The not-to-do list

by | Goals, Planning, Productivity, Time

TODAY’S IDEA:

EntreGurus-Book-Finish Jon AcuffCreate a not-to-do list.
— From Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff.

In his very funny and witty style, Jon Acuff call this “Choose what to bomb.” We all have 24 hours in a day and the truth is that whenever we say “yes” to doing something, that means that we are saying “no” to something else. It’s that simple.

However, if you’re a people pleaser like me, this gnaws at your soul because you try to do everything. Sorry to break it to you but you CAN’T do it all. “The only way to accomplish a new goal is to feed it your most valuable resource: time. And what we never like to admit is that you don’t just give time to something, you take it from something else. To be good at one thing you have to be bad at something else.”

Being specific about what we are going to be bad at is called “Strategic Incompetence.” Is there something about your life or business that you can put on hold temporarily or give up permanently so that you can free up time for your goals?

My friend Lisa Guida also shared with me this idea of the not-to-do list a while back, and now that I see a similar concept in Jon’s book, I’m putting it into practice.

Here’s my list of major not-to-do’s:

  • I don’t watch TV shows (but I do watch a movie every now and then with my husband, as that is something that we both enjoy).
  • I don’t do other social media than Linked In, Twitter, and Facebook.
  • I don’t iron clothes. (Long live the cleaners!)
  • I avoid meetings as much as I can. I always try to find an alternative to attending a meeting (although I don’t always succeed, and yes, once in a while—when well run—they may be helpful and informative, but for the most part I find them to be a waste of time.)

And this last point brings me to a variation of this idea that Jon mentions: “If [saying no] makes you feel uncomfortable, or if stopping an activity is not possible, simplify instead.” Sometimes it’s just not realistic to avoid or get rid altogether of certain things/activities/people. Can you simplify? Can you do away with less?

I’m also thinking that on our daily to-do lists, we can add a not-to-do section with a few daily no’s, or daily simplifications, such as, no Twitter today, or no Twitter until 7 pm, or no Twitter except during lunchtime.

ACTION:

Define 3 things that will go in your not-to-do list, or find a way to simplify them. What did you decide to bomb? Why? Let me know in the comments!