting things done and I can prioritize, knowing that I don’t have to get everything done TODAY. I feel more confident and in control, and I’m prepared for anything that happens in my day.
I can also manage email more efficiently now. Email is wonderful. There is no stockpile of emails building up and I know where to store important information instead of wasting time looking through the Inbox and email folders in search of something. I can find what I need when I need it.
Overall, I feel more accomplished and more efficient. My stress has dropped because I’m more in control of my tasks and I can be more realistic about what I can do each day. I complete what I set out to do every day and it feels amazing!
Before learning Taskology, I used to flag emails and use my calendar to keep track of things to do, which was really inefficient. I’d scroll through my email Inbox a couple times a day to see what I flagged and I’d print everything. I also used a legal pad to write to-do lists and I had stacks of paper on my desk to remind me of things to do, but all in all, I had no true idea of what I needed to get done and there was no way to prioritize everything. In order to keep up, I believed I needed less work to do or I needed to hire more people to get all the work done, but what I really needed was a process to be more efficient.
With Taskology, I can get things done faster and easier. I’m quicker and more efficient, so I can do more in less time, get caught up at work every day and be done. Because I have a system to use, I don’t have to remember tasks in my head, I don’t try to multitask anymore and I have a way to prioritize. When I look at my calendar, I know it’s right. There are no tasks on my calendar and no overlapping appointments. I don’t have to think about my schedule anymore and I know what to say “no” to. And the process for managing emails is so efficient. It’s easy to get emails out of the Inbox and easy to file emails and find them again later.
Now I can use my time differently and make more progress. I can focus on strategy and business development instead of just trying to stay afloat with my current workload. I’m can think more clearly, be more strategic and work less reactively. I’m calmer, less frantic and less stressed, and I’m more in control of my day.
In the past, I spent a lot of time and energy trying to remind myself of what to do from day to day. I used paper for tracking to-dos and to a point, it was working, but it was also chaos. Mentally, I was tying myself up all day long reminding myself of things to do and hoping I wasn’t missing anything. It created a very high level of stress. I felt like I needed to get everything done right away.
Email was the one major setback prior to learning Taskology. I was getting so many emails and was always worried about how to manage them and how to prioritize what I needed to do. I always thought, ‘I’ll get to it later,’ but I never got to them all. I missed tasks and important due dates, and I overlooked a lot of things. Now, with Taskology, managing email is a breeze.
My prior way of doing things also did not allow me time to coach my team, but now I feel like I’m a better manager and I’m more engaged with my staff. Everybody should learn Taskology. I’m using time more efficiently, it’s easy to manage tasks and I’m thinking more strategically. I have more control of my day, I leave work on time every day and I’m working stress-free.
With my previous Franklin Covey method of planning, I would create extensive to-do lists and if I didn’t complete all of the tasks I had planned for that day, they would simply be moved over into the next day, ad infinitum. It worked reasonably well for me, but ‘I didn’t know what I didn’t know’ so-to-speak. My method of planning didn’t adequately allow for a 10,000-foot view of everything I needed to accomplish. As a result, I was more reactive than proactive.
I maintained an email inbox of several thousand and I am certain there were things I hadn’t adequately attended to, because emails scrolled off of the screen, consigned to oblivion. Moreover, I had a habit of constantly opening emails upon arrival, even when I was trying to focus on another task at hand. I’m sure that it was not the most inefficient way to work, but email has been a way of life as far back as I can remember and (frankly) I wasn’t aware of any alternative.
The net result is that I constantly had the accelerator pressed to the floor, and I had no time to think independently: to innovate or create something new to take the company in a fresh direction.
Taskology has taught me the means to increase my efficiency. I now have a new dimension of planning and prioritizing to my day, and I have more time to create and innovate. I have more time to reflect on projects just completed and focus on lessons learned, as well as on continuous improvement.
For me, Taskology best highlights the difference between working reactively vs. proactively. Now I am able to take a break from email and focus on the task at hand. When it’s time to focus on email, I am able to make the decisions needed to manage them swiftly and thoughtfully and, as a result, get the Inbox back to zero.
But most importantly, it’s far easier for me to now focus on how I can add value to the organization, versus triaging emails, which can average up to more than a hundred per day. I am now able to work more efficiently and with a lot less stress.
In the past, the way I was handling email and tasks wasn’t working well. I always had the fear that something would be forgotten or I’d miss a due date. I felt a lot of pressure to keep track of everything I needed to do, but I didn’t have a task list to help. And all my emails were stored in the Inbox, so I lost time when I had to search for things I needed to do. Finding documents I needed was also hard to do in the past. Now I can actually find things faster and it saves a lot of time.
With Taskology, I can get so much more accomplished. I know how to manage tasks so they’re not so overwhelming anymore. They’re easier to track and prioritize, and it’s easier to get things done. Managing email is a lot easier, too. I’ve learned that I can manage emails better and faster by getting them out of the Inbox, and on most days I’m getting the Inbox back to zero. It’s also VERY easy to manage tasks from email now, because every email I get that pertains to a task goes with the task, which makes me more efficient.
