Do Less – Finish More
You feel behind because you’re optimistic. You plan to finish 20 to-dos. By 5:00, you finish 8. Instead of satisfaction, you feel behind.
Endless lists build anxiety.
Do Less. Finish More.
The secret to more satisfaction is choosing to do less and finishing what matters.
#1. Separate Commitments from Curiosities
A commitment is a decision made once.
Curiosities are interesting ideas. Commitments are non-negotiable.
Store curiosities. Commit to do less.
#2. Enforce the “Rule of Five”
Unlimited to-do lists stir anxiety. Cap your daily to-do list to no more than 5 non-negotiable items.
To decide what makes the cut, run every task through this screening question:
“If I do not complete this today, will there be fallout that I cannot easily repair, or will the perception of my work quality suffer?” Jeff Morris in Faster.
If the answer is no, park it.
#3. Win the 10:00 A.M. Advantage
Knock out 1 or 2 consequential tasks before 10:00 A.M. Limit late-day panic by building momentum in the morning.
#4. Attach Time Limits
Work expands to the time allotted.
Set a countdown timer.
Single-task until the timer rings.
Batch small items. Dedicate 15 minutes to answer emails, for example.
A Simple System
- Establish commitments.
- Limit priorities.
- Win the morning.
- Guard focus.
The goal isn’t being busy. The goal is finishing what matters.
Leadership is deciding what deserves your attention.
The secret to getting more done is choosing less.
Leadership Challenge
Look at today’s list. Which 5 items matter most? Trim the rest, set a countdown timer for the most consequential task, and finish it before 10:00 A.M.
What can you cross off today’s to-do list?
Get Beyond Fixing Flats – Leadership Freak
This post is inspired by Jeff Morris’s book Faster.
I use many of these suggestions and, as a result, complete many tasks. I’ve also learned to list the steps of a project on the list, not just the project as a whole. This way I feel like I’m making progress. Finally, at the end of the day I’ll add the things that I ended up doing instead of tasks on my list. It can help me see where my time is going.
Wonderful suggestion, Beth. That also helps with our tendency to underestimate how long projects take to complete.
Great suggestions. I already use many of them. I also add things to my list that I have completed. It definitely helps show my progress throughout the day. You can use copilot to help you prioritize your list as well. However, I find that AI isn’t the best use when it comes to my daily tasks.