Learning to Shed Stuff that Matters Less

This is a story of learning to shed stuff that matters less.

In the mid-90’s I kept a pile of VAX email printouts on my desk. These were mail messages related to requests, projects, and “wouldn’t it be nice to…” ideas that weren’t urgent enough or important enough to spend time on most days of the week. “The pile” was my version of a backlog list. I generally wanted to please everyone and said Yes to everything, so the pile steadily grew larger.

One day Marv Hardisty came into my office and commented that the pile was getting larger. “What is it?” he asked. (This was very uncharacteristic of Marv, who did not pry.) I explained. He grimaced at me. He scooped up the pile, opened a file drawer, and unceremoniously dropped it in. He shut the file drawer, turned to me and said, “If no one asks you again about anything in the pile after a month, throw it away.” 

Indeed, no one followed up in a month. I had almost immediately started a new “pile” but soon stopped. About 6 months later I moved to another office and tossed out the original pile with a big smile on my face.

It’s a common refrain for leaders: “Do, Delegate, or Delete.” Only a fraction of what comes your way deserves your energy and attention. What you choose to do, do very well. 

(Note: this was originally published on encouragingpress.com)