I’m also closing my door more often to protect my time so I can think and work without interruptions. I have more time to effectively lead my staff, too. Before, I felt so buried that I rarely spent time with them. Having Taskology really makes me feel more in control of my day. I’m more productive and less stressed, and it’s such a good feeling when your email Inbox is empty. What a relief!
Before I learned Taskology, I would often misplace documents, not respond promptly to emails, or forget appointments. Since learning Taskology, I no longer worry about any of these things. While my job is still stressful, Taskology has taught me how to more effectively manage my work and has alleviated unnecessary stress.
I don’t know if I could have gotten through this time without Taskology—having absorbed a vacant role in addition to my own. I was able to carve out more time to focus on my biggest strategic initiatives and daily tasks. I have better control of my commitments and my email, and I’m working fewer hours. One of my goals was to take control of my schedule and with Taskology I achieved this. Now I’m working more proactively. I feel like the goalie who doesn’t let anything get past me, and as a result, the improved follow-through ripples through the organization. I’m seeing faster completion of projects and assignments and I’m seeing more collective progress.
I love the Taskology system! When we asked our staff to identify their training priorities, time management and productivity topped the list. In Taskology we found what they—and I—were looking for: a smart, comprehensive and effective system to manage your time for optimum productivity. It’s a systematic way of planning bite-size tasks and accomplishing priorities. After “Taskology for Teams,” I find that my work day is much more intentional and organized. I’m more realistic about what I can do in a day or a week, and I’m thinking more strategically about what to do and when and how to follow up. Now tasks and follow-ups won’t fall off the radar and I won’t get blind-sided by something that might have slipped through the cracks. And while I haven’t fully implemented your strategies for paper and e-document organization, your system is brilliant and I’m looking forward to putting it into action. Taskology really helps you take control, increase efficiency, and lower stress. I’m a believer!
I was introduced to Leslie Shreve and her team at Productive Day by my colleagues who had recommended her. I was struggling with managing my email inbox and blocking out time to work on projects, and I had an inefficient system of archiving my e-documents. I was spending more time looking for the things I needed than focusing on important tasks. Now that I’m using Taskology, I’ve increased my efficiency, I have better time management of my daily workload, and have a system to find what I need in an instant. I couldn’t be happier with my experience with Productive Day and would recommend it to anyone.
Prior to Productive Day, I tracked tasks and projects through emails, on notepads, in my head and on sticky notes. Using Taskology, I now have a system for tracking tasks and creating action items all in one place. I find that I am no longer searching for notes that I took in a meeting or an email from weeks ago, which allows me to be more efficient and effective with my time.
Taskology has given me order, routine, and confidence in my role. Before using Taskology, I was not tracking my tasks, my filing system was not up to date, and my time was not my own. Now, I depend on my task list exclusively to track what I am working on and what is coming up in the future. I can work confidently knowing that I am not missing a task, I can locate resource documents quickly, and I can make time on my calendar for high priority items AND putting out fires.
Working with Taskology for 6 months has made my overall productivity and organization much improved from the past. I have control of my email and a defined method to address tasks in an ordered, timely and efficient way. With the improvement noted, I now have time to work on higher level activities for the business at the strategic and high level tactical work. My stress level in accomplishing work has decreased, as I know what I have to do, can be effective in doing the work, and can address random events that come up with more clarity and time.
I was skeptical of the program at first. I thought I was organized and had control of my email Inbox, my email folders, etc. But after learning Taskology I realized I was not even close to what I could be when it comes to those items and more. Before working with Leslie Shreve, my workday was jumbled. I tried to keep up with emails, to-dos, and the notes on pieces of paper scattered across my desk. I was easily distracted from the task at hand by other things on my desk, and found it easy to procrastinate. I wasn’t handling my workload as efficiently as I could have been.
Now, I feel like my workday is more productive and my time is better spent. I’ve saved an hour each day – maybe two – and I’m using my time more efficiently. My plan to get things done each day is safe and secure with the Task list, and the burden of remembering what I need to do is gone. I’m also no longer distracted by email and I feel much more focused as a result.
Prior to working with Leslie I thought, “What more can one do in Outlook?” I didn’t know what to expect and had no idea what I was about to learn. Now I’m more in control of my day, I have more confidence about where I stand on tasks, and I’m clear on what I need to do. The systems and processes Taskology provides make a world of a difference in your workday and make you own every step and task in your day. I feel much more organized, productive, and in control of my to-do list. I would definitely recommend this program.
Running a small business can be challenging as you’re being pulled in so many different directions. One of the hardest things I had to deal with was streamlining my day and having a clear picture of what needed to be done and in what order. After learning Taskology, I have a whole new view of my day. The Task List is tremendously helpful and has allowed me to get things done that I never thought I’d have time for. My email Inbox is down to zero, and I feel more organized, productive and a lot less stressed. This is the best my workday has ever worked since 2003 when I started the business! The Taskology system is simple and easy to use, and I’m so happy to have things under control. Now I feel good about coming into my office every day to make progress on the projects that will continue to grow my business.
