Get More Done with a “To-Don’t” List

A colleague of mine recently sent me a link to an article written by Liz Massey of Creative Liberty on 7 Ways to Reduce Stress With a To-Don’t List.  As a chronic To-DO list maker from waaaaayyyyy back, I was really intrigued by the title! As a coach who helps her clients focus on what’s most important and get it done, I thought I’d share some additional insights with you that I’ve learned.
I’m just soooo busy!

Somehow in our culture, “being busy” has been elevated to a status symbol. However, busy does not equal productive! It’s easy to be unceasingly busy with the never ending to-do list. As one thing is checked off, three more are added on.  But too often clients complain they just aren’t getting what they want accomplished or they aren’t hitting their goals.   They are “busy” going nowhere.
While the to-do list seems forever ongoing, in contrast, Massey describes the “to-don’t” list as “contractive, narrow, and boundary-defining.” She also shares that, “At the heart of the ‘to-don’t’ list is the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule.”  The 80/20 rule states that 20% of our efforts produce 80% of our results. This means that 80% of our efforts aren’t even important! Enter the “to-don’t” list.

Creating Yours
While Liz Massey’s article focuses on the seven benefits you’ll get from implementing your own “to-don’t” list, I’d like to share three tactics you can use to create your own “to-don’t” list so you can attain those benefits!

1.  Assess what you are currently doing and rank the importance using the traditional A, B and C ranking where A is urgent, B is for items you’d like to get done today but aren’t critical and C is for the optional or back burner items.  Review your B and C tasks and assess if any can be added to the “to-don’t” list (permanently or temporarily).

2.  Identify what you can outsource!  While some tasks need to be completed, they may not need to be completed by YOU!  Much of the business administration work you do can be given to an assistant (or virtual assistant for all you small business owners) to free you up for focusing on the 20%! Those items outsourced can be added to your “to-don’t” list.

3. Detect your key time stealers. Cell phones, blackberries, pagers, a disorganized boss, e-mail, junk mail, or a chatty co-worker are just a few possibilities. Once you know the time stealers you can decide how to handle them.  Perhaps some things can go on your “to-don’t” list like checking e-mail first thing in the morning. This is often a major time stealer and can be relegated to a little later in the day.  Save your “prime time” work hours for the more important and strategic activities.

Use your “to-don’t” list to clear away some of the 80% of unimportant work.  Your “to-don’t” list will also help you create a to-DO list that is more strategic AND realistic!

© 2009 Victoria Cook. All Rights Reserved.
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