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Have you ever heard of a NOT To-Do List? I think it’s safe to say, most of us have a To-Do List. Or even multiple To-Do Lists categorized by subject 😛 No matter how much we accomplish, there’s always more to do. Or some days I’m paralyzed by the overwhelming list to the point where I don’t know where to start….. so I don’t. A NOT To-Do List adds an interesting twist. Instead of trying to cram in as many tasks as possible into our day, a Not To Do List helps create space in our day, by eliminating the unnecessary.
It’s easy to get caught up in the hypnotic rhythm of life and never take a step back to take a look at the bigger picture. When you do, you may notice that you’re filling your time with activities that do not serve you. I noticed that the most common offenders for me were hitting the snooze button on my alarm, spending too much time on social media, and being distracted when I was playing with my kids.
Most of us want to create better habits in our lives, but BEFORE we can create new good habits, we need to create space for them by clearing what’s not serving us.
The first step is noticing.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but some people have A LOT more to show for it than others. The best way to create space for doing things that truly matter is to create a Not To Do List so that you can stop squandering precious time. Here are some prompts to help you think of things that should be on this list
- What distracts me and wants my time?
- What stresses me out and gives me anxiety?
- What drains my energy?
- What do I feel obligated to do?
- What doesn’t actually need to be done?
- What do I worry about and try to control even though I know I don’t have any control?
Asking yourself these six questions can lead to a tremendous amount of insight, because they prompt you to think about your time in a different way. Instead of being overwhelmed by “all the things”, first figure out what you’re doing that wastes your time so that you have space to do what you know is important.
Make sure you’re completely honest with yourself about the tasks in your daily routine and be willing to take action on the outcome. How will you create more space in your day? What’s ONE thing you came up with that you can remedy TODAY?
