My Not to Do List

This weekend, thanks to my laryngitis and consequently feeling very run down, my productivity went completely off the rails. The most strenuous thing I did all weekend was drive to Dedham 15 minutes each way to pick up my car from the shop. I think that's OK, sometimes. Catching a cold or virus is your body's way of reminding you to slow down and take it easy. I can use the reminder, since I generally am focused on completing all the tasks.

At some point in my mid-20s, I went from feeling as if I had all the time in the world to actively managing my time and feeling as if there was never enough. This coincided loosely, but not exactly, with when my daughter was born.

I still make daily decisions about my Not To Do list that are as critical as the ones that make it to my To Do list. I have to be realistic about things. I enjoyed Peter Bregman's take on this topic. Check out his Wall Street Journal blog post where he talks about his To-Don't list. I realize that I cannot attend every training, call every friend, and watch every missed conference session as I would like. It's a tough choice to decide not to do something, but at the same time, it's very freeing. What can you choose not to do that will give you back a little bit of freedom this week?