What’s on Your To-Don’t List for 2022?

To Don’t? Say, what!

I love to make my to-do list(s) and the feeling of crossing something off. These lists can be motivational, promote efficiency, and help us focus. Or, they can feel overwhelming and, for some like me, make you feel like crap when you haven’t finished it by day’s end because I wasn’t productive “enough”.

Why does the to-do list never get done?  We get the list wrong – we haven’t prioritized or identified the important vs. urgent, high vs. low value tasks. We suck at setting boundaries. We underestimate the time it takes to accomplish certain tasks. A task feels daunting or makes us uncomfortable, so we turn to distractions. We have developed bad habits like hitting the snooze button 3x before getting up.  

Want to be more productive, more focused and energized, and feel good at the end of the day? Try a to-don’t list!

How to Make Your To-Don’t List

            Distractions & Bad Habits

Start with what I would call bad habits. The more obvious stuff. For example, sleeping in, drinking too much caffeine and not enough water, sitting at your desk for hours without a break, eating junk food followed by a sugar crash or stuffing yourself at lunch and sliding into a carb coma.

Next think about what you use as distractions? For many of us, we turn to distractions when things aren’t going as we want, or expect, them to, when something feels unpleasant, uncomfortable, or daunting, or when we don’t feel in control.

What can you add to your to-don’t list from this bucket? Scanning the news all day; keeping Facebook open in your browser or checking IG constantly – ahh if only my life looked like that; obsessing about inbox zero standards; or, in my case, constantly making and re-making to-do lists so I feel some control.

            Task Management - Prioritize

As you step into leadership roles, the to-do list gets longer and the stakes get higher.

What can you delegate, delete or outsource? What is important (urgent is not the same as important)? What is high value? Where can you make a unique contribution?

In a post on Twitter, Jack Dorsey shared why he has a to-don’t list. “[S]ometimes setting the intention to deliberately not work on something gives me clearer space to think and work, and be less reactive.”

Stop agreeing to last minute meetings and only agree to ones with a clear agenda and hard stop.  Stop responding to every email you get. Walk away from the gossips on your team.

            Your “No-No” List        

Great leaders set boundaries. They say “no” to more things than they say “yes” to. When you do your end-of-day wrap up or weekly review, what did you do that you didn’t want to do? What did you do because you thought you “should” do it? Did you say “yes” to something and then feel guilty or angry at yourself (and resentful toward that person). Who or what is your weak spot?

The bestselling author, Wharton professor and organizational psychologist, Adam Grant, has ‘stop helping everyone who asks’ on his to-don’t list.  As you become more senior, have more advice and wisdom to share, more connections and influence, more people want your attention.

One of my favorites I read, ‘don’t sign-up for my local farm co-op’. This is totally my mom who would rush to get there before it closed making herself crazy in the process. Stop joining book clubs.

What will you put on your to-don’t list?

There is real joy in crossing the to-don’t list off every day. There is a sense of accomplishment in exercising willpower and self-control. Unlike the quick hit of crossing off your to-do list, the to-don’t list gives you the quick hit and the long-term benefit of reaching your full potential.

Not sure what to put on your to-don’t list? Overwhelmed by your to-do list? Set up a 30-min, no commitment, strategy call to kick 2022 off right.