Andy Grove, the long-time CEO and Chairman of Intel, went home each day when he was tired, not when the to-do list was finished.
His realisation was that our to-do lists will never get done. There will always be more we can do. A few extra hours we can put in.
This fast becomes unsustainable, and unhealthy.
Each day, we’re given a set number of hours to pick the most important work, do it to the best of our ability, and call it a day when we’re tired or it’s time to go home.
Letting go of the burden to finish the to-do list is liberating.
H/T Andy Grove’s High Output Management