One of the tried and true organization and time-management

tools is the trusty old “to do” list. I was trained to

diligently put one together at the end of the day for the

following day, and whatever tasks I failed to complete, to

carry it forward. This system has worked well in helping

me prioritize and focus. But I have also heard many of my

colleagues complain about having too much on their list,

and feeling very discouraged and overwhelmed by the sheer

number of items on their “To Do” list. To help ease the

overwhelm, I want to introduce the concept of the “Stop

Doing” list.

I first read about the “Stop Doing” list in “Good to Great”

by Jim Collins. He stated that one of the commonalities of

the companies who were able to propel themselves from being

just good to being great is that they all looked at what

they were currently doing that they needed to Stop Doing.

I am implementing this idea in a slightly different way,

but I think a “Stop Doing” list can actually help your

productivity and effectiveness.

So how do you decide what goes on your “Stop Doing” list?

Here’s what I suggest you do.

For the next week or two, each time you work on your “to

do” list (and if you are not using one currently, I

strongly recommend you start), or blocking off time for

specific tasks in you planner, ask yourself this question:

“does this task add value or generate positive results for

me and my organization?” If the answer is no, it should go

right on top of your “Stop Doing” list.

If the answer is “yes”, ask yourself a second question:

“am I the best person to do this task?” The first question

tells you whether you can eliminate a task. This question

tells you whether you can delegate a task. I know for

solo-business people, you automatically think that you have

no one to delegate any tasks to. But actually, that might

not necessarily be true. Today, there is a whole network

of virtual assistants who can handle a myriad of

administrative work for you. Some accept work by the hour,

and some accept work by the project. If you are interested

in this resource, check out www.assistu.com

For some people, you may have to then overcome your

resistance to delegating. I’ve heard many of the reasons.

Do these sound familiar?

• “By the time I explain it to someone else, I could have

done it myself.”

• “I can’t trust somebody else to do it right.”

• “It costs too much money.”

Some of these are completely legitimate concerns. However,

before you dismiss the idea, consider the following:

• Is the task repetitive so that the up-front time

investment to train someone is actually worth it 3 months

down the road?

• Are you the most qualified person to complete the task,

or could someone else do it in less time with less effort

for better results?

• If you didn’t have to do the task, what would you choose

to spend that time on, and what impact will that have on

your business, or your life?

So, after considering these tough questions, add your

delegated task to your “Stop Doing” list as well and send

them elsewhere, and I guarantee you will feel better.

Even though I wrote this article for people struggling with

overload at work, the same approach can be applied to

create a “Stop Doing” list for home. Think of the

possibilities – you can delegate laundry, and cooking, and

yard work, and cleaning, and what else?

Seriously, the current state of our lives is that there is

generally too much to do and not enough time. So, go

through this exercise at least once and see what you can

shed from your “to do” list. If you like the results, then

establish a routine and do this every 6 months or a year.

The point is that you want to spend your time on high

impact tasks, and work that you enjoy.