A not-to-do list is basically a list of
habits that you can avoid doing. The reason is very simple, knowing what not to
do determines what you can do.
Below are the seven common habits that
everyone can avoid for being more productive with their to-do list:
1. Trying to do everything
Prioritize the most important
tasks from your to-do list and work on it sequentially. Say, your to-do list
has 10 tasks for the day. But upon careful consideration, only 2 out of 10 tasks
are really important and will contribute to your day. Now, just focus completely on finishing the 2
tasks. In the book Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, the author Brain Tracy
talks about the 80/20 rule. That is, 20% of the tasks in your to-do list
account for 80% of the value. So don’t try to do everything that is on your
to-do list. Just concentrate on the most important ones.
2. Not having clear goals
Before starting out any
important task put out a mind map to the end result you want. Just don’t have a
big goal in your mind and try to follow it. When you do so, you will feel
exhausted and you will lose your motivation very soon. You have to break down
your huge goal into smaller outcomes. Break it into chunks and then follow it.
You will reach your ideal goal with ease and without the loss of motivation.
3. Trying to please everyone
Stop being a good guy to
everyone. We all wanted to look like a good person to the world. Because of
that, we tend to do things that we do not agree with. For example, Your manager
is suggesting you an idea to increase the sales funnel which you think is
really dumb. You have multiple ideas that would really work better than what
your manager is suggesting. But, to be a good guy you accept what your manager
is saying without even asking a question. This behavior of trying to please
everyone/ seeming to be a good person will take you nowhere.
4. Spending excessive time on
social media
Have a limitation on how much time
you spend on social media. Social media can be addictive and keeps you
scrolling for hours. Set a time and have control over how you are spending time
on social media. Sometimes, it can be immensely useful but most of the times
social media platforms are time suckers. Keep reminders and cut down wasting
your time in those platforms to half. Do not spend your valuable time on
entertainment.
5. Saying 'Yes" to
everything
The one important skill that
everyone needs to learn is the art of saying 'NO'. Most of us are so good or
act as if we are so good that we hesitate to say no. As a result, we tend to
say 'yes' to things that are not meant to us or the things that can overburden
us. For example, you are having an important presentation to be completed and
your colleague interrupts and asks for your help in his work. You being the
most generous-hearted person say yes and leave your presentation half done to
help your colleague. Don’t get me wrong, it is absolutely fine to help others.
The point I am trying to put forward is that never say 'yes' to everything when
you are already occupied with your own work.
6. Multitasking
There is a myth that multitasking
people can handle so many things together and get things done effectively and
soon. But, the fact is that when you multitask your attention is scattered.
Divided attention always results in more errors. As a result of this, you have to
do a particular task more than once to get it done properly. So, it is better
to give your complete attention to one task at a time to divide your
attention among various tasks which result erroneous.
7. Spending time on things that
you cannot control
Can you do something about it? If the
answer is “no”, don’t even worry about it. If it is outside of your control,
spending time thinking and worrying about it won’t change the facts. Accept it,
make peace with it, move on.
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