I’m in charge of a division at NASA headquarters that has a lot of different clients and we keep a lot of different balls in the air at the same time. So, I just was faced with multiple tasks in multiple stages of completion who were assigned to multiple people and I really needed a system to make sure that I was able to track all my tasks and those of my people to their completion. [The results were] a radical departure from how things were before I started working with Productive Day. Now I am a lot more on top of my game, thanks to what I’ve learned. I find myself with far fewer emails in my Inbox because I dispatch them immediately and I’ve even taken that approach beyond e-mail to the other actions that come in my life.
Before learning Taskology, I wasn’t completely satisfied with my workday. I was stressed out, rushing around to get things done, and worried about what I might forget to do. I was busy all the time, but by the end of the day, I couldn’t tell you what I had accomplished. I used to use a lot of paper to-do lists and post-it notes to try to keep track of what I needed to do, and I used to leave a lot of papers and folders out on my desk to remind me of things to do, but now with the Task List, all of that has gone away.
Now I feel like I’m working more efficiently, prioritizing better, and I’m accomplishing what I set out to do each day. And my email Inbox is completely under control, too. I used to keep so many emails, thinking I was going to need them, but when I needed to find something, I had a LOT to fish through. I did a lot of scrolling and searching and chasing my tail, which cost me a lot of time. But now, using Taskology, I have a process to follow to get emails out of the Inbox. I save less than I used to and I enjoy a near-empty Inbox all the time. I feel less stressed and more confident, and I’m using my time more efficiently to get more accomplished every day.
Prior to being part of ‘Taskology for Teams,’ my day was driven by interruptions and emails, and I was in a constant state of worry that I was missing something. I was unable to stay focused on a task, and with my outgoing nature, I had trouble saying no. I ended up working reactively, just jumping from fire to fire every day. Now, after learning Taskology, my day is more streamlined. I have a routine I follow every day that keeps me on track and I’m not worried about missing tasks or deadlines anymore. Using the Task List allows me to stay in control, focus on what I need to do, and get more accomplished. Plus, I’m shutting my door more often and I’m more protective of my time, and as a result I have 30% more time in my day to do the things I need to do. And now that I have more structure and more time I can be more helpful and available to the people I work with.
Leslie delivered on everything she promised. She eased my hesitations as soon as we began the training. We went through her process and it all started to make sense that keeping track of things to do in priority order did not have to cause fear, panic or take much of your precious time. I had tried numerous free systems and didn’t get the full value out of those that I did with the money spent on the Taskology system. I now know at any moment, everything I have to do and when I will be doing them. I can focus on getting things done instead of thinking about what I’m missing that needs to be done.
I’ve always considered myself organized and productive,but with my most recent career advancement and additional responsibilities that came along with it, I started to feel frustrated, stressed out and overwhelmed in my workday.I tried to stay on top of things with my Franklin Covey planner, but I also used post-it notes, my calendar and a variety of legal pads, which made it hard to prioritize, get things done and most importantly ensure I did not miss something. I tried to stay on top of email, but they would come in faster than I could address them and I couldn’t keep up. And I was tired of wasting time, which really made me crazy. As the paper built up and the emails kept coming in and I felt like I was running out of time, I’d get distracted, lose focus and spin my wheels. I was feeling out of control, but I really wanted to be more effective in my role, become a better leader in the company,and get more time for myself.
Now, after working with Leslie Shreve, I feel so much more in control of my day and a lot less stressed. I’m more confident that I’m achieving my priorities and I feel more empowered with my time. Using the Task list, I can stay on top of everything I need to do, even though I’m only focusing on one thing at a time. And I got rid of my Franklin Covey Planner, which I’ve been using for 15+ years. I have a more realistic view of time and I’m protecting a lot more of it to get things done during the day so I can stop taking so much work home at night, which is great because then I can enjoy more time for me or time with my husband and family. And I don’t feel bogged down by email anymore, which is so great. I know exactly what to do with it and now I keep my Inbox at zero almost all the time. Using Taskology I feel so much more productive and efficient. I’m getting a lot done and making a lot more progress without wasting any time!
As a Sales Executive I wear many hats and prior to working with Leslie Shreve of Productive Day I juggled my day by sorting through post-it notes, handwritten notes in a binder, email print-outs, and my CRM system. Sales is a multi-pronged process and I was trying to be productive using multiple lists. I felt overwhelmed, not sure I was getting done what absolutely needed to get done that day. At the end of a 12 or 13-hour day I still felt like some important sales activities were slipping through the cracks. In addition, information overload was proving problematic. It was difficult sorting and storing information in a timely manner. When I tried to retrieve content, I often wasted time searching because I couldn’t remember where or how it was stored.
