After many attempts at learning different methods of being productive and organized, I have come to a simple conclusion. There is only one way to avoid having your to do list always expand like your weight after visiting a doughnut shop. More after the jump.

A few years ago I had the fortune to work with a group of young professors that were the most honest, hard working, intelligent, and caring group of people I have ever met. One of the greatest learning experiences from those days was the concept of "negative work." One of these professors rose quickly up the academic ladder and within weeks of being at an administrative position he confided with me his theory of negative work.

Most of my students know that I am a fan and practitioner of David Allen's Getting Things Done methodology. I use OminGroup's OmniFocus to keep my day organized. What most don't know is that even with a methodology and a tool to support it, there are still lots of things that must be tweaked to make it work for you.