Despite the love/hate relationship I have with lists, I’m creating
a new one: The Do Not Do List.
The Do Not Do List has been on my mind for quite a while.
I’ve been jotting down things I won’t do anymore (see below) and I keep
stumbling on articles that talk about the concept, which I think is a rather
important one. Yes, it is important to know what you want to do. It is just as
important to know what you will not do.
There are several reasons why something would land on a Do
Not Do List. I’m not talking about the obvious illegal or immoral things, but
things that, for whatever reason, you choose not to do. Maybe it’s a chore like
washing windows, or a social obligation you decide no longer fits with your
life. Do Not Dos can be as simple as “Do not check email before breakfast” or
they can involve more weighty items related to work, parenting, volunteering,
social or family issues. Each person’s list will be different.
Things for the Do Not Do list fall into a couple of
categories: things you don’t want to do or dislike doing, and things you’d like
to do, but currently don’t have the time or resources for. Think about that
first type for a minute. We’re adults with (hopefully) mature minds of our own.
Surely there are a number of things we do out of habit that we do not need to
do. When we stop doing them, we free up time for more important and enjoyable
activities.
The second category, things you’d like to do, can be placed
temporarily on the Do Not Do List, to allow you to concentrate on a few
priorities. You might develop a “Do Later” subcategory on the Do Not Do List.
This is the type of thing I put on the Six-Year Calendar of Happiness.
The Do Not Do List helps you get rid of activities that are
not adding to the sum of your happiness and productivity, but it also helps you
focus on your most rewarding current priorities by streamlining your To Do List.
Once something lands on the Do Not Do List, you don’t have to think about it
anymore. You should feel a psychic burden lifted from your shoulders.
The Do Not Do List doesn’t have to be set in stone. Some
things might stay on it for a week, a few months, a few years. Possibly some
things will stay on it forever. Reevaluate occasionally to make sure it’s still
working for you.
Here are a few examples of things I currently Do Not Do:
Take clothes to consignment stores. Too much work for not a
big enough return. If I have unwanted clothes, I donate them to Goodwill
Industries.
Read every article in a magazine. It might sound crazy, but I
used to think I needed to read every single piece in a magazine, especially if
I bought it instead of checking it out from the library. I would read articles
that I was not particularly interested in because I was afraid of missing something
I really needed to read, or the one paragraph or sentence that would spark a
brilliant idea. I’ve come to realize that if there’s an idea or important
concept out there for me, it will find me. I’ve also learned to stop reading books
that I really don’t like.
Go on diets. Sure, I could stand to lose a few pounds. I
have several strategies I use when the number on the scale (or the waistband on
the pants) tells me my weight has crept up, but I do not cut out any food
groups, restrict my calories to a very low level or follow someone else’s
eating plan. I know those methods do not work for me. I become instantly
rebellious, hyper focused on food and generally make things worse for myself.
My way is excruciatingly slow (try five pounds in 10 weeks), but I do not
usually feel deprived, and each time I have to make adjustments to keep my
weight under control, I try to make lifetime habit changes. I also try to do it
from a position of love for my body and what it does for me, instead of trying
to punish it. Easier said than done, but I’m working on it.
Wear shoes, no matter how cute, that hurt my feet, legs or
back. I’m constantly on the lookout for comfortable, cute shoes and I’m willing
to pay a bit more for them. So far I’ve had limited success. (Suggestions
welcomed!)
We live in a complicated world in which the ability to say no
to the extraneous and focus on the essential has become a vital skill. We
cannot possibly focus quality attention on as many things as demand that
attention. We have to pick and choose, no matter how difficult that might be
(and I find it difficult). Even if we feel guilty for giving up unpleasant
tasks, it’s still easier to dispose of things we don’t like doing, and much
harder to streamline our enjoyable interests.
What are we willing to give up in order to accomplish something
significant in an area of highest priority? Putting those things on a Do Not Do
List, or even a Do Later List, can help simplify and clarify our lives.
What is on your Do Not Do List?
