Before I started my own company, I worked as a software developer for a New York media company. I had a colleague—let’s call him Neil—who was a brilliant designer. But he was also a perfectionist.

Q. I currently keep a static to-do list, and I would like to update it to be more dynamic. Do you have any advice? A. Microsoft Excel is best known for crunching numbers, but it’s also a powerful tool ...

For several years, I have kept two to-do lists for work (that’s how much I love them—one just wasn’t enough). One of my lists contains tasks that require deep, focused work and demand a decent chunk ...