There is a list that is more useful than most list I’ve ever made.
It reminds me of the things that pull on my attention and focus. It reminds me to pause and to get out of autopilot behaviour. It helps me to focus on the work that matters most to me.
The list I’m talking about is a ‘Not To Do’ list.
I first head about it from Tim Ferris and started my own list a while ago. There are some items on there that I believe could be useful for many of us, especially when it comes to trying to focus on deep and meaningful work.
Not to engage with Social Media first thing in the morning
We often get lost in Social Media rabbit holes and it’s not useful for your focus or mental health to start the day by scrolling through our feed. Preserve your energy and attention and pour it into your most important and/or difficult daily task.
Not to constantly check your emails
Responding to an email can make us feel productive and of course, getting back to a client or moving a project forward by answering an email is definitely important but they can be more effectively dealt with and less draining on your energy by batching them. Move towards checking and answering your emails twice a day.
Not to work in the evenings
This will help you to feel recharged for the next workday. I still find it difficult to do this and on some evenings I just can’t avoid it because my work spans across different time zones. But as a general rule, I still like this one and I’m currently testing various ‘shout down’ rituals to help me transition from work to personal time.
Not to be too hard on yourself
Some days are just difficult and nothing flows — this is when you should cut yourself some slack and take a long afternoon nap or watch a few more YouTube videos. I always used to force myself to do work on days like this. I would also entertain lots of negative self-talk when this happened and consequently would feel even worse. Now I realise that I go through ebbs and flows during the month and sometimes even in the space of one day. I have learned to distinguish between the days when I just need to take it easy and the days when I’m trying to hide because there is fear or something else that wants to be looked at.
Create your own ‘not to do’ list
When you are thinking about what to add to your personal ‘not to do list’, I suggest that start by observing your behaviour over the next few workdays. Notice when your attention fades and what you then feel pulled towards. Do you keep checking your phone, get lost in your Facebook feed or watching YouTube videos? Add it to the list as a ‘Not to do’ item.
Also pay close attention to your self-talk, every time you say something like ‘I wish I didn’t..’ ..drink so much coffee, go to bed too late etc. Write them down too. After a week or so you should have a sizable list. Review this list periodically to add anything that keeps preventing you from doing focused and meaningful work.