This past year, we have planned and renovated two buildings from top to bottom. Aside from the time invested and the challenges 2020 presented, the mental and emotional loads were astronomical. In the end, I truly feel a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. When I do any big thing or have a lot on my plate, I realize I have to put new systems in place to survive. Said in another way, I learned that I either DO something, I DELEGATE something or DUMP something. Today I want to focus on the second 2: Delegate and Dump. I believe there is real skill in developing your not-to-do list. So how do you build and implement it?
[2:52] Complete a time audit. A time audit is a strong place to start. You pick a time period (I recommend seven days) where you audit what is taking up your time. You can do this in any increment, but I suggest 1-hour increments. For example, what do you do from 6am-7am daily? A helpful tip is to set your alarm for every hour. Once you have completed that audit, you will look back and be able to see what you spent your time on. It is powerful. Do not let anything get in your way with this. I think you are going to learn you are wasting time on things! What do I mean? We are intentional about our time.
[6:18] Put your schedule on a chopping block. Here are the questions I want you to ask?
1. What are the things you see and hear that are not serving you? It will likely be something like TV or social media?
2. Look through your Time Audit to find activities that are filling your schedule but not impacting a priority in your life. Examples of priorities: family, kids, business, and faith. I share an example about cleaning my car.
3. Make sure that you are also looking at your schedule and thinking about/identifying what fills you up. I love doing a reflection at the end of the day, in addition to intentions at the beginning of the day.
[13:00] Start building that not-to-do list. This list includes things you are not doing but it can also include ways/systems to keep yourself from doing the things that take time from your day. It is important to start simple and get that easy win! After that, identify and focus on the more challenging ones. This is where you are questioning, “Do I delegate or do I dump?” Also, identify the things that fill you up, as well as the amount of time you spend doing those things. It is not about what you are doing and whether it is right or wrong. It is about what is best for you and making sure the things you spend your time on fill you up and bring you closer to your goals.
[19:13] Build your perfect week. Pull out that original time audit calendar. You may notice white space and now that you have your 3 levels of activities, you begin to place them throughout your week. You will also start to look at “Delegate/Dump” world and start to see if they fit. How are you filling up my day and are you filling it up with the things that matter? It is a game of balance. Just because you are good at it or capable of it, doesn’t mean you should do it. You may feel the need to do it because you have high expectations. So…do you delegate that task or do you dump it? You have laid out the way you want to live your life. Now, make sure to be VERY clear about the way that distracting tasks/items can get in your way. They cannot creep back into your schedule. The better that you get at this, those little things can creep back in. But, you will be able to limit the amount of time you spend doing it.
At the end of the day, make sure you are doing what is important to you. By building your not-to-do list, you are filling your time and leading a life with activities that fill you up even more. When you are pursuing you, that best self you are working on is a gift that the world is eagerly awaiting to receive.
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