All my life I’ve written lists.
Grocery lists, goal lists and — of course — to-do lists.
(I blame my highly organized dad, who lives by lists, too.)
My to-do lists can be pages long, too, with items like, “Finish progress report for interns,” “Mail Shannon’s birthday present (from November)” and “Buy new jeans.” It’s overwhelming sometimes to read through it every day. But I can’t imagine how I’d manage everything I do without in.
Until one day I read a tweet about the “not-to-do” list.
I Googled it and came across the blog of Timothy Ferris, author of “The 4-Hour Workweek” — a book I actually own — who wrote about these lists. He said “not-to-do” lists are often more effective than “to-do” lists for upgrading performance.
“The reason is simple,” he writes. “What you don’t do determines what you can do.”
He came up with nine habits — mostly for entrepreneurs and office workers — to stop now:
1. Do not answer calls from unrecognized phone numbers
2. Do not e-mail first thing in the morning or last thing at night
3. Do not agree to meetings or calls with no clear agenda or end time
4. Do not let people ramble
5. Do not check e-mail constantly — “batch” and check at set times only
6. Do not over-communicate with low-profit, high-maintenance customers
7. Do not work more to fix overwhelm — prioritize
8. Do not carry a cellphone or Crackberry 24/7
9. Do not expect work to fill a void that non-work relationships and activities should
The concept, I thought, was interesting. By writing things I shouldn’t do, I’m indicated the habits I have that are counterproductive to my goals — or sanity.
So here’s my “not-to-do” list for Monday:
• Do not watch any reality TV. At least for today. “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” isn’t helping me improve my life.
• Do not read e-mail messages and not respond. Just respond and get it over with.
• Do not drink Diet Coke after 6 p.m. All that caffeine and aspartame can’t be good for anyone.
• Do not skip lunch. Go out. Get out of the office. It will make the rest of the workday bearable.
• Do not come up with a dozen excuses to avoid running today. Just suck it up and do it. I’ll be glad that I did.
• Do not write another to-do list. Not until this one is done.
So what’s on your “not-to-do” list today?
***
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12 Comments
Tim’s book has literally changed my life. If you listen to my voicemail on my phone it is almost verbatim from the book. I basically follow the nine to the letter except I have added one more thing related to the email. I follow the “Inbox Zero” lifestyle brought to fame by David Allen and Merlin Mann.
Watch the Inbox Zero video(s) https://inboxzero.com/inboxzero/
today, i’m 1) not going to panic if i don’t read the whole StarAdv. 2) not going to repack and count the days till i’m back on Oahu 3) not going to get my hair cut. 4) not going to harass Melissa Chang for being a workaholic.
@turkfontaine People still read papers? LOL!
I think a couple of his points are out-dated. First, no one “checks” e-mail anymore. Usually computers and smartphones are set to check on an automated schedule. Second, I think over 50% of the population now have no landlines. So carrying a cell/smart-phone is the only form of communication, and some people “must” be reachable at all times during the work day and up to a certain point after.
I guess you could still follow those two points, but “today” it seems unpractical. I do however follow rule number 1 religiously. I “especially” do not answer calls from “blocked” numbers. Can anyone tell me why in the world you would want your number blocked when you call someone? Wouldn’t you “want” them to know it’s you calling so they answer?
@MaxMaxMax Actually, #1 is kind of ridiculous and obsolete too… especially if you use your cell phone for business, you’re not going to recognize the numbers of everyone who calls you. Also, a lot of businesses use land lines that go through a switchboard and show up as blocked or “unavailable” numbers. Just sayin’!
@chant808 I use my cell phone 100% (no landline). Basically, if the number is not in my address book, I don’t answer it. They can leave a message.
@MaxMaxMax @chant808 I don’t answer my phone, period. It’s a problem.
On another “note” (badumbahh), I’ve always struggled with transitioning from hand written to do lists to electronic to dos. I’ve tried almost every software available on both my computer and iPhone. It couldn’t be easier to accomplish, but still… I’ve found you can’t beat a handwritten list in your pocket or folder that you can scribble on at anytime in a matter of seconds. I’ve even made a PDF of a to do list that I print out, that has status boxes and a method for listing. I’ll post it later as a reply. I think many of you may find it useful, LOL!
@MaxMaxMax I am with you on this point. I have tried to make / use electronic to-do lists using my Mac Calendar feature, but for some reason, I always do better with having a printed / handwritten to do list.
@Eric Yeah, I even bought “Things” for Mac and iPhone (they sync together) and while it’s great for long term to dos, it still didn’t fit the bill for daily to dos that pop up on the moment.
@MaxMaxMax @Eric Yes, I still use a handwritten list, too, sometimes on napkins or backs of reciepts. I can’t do the electonic one yet, though I can see the allure.
Great post! #8 should not be taken lightly! Although I feel naked without my iPhone – as most do, I assume – it is usually a beautiful feeling that forces me to question my dependency on technology. I’ll be making my not-to-do list shortly!