Now, after several months of working with Leslie Shreve of Productive Day, I clearly know from one online source what my priorities are for the day to drive sales and revenues. No more sorting through reams of papers to get through my day. I’m working less hours per day and feeling a sense of achievement at the end of the day. I no longer wake up at night panicked that I “forgot” something I had committed to get done. In addition, prospects and clients are not forgotten and I’ve improved my multi-pronged sales process with the use of Taskology. Content retrieval was previously a sales productivity drain. Now with Tasklology I quickly sort, discard and store information, as well as retrieve it quickly without wasting sales time.
I recently worked with Leslie Shreve and learned Taskology and I am so glad I did! Prior to meeting Leslie my processes for e-mails, files and tasks were nowhere near as efficient as they should have been. I can now put my hands on files (both physical and electronic) so much more efficiently and save time trying to find important information. The ease of retrieving my information has helped me greatly. As I began implementing the task management portion of the program it became clear that my methods were very labor intensive and time consuming prior to Taskology. I also realized I held onto information I either didn’t need or didn’t know how to find, causing even more confusion. Taskology has helped make me so much more efficient. It’s amazing! I highly recommend looking into Productive Day. It will be worth every minute!
As a busy entrepreneur, who is regarded as organized and focused, I knew that I needed more productivity in my hectic schedule. I was happy to find Leslie through my LinkedIn connections. I have been grateful and delighted with Leslie’s amazing support as a Productivity expert. She really knows her stuff and challenges you as client to think and act differently. If you want to take your personal and business productivity to the next level, regardless of where you work in North America, you need to connect with Leslie.
Where do I begin? I’ve recently worked with Leslie and her “Taskology” series and WOW! I’m an IT guy; what could Leslie possibly know that I didn’t already know? Well, I was living off of my Inbox! Every single day was based around the last email in and the tasks that that email would create for me. It never ended! Leslie has shared with me “Taskology” and now I have an Inbox that is empty every night, I have a desktop computer screen that has 2 icons on it, I have a file space that has 5 folders, and work is PRODUCTIVE all of a sudden and much less stressful! I’ve recently asked Leslie for a refresher and I’m so excited for her to dig in and show me some other ways for me to improve. She is professional and personable, which is an amazing combination and she delivers results! If you haven’t had the chance to learn about Taskology, then do it now. It will change the way you work forever!
I’ve spent the last 25 years building a practice attempting to attract new clients, service existing clients, and broaden the solutions provided. Email and smartphones had created an emergency, reactive environment where prospects, promises and details were falling between the cracks. I would run through my Inbox constantly to make sure I’d replied to, responded, and followed up. I also found that in the days prior to presentations or meetings there were details and reminders that I’d have running through my head, put on Post-its, and inserted in my calendar. I also created multiple redundant lists of prospects, required follow ups and reminders, on paper and in Excel. It was difficult to sit in my office, with piles of files and admit that there was no real methodology other than urgency.
Thanks to working with Leslie I have a much stronger grasp on how to prioritize what must be done today [or] in the future without the anxiety associated with my fear that I’d forget the task. Using Tasks allows me to have a list of “To Do’s” that must be done daily [and] can be prioritized based on profitability & urgency. After [learning] Tasks, we moved on to my Email Inbox, which had 4,600+ emails. Leslie helped me build a personalized filing system for my emails so that when they are dealt with they can be filed properly, handled or […] I could address [them later] on the proper date and based on the correct priority.
Businesses and individuals would save hours of lost resources, frustration and poor service if they […] work with Leslie to learn systems that are already proven and work. Thanks Leslie and PSA for taking the time to help me overcome 25 years of bad habits and reactive systems!
Leslie has mad Outlook skills. She will teach you many tricks to improve efficiency and make your work day flow.
But… more than that, Leslie has changed my relationship with time. I’ve become aware of my unrealistic expectations of what can be accomplished in a single day. I also started noticing which tasks I procrastinate completing…what might be better delegated (eliminated?) and where the joy is.
Taskology is about so much more than productivity. It is life changing. Life affirming.
Prior to working with Leslie, I didn’t have a system that allowed me to stay on track and complete projects without having to cut into my personal time – I worked extra hours in the evening, taking away from my family time to catch-up. My prior work day routines took away from feeling productive at the end of the day and took me away from things I enjoy most, which is building relationships!
The Taskology system introduced by Leslie has provided me with a more efficient and effective work day with a feeling of accomplishment at the end of each day. It has helped me schedule more time with my clients, cultivate new opportunities and build new relationships. My Task list keeps me focused when I’m in the office and I’m no longer overwhelmed by e-mails or feeling defeated by the world of technology. And…I’m very protective of my time so it’s not wasted. Taskology has allowed me to focus on leading my organization to more success and provided me with the balance I require with my business life and my personal life! THANK you! I feel like I gained more hours in my day!
Leslie Shreve’s powerful ideas are so effective that, even though I only interviewed her for fifteen minutes, I had a system in place to turn paper piles into purpose. Following the ‘use your tools’ practice, I no longer treat my inbox like a to-do list. Kudos to Leslie for her full-service attitude to making organization fun and, most notably, doable!
