To do, or not to do, that is the question !!

As each calendar year end approaches, we start pondering about the year coming up. Usually this involves a bit of soul searching, a bit of planning and often a "to do list" of things we want to achieve, places we want to see, big goals for ourselves and, on and on the list goes.

How often do we begin this exercise by creating a "not to do list"? I would argue that thinking about what we will not do and repeat the next year is much harder than, what we will do, for the simple reason that, it is hard to do. I would suggest that when you start the year with a "not to do list" and act on it, you are more likely to find the time and the energy to focus on the things you want to do and achieve. As someone (I am not entirely sure who this someone is) once said "The definition of insanity is, doing the same thing over and over again and, expecting a different result".

I usually begin the "not to do list" with a few thoughts. I then take these thoughts and actively work on discarding the things, or stopping them completely. This requires the ability to say "no" something, many people struggle to do.  

1) What did not work so well for me in the previous year and why? - This is about personal effort expended on something that was unproductive. Or, this could also be about spending time with people who ended up stealing your oxygen and, gave back nothing :-) It is a brutal evaluation of all elements to understand what the makeup of the “not to do list” is.

2) It is important going forward to continue some of these things that did not work well? And is there a consequence to stopping it? - Sometimes the consequence is worth the risk as, it affords you time to achieve other things. No matter what decision you make, someone won’t be happy but, don’t let it stop you from doing so.

3) Is it a priority or not? - If it is a priority what else has to stop or what will I not achieve in the next year as a result of doing this one right etc. There is always an impact irrespective of how you see it.

I know many people love to tick things off the "to do list" as, it gives us a sense of accomplishment and adrenaline rush, similar to the likes on social media and so on. I would argue that a few things done really well are far more effective than, a lot of things done average. It also helps improve your personal efficiency, allows you the opportunity to have a better work life balance and ultimately, produce work that is personally as well as professionally satisfying. As a rule "people remember the things that you did not do well but forget the things you did well" meaning, memories for negative things last longer and cloud judgment. 

I wish you a great start to 2017 and may all your dreams and wishes come true. I would like to leave you with this thought that has been part of my email signature for years "Agree and Do, Disagree and Do but, Do Nothing is Not an Option".     

All thoughts here are mine and mine alone. It may not work for you and, you might disagree with my approach. I fully expect that and, thank you for reading this far. If I can help you in any way please contact me directly on LinkedIn. Please follow me for further updates in the future.