The years have taught me how to whittle my “To-Do” list down to into three basic buckets: Writing. Fitness. Personal.

Yet, there was this Other presence that kept butting in. There would be things that came up that never made it into my scheduler nor were they things I necessarily focused on. They were the trivial many. Those miscellaneous things that I thought were important.

They were things and people and events that I tolerated because I thought I needed to tolerate them.

*Things like unexpected emails or texts from my day job. Reacting to negative criticism (even if the reaction was mainly internalized and never said aloud, I would let the negativity fester and grow before I released it). Going to unplanned, last minute events.

Now, I not only do I have a To-Do list, I have a Not-To-Do list. And it’s a simple filtering system. Whatever it is that doesn’t align with my values or helps me to create massive action to my goals will go on my not-to-do list.

Or, as someone once said: “If it’s not a Heck YES!, it’s a no.”

Now, I choose to ignore criticism. I unplug myself from the day job when I’m off. I choose activities that add to my health, wealth, and personal values.

I’m not a master at this, and in fact, will probably be a lifelong student of this practice. But in light of my values of freedom, efficiency, and achievement, the choices of what I need to do and not do are remarkably simple to make now.

(*And, yes, there are things that I do to this day that I need to do. But thankfully, those items take less of my time.)

Current Food For Thought:

Tools of Titans, by Tim Ferriss

Essentialism, by Greg McKeown

The War of Art and Do The Work, by Steven Pressfield