Scratch to do lists. What’s on your not to do list?
Posted by Lee-Anne Ragan | Filed under Change management & wellness
Photo Credit: Clint__Budd Flickr via Compfight cc
Chances are if I ask what’s on your to-do list you’ll be able to pull 1 (or 10) out of your Blackberry, IPhone, daytimer and/or nightstand. Or out of your brain matter if you’re not the scribing type. Chances are your list is long. Chances are it weighs you down.
What about lightening the load? What about creating a list of things not to do?
Fourth in a series, this post collates what the following folk have on their not to do lists. They’re keeping their plates clear of clutter by not filling them up with stuff that doesn’t keep them interested, intrigued and on track.
The series includes things to-do, to continue doing, to stop doing, not to do, to-done, and to’odle lists. See below for a quick summary of each and a link to download a template to create your own.
Take a look. See what speaks to you and what doesn’t. How does it affect your own not to do list?
Just as with the stop doing lists, who knows what will happen when the resulting space is created!
To Not Do – or ‘I know I want to stay away from these‘
From Dyana Valentine, who helps self-starters self-finish and whose Perfect Pitch process is nigh on perfect –
Hmmm, not much comes to mind here. I think this is sort of aligned with a post I did on regret I can’t think of any really big stops because I’ve learned a lot by running red lights this year:)
From Danielle LaPorte, lifestyle diva, style maven, Fire Starter & WhiteHot Truth mama –
Giving yes’es to unqualified requests for meetings. Let me explain… WHY do you want to meet? WHY should we have tea? Exactly WHY are you interested? A lot of meetings could happen in fifteen minutes on the phone, or be avoided entirely if more clarity happened at the invitational stage.
From Melodie Biringer Queen of all we Crave & Mistress of Women’s business development –
I don’t want to overbook myself and feel overwhelmed.
From Kerri Carlson – the Wonder Woman behind the inspirational Every Woman annual conference –
Worry.
From Oz Sokoh, U.K. Shell Geo-scientist by day and foodie blogger by night –
Spend every evening at the computer.
From Melanda Schmid, UN Habitat consultant in Kenya, non-violent communications fiend & lover of earrings –
Eating too much and exercising too little.
And in case you think I know not men, this in from Pat Jarvis – dedicated to Paralympic sport, Order of Canada recipient, his perigrination & peripatetic lifestyle is dedicated to making the world a better place (& is brought to you by the letter ‘p’) –
That energy sapping, mind numbing television.
From Sam Crespi, writer, ever curious, purposeful wanderer –
I want to stay away from naysayers with their incessant messages of conflict and doom. I’m not a cock-eyed optimist. Life is richer for the shadows along the path. It’s all in how we see.
From Michelle Royle (that’s her, upper left, swimming with dolphins) one of the best trainers I know, whose integrity can’t be topped, a deep thinker, traveler & dry humourist –
To not eat Potato Chips; to not listen to married mens’ sagas about how crummy their marriages are. To not not do the things I sign up to do; to stop hanging out with people who focus their energy on negativity; to stop doing things, relationships, people and work when it no longer feel like its a mutual positive gain.
From Johanne Gallagher, the wickedly funny, charming Irish Diva living, working & playing in Norway –
Criticism and complaining.
And you? What’s on your not to do list?
Watch for upcoming and already covered segments from these same folks:
- things I want to start doing, being or having this month
- these work, so I should continue doing these
- I tried these but they aren’t effective, so I shouldn’t do them anymore
To not do
- I know I want to stay away from these
To done
- yep, that’s not a typo; these are my accomplishments – I am proud of these. This one is left off most lists I know of and yet it’s critical to take time to reflect on what we’ve done not just on what’s left to do.
To’odle
- what to do when I need to float, let my mind wander, and relax
To download your own template to use as you wish simply click here: Rock.Paper.Scissors To Do template
Stay tuned for the next compilation – the to done lists.
Tags: crave, danielle laporte, dyana valentine, every woman, johanne gallagher, kerri carlson, melanda schmid, melodie biringer, michelle royle, oz sokoh, pat jarvis, patrick jarvis, pitch perfect, sam crespi, white hot truth
February 22nd, 2011 at 7:42 am
I don’t want continuously to look behind me and think of the recent past. Granted, a few events were pretty traumatic and what not, but being scarred in places doesn’t mean I haven’t got any skin left. What’s left is, in fact, tougher, so there!
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:20 am
Lee Anne . .. so timely .. Not to do . . . planning so far ahead in my work life that ‘being in the moment’ truly being ‘here’ is lost. The here and now is so rich a place.
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:16 pm
Hi Steph, thanks so much for stopping by & for taking the time to comment.
Ahhh the clinging smoke of misty eyed pasts. And scars. May our scars (& wrinkles) add to our beauty & character. Not be the sum but merely a pause.
Makes me think of an article I read about proud flesh. Here’s to your and all of ours’ proud flesh.
It stayed with me…
“…see how the flesh grows back
across a wound, with great vehemence,
more strong
than simple, untested surface before.
There’s a name for it on horses,
when it comes back darker and raised: proud flesh,
as all flesh
is proud of its wounds, wears them
as honors given out after battle,
small triumphs pinned to the chest -”
~ Jane Hirshfield from For What Binds Us
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Now that’s dancing with dichotomy – how to plan, see the horizon, head towards your vision & your goals AND not loose the sweetness of the moment. When you figure it out let me know!
This may sound odd but I’ve been using an IPhone app called Zentimer to help me focus on my meditations. Loving it!
What do you do Bill to help you stay in the moment?
February 27th, 2011 at 3:46 am
[…] @LeeAnneRagan RT @DanielleLaPorte: my fave kind of list! a Stop Doing List, from @LeeAnneRagan http://rpsinc.ca/blog/?p=1462 […]