Not To Do List

'Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.' - Steve Jobs

The biggest audible response we get in our Change Leadership programmes is when we say everyone should have a Not To Do List. Some gasp, some laugh, some heave a sigh of relief and the ones who really get it? They just nod.

You see, a Not To List is liberating, but not in the obvious way you may think.

It's not that you can now just scribble off half your list based on the idea that you haven't got time to do them. Everyone has enough time to do just about anything they choose to do.

Instead, it's all part of a continuous improvement process that has the power to transform your life, if you are willing to give it a try.

Imagine;

• Not feeling obliged to say Yes to everyone.
• Not reading the same item on your To Do List every day for a week and feeling disheartened that you can't seem to get it done. 
• Not feeling like you are wasting time as you work out how you will fit everything in.
• Not feeling anxious when you write your To Do List - because it VERY short.

All of this, and more, awaits you; if you choose to try this little technique.

What is a Not To Do List?

At one of the spectrum, a Not To Do List is both your Saviour and your Liberator, at the other end it is no more than another list that you can lose (but this time it won't matter if you do!)

Very simply, a Not To Do List is a place for all those things that you intuitively know should not be on your To Do List. As I've said before, your intuition is tuition from within and it is your friend. Learn to trust it. 

If you are looking at something on your To Do List and your "feelings" are indicating it is not a priority or you want to delay starting or it just doesn't feel right - listen. You may ultimately still decide to do the said thing, but at least give serious attention to the idea that it may be a bad use of your time.

Not To Do List Categories

The list is potentially endless, but here are just a few categories of tasks you may wish to consider moving to your Not To Do List as you review your To Do List:

• Other people's responsibilities
• Things out of my control
• Things that drain me
• Things that don't need to be done

However, this list is still short of one key category:

• Things that are good to do but still get in the way of the things that are great to do

This distinction is not an easy one to overcome. The lure of the good is strong. The urge to keep going, even when something great is within your grasp, is compelling.

However, in business, this can mean the difference between struggling to take off and flying to the moon.

In our personal lives, it's the difference between feeling completely de-energised and springing out of the bed every morning.

Starting Your Not To Do List

Like most things in life, the best approach is to break it down into tiny steps. In this case, look at your To Do List (wherever it is stored) and move one item per day onto your Not To Do List. Once you've done it, reward yourself with a proverbial pat on the back. You're on your way.

Here is Steve Jobs (of Apple fame) sharing the single biggest bonus of saying No to things, even if they are good things. It's all about Focus.

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