By allocating my tasks to specific days, and focusing on those first thing, I’m able to make progress on my to-do list. Previously, I “frittered” the day away and my non-emergency list just grew and grew as it went undone. Instead, I’m now eliminating a number of tasks per day and making real progress on my to-do list.
I would like to recommend Leslie Shreve for anyone looking to get more out of their day. Leslie can literally help you create time previously unavailable by helping cut through paper and electronic clutter. Leslie’s coaching really helps you focus on what is important.
I feel a lot more focused as a result of working with Leslie. I have seen improved productivity and, more importantly, I have less stress worrying about what was lost in my inbox that I did not know was due. I have been able to go from nearly 3,000 e-mails in my Inbox to less than 100 per day or less on a consistent basis. Leslie was able to make the Outlook system more user-friendly so that I can be more productive in my work day.
As a small business owner, there are many demands on my time—from meeting client deadlines, to growing my business, to managing all the administrative tasks that come with running a successful business. That’s why the time I’ve spent with Leslie at Productive Day is the best investment I’ve made in my business since its launch in 2006. Just three hours with Leslie cleared my inbox, made sense of my “to do” list and added hours of productive time to my week. I recommend Leslie to anyone who has ever wished for more hours in the day!
Leslie will change the way you think about time, tasks, and managing the information necessary to do your job. She will provide a road map to organize and focus your work that will lead to marked improvements in your focus, your productivity, and ultimately your job performance. I am thinking about my time more strategically, like it is a commodity that needs to be managed more effectively. I feel much more in control of my workload and in my professional life. I am able to save at least 1 hour per day and direct it to more productive, higher level uses, such as management and leadership.
Having been a Franklin Covey user for years, I was skeptical. I am a believer now! Using Taskology has helped me to be more organized and efficient. I am able to track my to dos and follow up effectively. I’ve eliminated using post it notes! Taskology helps you accomplish what you want. I highly recommend it.
I feel I gained a lot from Leslie’s background in operations and management. I feel much more productive, more in control, more motivated and less stressed! Working with Leslie is organizational therapy.
I thought I really knew how to track my tasks and prioritize using sticky notes and electronic file folders, which grew miles long. But, before long I had data scattered all over, making searching and tracking quite a challenge. Now, using Taskology, I can establish when I will work on tasks and priorities. When Leslie showed me how to set up and use this system I felt a great burden lifted—seriously! Now my inbox is managed and no longer do I have miles of file folders as everything is neatly compacted. Sticky notes and paper to-dos are gone. Taskology also compliments our project management software. Once you get started you’ll feel guilty about using paper to-do lists.
It’s amazing to be able to keep one task on my desk at a time, which enables me to clear my desk at the end of each day and gives me the distinct pleasure of walking in to a clear desk in the morning. The biggest shift for me was to discover the effectiveness of a digital Task List, allowing me to clear out my Inbox, my desk, and anywhere else the enormous volumes of daily information happened to come to rest. I’m definitely accomplishing more tasks in less time and monitoring tasks more carefully.
Before learning Taskology from Leslie in Taskology for Teams, my day was ruled by my e-mail. It was hard to find time to complete the tasks I needed to complete because I was so focused on getting things done for other people. Now I feel like I’m in control and I can update my schedule and task list as necessary so I’m not overwhelmed.
The best thing for me has been learning to move items from Inbox directly into my Task list without using the flag. I no longer have things hanging around in my Inbox for me to complete. It also frees me up so I don’t have to remember them. They go right on my task list and I follow up with them on the day I want to do them.
And it’s much easier to stay organized now. Each time I’d get the organizing bug, I’d come up with a new system for files, emails, documents, etc. Now, I have one system for everything and I don’t have to think about it, it’s just there. I don’t have to worry about starting from scratch with a different system each time and my desk stays clear. I feel less stressed now that I don’t have so much to remember. I can clear up the clutter and keep what I need on my task list so I don’t worry about forgetting something.
Before I met Leslie, I knew I could and should be able to work more efficiently and manage all my daily tasks more efficiently. I spent a lot of time managing emails and kept a bunch of different task lists. I was not sure how exactly to make the improvements I needed to make.
Leslie’s Taskology method, which she introduced me to, was a tremendously helpful system for me to implement. It gave me a thoughtful organizational method for managing emails and a way to clear my inbox every day. She taught me how to get rid of my short term and long term task lists, consolidate them, and schedule my activities to make sure I get more done according to a set schedule.
Most importantly, she taught me how valuable my time is and how I could be allocating it better than I was to get more important things accomplished every day. I see a clear improvement in my efficiency since working with Leslie and recommend her to any busy executive who needs and wants to be more effective and on top of his or her game.
Leslie, I absolutely enjoyed the Taskology for Teams class! The most beneficial part of the training was learning how to use the Task list. It helps me get through my day and I’m using it faithfully. I’m also doing a much better job as e-mails come in. I’m putting them on the Task list quickly and then I do a regular review of my list to see what needs to be reprioritized, especially at the end of my day. I really loved the group coaching sessions, too. I like that you took the concepts you were teaching and applied them to our personal e-mail, tasks, papers, files, etc…That made it so much easier to learn and practice the concepts. I highly recommend Taskology for Teams.
