Is it time to write yourself a NOT-To-Do list?
Having a to-do list is a key element of planning your day, week and month. If you don’t write down a list of what to do, and by when, you’ll start dropping a few balls.
However, there is another way to maximising your time and productivity. Write yourself a NOT-To-Do list.
It might look something like this:
NOT-To-Do
* Do NOT take on work you don’t enjoy, unless you urgently need the money.
* Do NOT waste time reading emails and e-newsletters promising to make you a millionaire by next Tuesday.
* Do NOT check email more than once an hour.
* Do NOT take another course or program unless it aligns precisely with your goals.
* Do NOT work for people who want a freebie now but promise huge fees in the future, “If all goes well”.
* Do NOT let a week pass by without reviewing your goals and milestones.
* Do NOT spend more than 30 unbillable minutes on the phone each day during working hours.
* Do NOT start your day without first reviewing what you are going to achieve by the end of the day.
* Do NOT spend time on Twitter or Facebook unless you know precisely WHY you are spending that time and can measure the benefits.
* Do NOT estimate for a job over the phone. Always say you will get back to them later in the day or the next day. This gives you time to reflect on the scope of the job and the size of the fee you can charge.
* Do NOT feel intimidated by your clients. They’re no different or more special than you or me. We’re all just making a living.
* Do NOT agree to go for coffee with friends at a time of day when you have already committed yourself to be working.
You can probably add a few more items to that list. And yes, I wandered a little far and wide, including items that are not strictly related to daily time management.
But there is a point worth making here. Everything on the list above impacts your level of productivity and your chances of achieving significant success.
Just remember that the “secrets of success” are not just a list of things you SHOULD do, but also includes plenty of things you SHOULD’NT be doing.
It’s not enough simply to be adding good habits, you also have to identify and deal with the bad habits.
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