Enough with the Overwhelm: Why Your To-Do List Is Your Enemy
Productivity Debt, Anti-To-Do List and other tricks to flip your perspective. • Premium Mind Bullet #19.
What if the reason you feel behind isn't because you're not doing enough, but because you are doing too much of what doesn't matter?
In this Mind Bullet:
Anti-To-Do: flip the script.
Done list.
Minimum viable consistency.
You might be doing enough, you just might not do enough of what matters.
Tower Brick: Actionable step to make yourself 1% better (includes a printable Google Doc with both lists).
Prompt for clarity.
Power Quote.
One valuable resource I’ve found this week.
Anti-To-Do: flip the script
I don’t have to explain what a to-do list is, but what’s an anti to-do list?
Instead of writing down things you want to get done, you write down things you want to avoid.
Mine for today is:
Don’t spend more than 15 minutes on Instagram.
Don’t move to the next task before I finish the current one.
Don’t watch YouTube while eating.
Don’t complain.
Don’t drink.
Simple as that. Write down things that you know will be bad for your progress.
When it’s time for fun, it’s time for fun. But when you need to push the pedal to the floor, identifying what you don’t want to do comes in handy.
When to check things off the list? At the end of the day, or when you stay strong during the chance to do whatever it is you want to avoid, and won’t have another one for today.
If you want to visually see the consistency of your habits, use my tracker.
Done list
When you wake up, do you feel like you are already behind?
Do you feel like “I need to make up for yesterday”?
Start at zero.
Instead of writing down things you need to do, you write down things you already did.
Mine from yesterday:
Replied to 12 emails.
Took a 30-minute walk.
Workout: legs.
Finished editing 2 chapters.
Made dinner.
Finished newsletter draft.
Changed tires.
Simple as that. Write down what you accomplished, no matter how small.
To-do lists are great and all, but can become overwhelming debt collectors. Every morning, it reminds you of what you haven't done. If it grows longer, not shorter—try out this.
A done list is the opposite. Proof you are moving forward.
When to add to the list? Whenever you complete something worth noting.
Effects show in weeks and months. A single day can blend in and feel wasted. The goal is to remind yourself that you are making progress day by day.
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Minimum viable consistency
Unlike your computer, you can't be on all the time.
16h workday, hustle, no sleep—that’s not the way to do anything mentally demanding.
In short bursts of time, achievable for a very few. In the long term, unrealistic and unproductive for all.
Sometimes your days will get busy due to external factors. If you still want to make progress, then:
Identify your focus window: what time of the day makes you perform best? Morning? (More energy).
Evening? (Fewer distractions).
Set your focus windows. About 45–90 minutes. Adjust alarms accordingly.
Make it your absolutely, 100% sacred time. No matter what, you do what you planned. Becomes easier with each completed section if you stick with it.
You might be doing enough, you just might not do enough of what matters
“Do you think I’m stupid?” No.
I think you may be lying to yourself.
You are busy. You are working. You are checking things off lists. But are you moving the needle on what actually matters?
Motion isn’t progress. Being busy isn’t being productive.
It’s very easy to make that mistake, especially when circumstances change and once established routines and actions don’t. That’s why you should reflect and adjust from time to time.
Quick exercise for identifying the most important actions:
Write down “What I can do to achieve my goal over the next 12 months”?
Write at least 15 answers to that question.
Out of all the answers, which one are you sure will make the most impact in the least amount of time?
Cross out all other answers and make an actionable plan for the answer that won the battle royale.
Tower Brick
To write down now. From Monday to Today:
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