Leslie, I enjoyed being a part of your Taskology for Teams course earlier this year and I’m really happy that DentaQuest provided me the opportunity to take part. I thought it was a helpful program and each class you taught provided value. I’ve used Outlook for 7 or 8 years now and I’ve never used it the way you taught us how to use it. I also really liked learning how to use the Task list! And because I see how important it is to use it every day, I decided to make the Task list the very first thing I see every morning before getting stuck in e-mail—reacting and responding endlessly. Thanks Leslie!
Leslie, Thank you so much!!! I really enjoyed the Taskology for Teams class. I learned a lot and I’m using my Task list every day. I liked the learning set up, how you taught, doing the hands-on work from what we learned, and then chatting about it in the group coaching sessions. So, thank you for teaching me new things that I can use now and take with me. If I have a question I may be calling you. Thank you for the continued support. You are great!!
Leslie and I worked together on the basics of her Productivity Training and Taskology system while I was Branch Manager at Profiles. Her personable and focused approach to Business Coaching on productivity not only helps to shift your mindset – I now look at my time as more of a precious commodity – but also allows you tips and tricks on day one that make your work day more efficient. I use a few of her MS Office tips multiple times a day to keep my goals in sight and my schedule up-to-date.
I feel like I am sitting in the pilot’s seat of an airplane. I LOVE it! And I am already starting to understand how wonderful going paperless can be. I work better when there isn’t clutter, so this is amazing.
I also love the use of the Task list, both for keeping me on track and for ideas. I have used paper lists for years, having taken a seminar when I was young that said you were something like 70% more time efficient if you used lists. But this…an electronic list on my computer and that travels with me on my phone! This is awesome. Thank you for showing me how to use this in a simple and effective way.
I am just astonished at how much this program is helping me in all areas of my business and personal life. I truly hadn’t realized how out of control my world had become.
The farther I got into the Taskology Boot camp Course, the more I began to realize just why I had been feeling so overwhelmed! Your systematic approach to working through both electronic and paper files was definitely what I needed. I had reached that point, where you become so over burdened, you just don’t do anything because you don’t know where to start. Add to that the extra little issue of having an in-home office as well as an art studio – both in total chaos – and I shut down. I truly believe if I hadn’t done the Taskology Boot Camp, I probably would still not be back in the studio.
I cleared most of the clutter, and am realizing this is a process. The more I clear…the more I WANT to clear. (um, is this normal? Or a little Obsessive-Compulsive? Either way I am loving it!) I am feeling not only back in control of my life, but perhaps even more empowered in every aspect than I have ever been. It is like the weight of the world was lifted from my shoulders along with the clutter.
If someone had told me this course could change my life so incredibly, there is no way I would have believed them. The next time my son visits he isn’t going to believe this is my office. Thank you so very much for your help!
Leslie, I just wanted to say THANKS for throwing your “Getting Out of E-mail Jail” tele-class again. I found myself behind bars again since your last webinar! It was a great reminder of what you taught in the past, my guru-ess! I was so inspired after reviewing my notes from past/present that I cut down the e-mails in my current Inbox from 1,200 to under 300 now! Feels much better, thanks! You’re the best and keep up the good work!
I had the pleasure of having Leslie into my office for a day of focus on how to be more effective in using my Outlook to manage tasks. Using the Task list has changed the way I approach my work as a sole practitioner. I no longer juggle everything in my head, keep endless hand-written “To Do” lists, and feel I’m drowning in paper and post-it notes. Now, I just load all tasks into my Outlook. It frees my mind to focus on projects in bite-sized pieces, prioritize my work, and spread work throughout the week/month so that I don’t feel overwhelmed. My desk is clean and neat. I am now able to be more productive at work…and more relaxed when at play. One of my concerns was that Leslie (who is a force of nature) would “make” me do things. Instead, she listened and sought to understand how my mind works, then helped me create a system that incorporates her wealth of experience and my thinking processes. If you want to use your energy for creative and productive work, instead of chasing paper all day, I recommend you give Leslie a call.
I just wanted to drop a “quick” note to you… a very BIG THANK YOU!! The time I spent with you almost 20 months ago (I can’t believe it’s been that long already), was exactly what I needed in my life!!! I am amazed at how things have changed since I met with you.
I am handling the accounting of two companies with little to no stress and feel on TOP of everything. I’m no longer playing “catch-up” or feeling overwhelmed. I can also think ahead, be proactive and work on improving processes in my department. I’ve “found” more time in my life and it is something I so desperately needed!! I’m able to take vacations and RELAX without a worry of what’s waiting for me!
With my task list still updated daily, I am able to keep things flowing smoothly and distributing my workload evenly! It’s so helpful! My emails are still always cleared every day, and so is my desk. People still make comments to me about not having enough work to do. If they ever saw my “list of things to do”, they would be completely shocked!
