If you’re focused on productivity and effectively managing your time, you probably create to-do lists for each day. This is a great practice that will help you stay on track. Just as you have your to-do list, you might also want to consider your “not-to-do” list.
Just as you list the things that you want to do, you want to be real clear about the things that you are not going to do. For instance, a couple of years ago, I chose to no longer allow the lack of planning on the part of others effect me. So that went on my not-to-do list. Other people would have to learn to respect my time. Most recently with the panic in the air over the economy, I decided that I was not going to panic because of the seemingly poor state of the economy. That got added to the list as well. I have my own private economy and it’s in great shape.
Take a moment to think about the things that you are committed to NOT doing and create your not-to-do list. Some of the things you might have on your not-to-do list might be: “I won’t over commit myself.”; “I won’t bring home work from the office.”
Once you’ve committed yourself to the things you are determined not to do, refer to your not-to-do list just as you would your daily to-do list. Make this a part of your routine and stick to it! It can help keep you productive just like your daily to-do list will.
Once you make your not-to-do list, come back and post a comment sharing what you put on your list. I’m really interested in knowing what you’ve committed to NOT doing.