Writing Your “Not To Do” List for Success

We are living in a constant state of information overload. So how can we sift through the noise and discover what is truly essential to our lives and our goals? Essentialism is a mindset, not a tactic, so it will take practice to achieve the clarity you seek. Here are a few articles and tips on how you can create the white space your brain needs to dream big and achieve.

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Greg McKeown’s book espouses the virtue of pursuing only, “the right thing, in the right way, at the right time.” Challenging our call to “do all the things”, McKeown instead encourages readers to focus our time and energy on certain things that will give us the greatest reward.

The To Do or Not to Do List

According to Michael Hyatt, “The only way for a super-productive person to continue to grow professionally without going crazy is to periodically decide what you are not going to do.” Instead of continually tacking on tasks to your never-ending day, choose select tasks that, by not doing, will actually move you forward. Items on the “not to do” list could include small things like not answering unsolicited emails to bigger items like not participating in public speaking events unless they are a perfect fit for your brand. Warren Buffett has his own approach to this list, too, saying that you must prioritize and scale back in order to succeed.

For a more philosophical take, you can view essentialism as something that, “puts people on the path to live a life of purpose.” It comes down to making choices, setting priorities, and sticking with them despite the many distractions available. Focus and perseverance will always win the day.

(Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash)