NOT-TO-DO list
It is new year and a new possibility so you might be hearing advices on productivity, time management, to-dos, resolutions, goals and more. I want to share with you a controversial advice that works wonders.
We keep hearing about the to-do lists. I am here to tell you about the not-to-do list. It is a list that you will not do, no matter what. period.
You will not do them. You will drop them altogether or delegate them every single time or defer them as much as you can if you can't drop immediately but you will not do it.
"NO" brings a lot of focus and intention into life. Strategy is nothing but an intentional NO. By having a not-to-do list, you will do only high leverage tasks and everything else you will not do. This way you will be doing only important and significant tasks most of the time by design.
Here are five reasons why you need a not-to-do list
- If you are like me who believes do well all that you do and can't say NO your to-do list will be overloaded in no time. As a result your calendar will be bleeding with tasks. You will be overworked and under-slept most days. The not to do list makes saying NO easy.
- Your habits are wired. Especially bad habits don't leave you so easily. You need to have a gate to stop it. A not-to-do list will act as that gate.
- Your self discipline becomes better with a stronger boundary. Your not-to-list is that boundary.
- If you are prone to distractions like me, you need an environment which will help you to stay focused and sane. Having many tasks undone and status=red is not appreciated by our human brains. Staying faithful to not-to-do list will reduce your distractions.
- Decision making guzzles a lot of energy. Reducing the number of decisions to be made is achieved by not-to-do list.
Typical things in not-to-do list and how to do it, a recipe:
- Do a personal SWOT analysis and all things your weakness potentially goes into your not-to-do list. Strength-based living enhances your happiness and productivity significantly. Why bother about your weaknesses? Just say a polite NO using your not-to-do list.
- Toxic people, disablers and energy drainers. Just say no.
- Tasks that add low or no value to your life goals.
- Things beyond your locus of control.
- Cyclical tasks that guzzle more time from calendar today.
Own your life and own your time using a not-to-do list 🎉