I just wanted to thank you again and let you know what an impact it made on me, both professionally and personally!! 🙂
Before I worked with Leslie, I was feeling frustrated, stressed, anxious and tired. I was tired of looking for things, tired of getting too many interruptions and overwhelmed with everything I needed to do and how to prioritize it all.
Now, I feel so great coming into my office every morning! I have little or no paper on my desk, I know where everything is, I’m getting fewer interruptions and I love my new Task list in Outlook. It allows me to add tasks, reminders and even e-mails, so I feel much more in control of my day. I’m more focused and clear on what I need to do, plus I’m delegating more and making others in the company more accountable, too. And my empty Inbox is wonderful! I had a couple thousand e-mails in my Inbox and now they’re all gone. It’s all so manageable now. I love that I have a place to put everything I want to keep and I can easily let go of things I don’t need. Leslie really is a fantastic productivity consultant – she’s knowledgeable, patient and very professional. I’d recommend her services and her system for anyone who wants to manage their work day more easily. I feel so much better!
I love Taskology because it’s adaptable for g-mail/Google, which is the system I use. Google is notorious for having an anemic tasks feature and it’s TRUE. As I started to use Taskology I knew I needed something better. So I added the Better Google Tasks extension to my Chrome browser and voila!
I can process my e-mails the Taskology way! It’s so easy to (a) protect time to go through my emails, (b) add emails directly into my task list and (c) construct the subject lines exactly how Leslie recommends. There is also a Notes section and the ability to have multiple lists, which is important when using the Taskology system. I LOVE Taskology!
Before, I used to manage my tasks in my email Inbox and it was never designed for that, but I was never taught by anybody how to do it otherwise. In fact, before I met you, I never knew what the Task list was even for. But now, I find it to be indispensable. I cannot live without it, actually. The key is that I can make better decisions with what I’m doing with my time. That is really the truth. I have found that my day is more directed. I’m able to follow up with more people and with the right people than before. I have seen a much larger increase in my sales production since we did the program. Now it’s difficult to say it was caused by this or some other factor, but I have to say that I can document that I have been making more follow-up calls to more clients and you have to assume that is leading to more sales.
Leslie, thank you so much for your great coaching! As you know I came to you with a lot to juggle: art, work, yoga, family, friends and the list goes on! I was so overwhelmed with my to-do list that I wasn’t sleeping at night. In order to fit all the things in my life that are important to me, I had to seriously take a look at how I was spending my time. Your gentle encouragement to switch to a computer based to-do list and calendar system has been, well, life changing.
I appreciate that we have organized my papers, my to-do list, my commitments, and my free time. I feel very prepared for each day, and I no longer stay up at night repeating over and over… what did I forget to do today, don’t forget to do tomorrow…..
Leslie, there is only one big problem? What to do with my planners? I have literally dozens of planners, note pads, etc…. Yes, of course I’m addicted to paper! That makes the fact that you’ve converted me even more amazing. So, what to do with all those planners? I’m going to use them for art journaling of course (don’t worry, Levenger, you’re stock price isn’t going to drop!)
Several years ago I engaged Leslie Shreve to help our business organize and prioritize. A few hours of on-premises consulting and assistance has paid enormous rewards in helping my staff and I to remain focused, prioritized and organized. While I already was somewhat of a power user of Microsoft Outlook, with Leslie’s assistance I unlocked more of its capabilities to remain task-focused, prioritized and undistracted. I would recommend Leslie’s professional services to any business owner or manager beset with an inundation of paper, electronic messages, and its consequence of missed opportunities.
I can’t thank you enough for all of the useful information and processes that you have shared with me that allow me to be more productive. I have spent many mornings waking up to the thoughts of what I needed to do or what not to forget. I had many different note pads and was trying to manage my day by filing emails in folders in my Outlook or just by trying to keep everything in my mind. With your system along with the many methods that were shared I now have control of my day. I can leave at the end of the day and know that there were many things accomplished and feel good that the most important tasks for that day were taken care of. Thank You So Much!
Wow, what a great feeling to be headed down an organized path! After just one day with Leslie, I was able to delete over 300 emails, as well as countless Outlook folders that just weren’t necessary. My task list has now replaced my in-box, making it nearly impossible to forget the day to day items that need attention. Given the current state of the economy it is so critical to capitalize on every opportunity, and using Leslie’s techniques I am able to devote a lot more time to my job.
I have been a Vistage member for seven years. My chair recommended Leslie’s services during one of my monthly 1:1 meetings after an in-depth discussion regarding my battle with prioritization and juggling simultaneous projects. The business sector during this recession has been challenging and it is critical to be efficient and not drop the ball.
Our company is a 103-year-old petroleum and HVAC family held corporation with hopes to take advantage of the opportunities available during these tough economic times. My plate was full and running over with a variety of projects. I was struggling and placed a call to Leslie Shreve.
Taskology was well defined and easy to follow. I adapted my daily work habits to fully utilize Microsoft Outlook, which previously I only used a fraction of what was available. My paper and electronic files were cleaned up, the Task list was created and I found myself with a clean desk top and the ability to empty my e-mail In-box daily. Leslie’s program has enabled me to accurately track a broad range of responsibilities and initiatives that are both long range and immediate.
