BidCraft
Why you should start using 'to-don't' lists
Updated: Nov 21, 2020
Have you ever glanced at a book in a bookstore and regretted not buying it? That happened to me in the wonderful Copenhagen Design Museum (when the world was a different place), and I’ve kicked myself ever since.
The thing that caught my eye was in a book enticingly called “Don’t read this book – time management for creative people” by Donald Roos, and the topic was the power of creating To Don’t lists.
At the end of each day I scribble down a To Do list for the next day, and by mid-morning it’s usually expanded to unrealistic proportions or completely gone to pot. But I hadn’t realised the power that creating a To Don’t list would have on productivity and clarity of thinking.
Stopping doing things frees-up time, makes you feel less stressed about not doing them (because you’ve made a deliberate choice), and keeps you focused on what’s important.
My list for this week is:
Not going out unless it’s absolutely necessary
Not looking at social media more than once per day and for more than half an hour
Not checking news more than twice a day; lunchtime and evenings are enough at the moment
Not sitting idle – find something useful and productive to do
Not looking for football news.
What would make your list?