# 437: Stop Using To-Do Lists with Sarah Olivieri

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/inspired-nonprofit-leadership-812838/437-stop-using-to-do-lists-with-sarah-olivieri
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/inspired-nonprofit-leadership-812838/437-stop-using-to-do-lists-with-sarah-olivieri.md
Podcast: [Inspired Nonprofit Leadership](https://stenobird.com/podcast/inspired-nonprofit-leadership-812838)
Published: 2026-07-13T04:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://inspirednonprofitleadership.libsyn.com/inl-437-stop-using-to-do-lists-with-sarah-olivieri
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/inspirednonprofitleadership/INL_437__Stop_Using_To-Do_Lists_with_Sarah_Olivieri.mp3?dest-id=928919
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/inspired-nonprofit-leadership-812838/episodes/437-stop-using-to-do-lists-with-sarah-olivieri
Duration seconds: 625

## Resource

Stop Using To-Do Lists Every time you look at your to-do list and ask "what should I do next," your brain drops into a small version of strategic planning. That mode burns real energy, and you do it over and over all day long. Add in the secret to-do list, the tasks you never even write down but still have to do, and the list stops feeling like a tool and starts feeling like a weight. In this solo episode, Sarah breaks down the to-do list trap and the calendar-based system she uses instead, the same one she teaches inside the Impact Method and runs her own business on. In This Episode, You'll Learn Why working from a to-do list quietly forces you back into planning mode all day, and what that costs your brain The difference between time management, which is really repeated planning, and calendar management, which is visual and fast How Sarah plans everything once every two weeks in about an hour, then treats the rest like a jigsaw puzzle with her calendar Why unfinished lists keep you from the psychological "it's done" that actually sustains you The connection between a calm nervous system and your best decision-making as a leader Who This Episode Is For Executive directors whose to-do list feels never-ending and stress-inducing Leaders who keep a "secret to-do list" of work that never officially counts Anyone who ends the day feeling behind no matter how much got done Practical takeaways Move recurring tasks off your list and into your calendar as recurring events Block one hour every two weeks to plan your projects and tasks, then stop re-deciding daily When something doesn't get done, drag it to an open block later in the week instead of re-planning Build in a daily "done" signal so you feel completion, even on the days you don't finish everything About Your Host, S…

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## Transcript

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