I highly recommend Leslie Shreve for those executives who need to stay on top of very busy and demanding workloads. Leslie has given me the tools to stay organized, be accurate, grow my business and succeed.
Sometimes you have to learn things the hard way… I just wanted to share with you a lesson learned that won’t soon be forgotten. After the completion of my sessions with Leslie, I was so pleased with the new systems in place. I was committed and it was working perfectly for me. I felt renewed and the timing was good because I was entering into the next three busiest months of my year.
Then it happened…my work load increased along with being given additional responsibilities that required completion under tight deadlines. Of course, it happened while I was planning an important annual event! I was so busy that I slipped back into my old routine. I deviated from the trusted systems that we put into place, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that I was failing without them.
I quickly transitioned all the details into my tasks, reorganized, and immediately began to transition back to this system. And it taught me that they can make my daily routines more efficient and my busiest months less stressful. Whew! That was close.
I’m so grateful to have learned so much from Leslie’s experience, but more importantly, I’m convinced that Taskology helps me to be a valuable employee. I can manage more effectively and help my employees to be more efficient as well. This is the reason I wanted to work with Leslie in the first place. I’m certain the management of our company feels it was money well spent. Now I can spend more of my time finding ways to benefit our company which is the most important thing I do each day.
Thank you!
One of the things you hear all the time is that everyone is different. Well, it’s true, but it doesn’t mean we ‘all’ can’t do better. Different was my excuse for stacks of unread reading, memos long ago read and never filed, spreadsheets studied and printed out and then kept on the table in case I had an epiphany.
Yes, that was what I think I thought all this mess was doing; it was keeping the door open to possibilities that might arise from just being within reach. And there was always more to do than there was time in the day and I always went to sleep knowing that I had worked a hard day’s work and would wake up to much more ‘to do’. I had sold myself on things that were wrong, inefficient, draining and slowing down my productivity.
I’ve got to tell you that I feel different today, that I have refocused my desk, my work approach, the stacks around my ‘reading chair’ and soon my office at home. Guess what? I had that epiphany , but it wasn’t in those piles. It was about those piles and I can thank Leslie for reaching me finally with a better way to operate, a better way to seize the day.
I spent so much time before handling the same paperwork and not cleaning out my “In” box. We got rid of the ‘In’ box, which forces me to do something immediately with stuff that is put on my desk. On the computer we developed a better way of storing both e-mail and computer files, which now makes it easier to manage. I can also manage my priorities better now. What I found particularly helpful about Leslie was that she organized based on what my needs and desires were. Her experience was also helpful because she has been in many different types of environments and was able to suggest some helpful tips. Leslie did a great job. I feel more confident about myself and my productivity.
I would describe the process as eye opening to say the least. I feel like I have a secret that is enabling me to perform better and more efficiently than anyone I know. It is very exciting to feel in control and not out of control! Recently, we have had staffing issues so instead of replacing a customer service representative I have been given an additional 30 accounts to service. There is no way I would be able to consider such an increase in volume of accounts if it was not for the techniques taught to me by Leslie.
Thanks for patiently working with me to get my mountain of e-mails under control. This is immensely valuable advice. My desk grows lighter and my workload more manageable after each meeting.
Leslie, thank you so much for helping me overcome the clutter. I truly feel the systematic way of organizing my office, computer, files, etc. is something I can really stick with. I’ve been to more than a few “How to Get Organized” seminars over the years. None have left me as energized as you have. Thanks again.
I feel like I can take on more and more complex tasks and projects and not worry as much about managing them. I love it! I am getting into the habit of using my task list to drive my day and that improves every day. I am using my task list effectively, actually FILING papers, organizing my computer files, and deleting e-mails that I don’t actually need.
Leslie and I were able to clear workspace, prioritize workload, organize file space and revamp intra-office communications to work more efficiently, quickly and productively. The new organization makes me feel more efficient and confident in my abilities to manage my caseload and responsibilities. My objectives were decidedly met.
There is no monkey on my back anymore telling me I’m not getting things accomplished. A foundation is in place now that allows me to refocus my attention and accomplish my tasks no matter how many times I am interrupted throughout the day. Leads are followed up on more quickly and I have the time to do more strategic things, more evaluation of results and I am less reactive and more proactive with how I manage my tasks and my time.
I have a system in place to help me to be more productive and less frustrated. The organization makes me feel like I can breathe; like a big weight has been lifted. It has become easier to decide what needs immediate attention and what can wait, allowing me to prioritize my workload to become more productive. With the “piles” gone I am more able to focus on the most important tasks at hand. Leslie quickly honed in on my personality type and how to integrate my style into a workable organization plan to suit me.
What you did was teach me a whole new way of thinking. I couldn’t get over how much more efficient and productive I had become. It was all due to the processes and the systematic way you taught me to approach each and every thing I do in a day. It was the best and highest use of my time working with you and I thank you very much for everything.